Canada’s supply of the limited edition Phoenix Yellow Civic Type R sold out in less than four minutes

Back in February Honda announced that it was bringing back the iconic Phoenix Yellow to the 2021 Honda Civic Type R. The special edition color, along with a 46-pound diet, would be limited to 1,020 worldwide. If pre-orders in Canada are any indication, it will be in pretty high demand. Apparently, our northern neighbors’ allotment of 100 was sold out in less than four minutes.

According to Autoblog, Honda says that all 100 units were claimed within four minutes of the online books opening on May 21. As reported by Automotive News Canada, this was the first time Honda Canada had used an online portal for the campaign. Each potential buyer was required to put down a $1,000 deposit.

Known as Sunlight Yellow in Japan, color code Y56 was an iconic color for the original EK9 Civic Type R. The only way to get this color in the US was on the 2000-01 Integra Type R, on which it was called Phoenix Yellow.

While the yellow CTR doesn’t get a bump in power, Honda is stripping out sound insulation, the rear wiper, tonneau cover, and rear heater ducts to drop the curb weight by 28 pounds. Forged 20-inch wheels by BBS shed another 18. A unique damper tune and recalibrated steering makes it more “track focused” according to Honda.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but MSRP is likely to be a bit more — maybe significantly more after seeing Canada’s demand — than the regular CTR’s $36,995. From a purely performance standpoint, it’s probably not worth the premium for a set of wheels and slight weight savings. We have to assume that its exclusivity and heritage color seared into the brains of a generation of Honda heads are what’s driving demand.

The US will get 600 units, but we have almost ten times the population of Canada. If you’re interested, it’s probably a good idea to talk to your dealer and sign up for the mailing list on Honda’s website.