Honda has announced that the first batch of production 2016 Honda Civic Type Rs is arriving hot off the metal press, as hundreds of production and management staff from Honda’s European car manufacturing facility in Swindon, England, joined a slew of invited guests to greet the new cars as they emerged from the assembly line.

The first models from the Honda of the U.K. Manufacturing (HUM) plant were received amid a good deal of fanfare, as lights and music sent them on their way to various European dealerships. HUM’s Managing Director, Soichiro Takizawa, thanked the staff members for their hard work in creating the British-built Civic Type R.

Back in March, it was announced that HUM would be the global production hub for the highly anticipated hot-hatch, continuing a history that has seen Civics roll out from the U.K. plant for over two decades.

“The new Civic Type R is an imperative model for Honda, representing our racing spirit and demonstrating our commitment to innovation and passion,” Takizawa said, attributing the plant’s hub designation to its high degree of standards.

To support the new production, Honda set aside £200 million ($312 million) for the plant, bringing total investment to £2.2 billion ($3.43 billion) since 1985.

For now, the new Civic Type R will be available exclusively to European customers. However, it was recently announced at the New York Auto Show that that the iconic hot-hatch will finally see its way to American shores in the future, with an expected arrival sometime in the next two to three years.

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