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The Honda CR-Z might finally become the compact sports car enthusiasts have been waiting for.

Honda fan-boys may still be holding their breath to find out if the new Civic Type R will make its way to the U.S., but even if it doesn’t here some news that might keep them happy.

According to a recent report, the Japanese automaker is looking closely at transforming the CR-Z into a performance-oriented sports car when it gets redesigned in time for the 2018 model year. The next CR-Z will reportedly borrow its platform from the next-generation Civic, but the company will shorten it by about four inches from the wheelbase to give it a more compact body.

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As a result, it’ll be marginally larger than the current CR-Z model but its style will be inspired by the new Civic Type R and NSX. Best of all, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that powers the Type R will be found in the new CR-Z, albeit detuned for less power.

Although it’s too early to speculate, a concept or prototype of the next CR-Z making a debut at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show isn’t entirely out of the question. If it does bow in two years, expect it to hit dealerships by 2018 and it’ll be another sign that Honda is striving to create performance-oriented sports cars once again.

[Source: Car and Driver]

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