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Motoring
Honda Civic Type R – Swindon’s finest

exactly exciting and, although the control of each front wheel,
navigation and touchscreen is fine, delivering exceptional road holding
the piano black surround looks low and composure. This is aided by
rent for such a fast car. All the now big Brembo brakes, a limited-slip
expected technology and storage differential and ESP.
come as standard on the GT version. The car is powered by a turbo-
Gears are shifted via a six-speed charged 2.0L four cylinder motor.
manual gearbox that is a delight to What comes out is 306bhp and
use with exactly the right ratios. a beefy 295lb ft of torque which
The back seats are fine. This is a means that it will pull easily in high
four door car and not the coupé gears when appropriate.
of old which makes it much more In normal mode the car will
usable. The boot is a good size and, potter with the best of them but
Geoff Maxted of Drivewrite.co.uk takes the Honda Civic Type R for a spin because the car carries a puncture that is not what it’s for. Reach
kit there is a deep well beneath the out a tentative right index finger
One of the things that gladdens my both on computer and in the wind floor for extra storage. and poke the button marked +R.
heart is that car makers are still tunnel. Like it or loath it, it has a This is not a car that you would This stiffens the dampers by a
prepared to build vehicles like the job to do as the air passes over the describe as shy and retiring. It is further 30% from the already firm
Honda Civic Type R. This is the GT car just as the flat underside sucks boisterous, raucous and an absolute setting. It also sharpens the throttle
model which means it gets some the car into the ground feeding air drivers’ delight. This car monsters response and beefs up the steering.
extras like a premium 320w audio out via the big rear diffuser. the road and it does so safely and It will hit 62mph from a standing
set-up with eight speakers. It also The front seats mean business. with serious aplomb. Thanks to start in just 5.7 seconds with little
has red detailing and an easy-to- High-sided, deep and low slung, I the direct, slack-free steering and evidence of torque steer, but it is
use Garmin Navigation that hides defy anyone to get out of this car the chassis’ flat-bodied stance through the gears where the Type
the CD slot behind the screen; a with anything approaching dignified in corners the Type R responds R really scores. It is a pure driving
neat touch. elegance. Once installed though the with much of the immediacy and experience that costs just £32,820
Honda choose to tell us that seats are nicely snug and grip in all eagerness of the track-focused car for the tested version. The more
this is a ‘race car for the road’ and the right places. Drivers can alter it purports to be. compliant, softer setting is better
for once this is not manufacturer height manually and get properly The Civic turns sharply into for everyday use. Honda reckon that
hyperbole. You might wonder about set up with a steering wheel that corners and a new four point 38mpg – aided by Stop/Start - is
the massive wing but the company can be adjusted for reach and rake. adaptive damper system - possible but 28mpg is more likely.
insists that the design was subject It’s the regular cascading Civic developed specifically for the Type The best hot hatch on the market
to exhaustive aerodynamic analysis, dashboard which is fine if not R - enables continuous independent today.

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