BLOOD SPORT

IT’S THE REIGNING CHAMPION VERSUS THE PRECOCIOUS YOUNG UPSTART. ONLY ONE WILL REMAIN STANDING

- SCOTT NEWMAN

DING, DING, DING. And now for the main event. Today’s fight is for the title of world’s best driving hot hatch and the judge’s decision is final. Both our combatants have Japanese heritage, though one is UK-born, and in an unusual move we’re mixing weight divisions. In the blue corner is the reigning champion, the middleweight Honda Civic Type R, weighing in at 1396kg.

It’s here in freshly facelifted guise, but don’t expect any sweeping changes to its vital statistics. The 2.0- litre turbocharged four-cylinder still produces 228kW at 6500rpm and 400Nm from 2500-4500rpm, attached to a six-speed manual and driving the front wheels through a limited-slip differential. Instead, Honda’s engineers have made subtle tweaks to the training regime of their benchmark hot hatch, examining every nut and bolt in search of improvement.

New control software for the adaptive dampers allows them to read the road 10 times quicker; the bushes in the rear lower B-arm have been stiffened by eight per cent for “better toe-in characteristics when cornering”; the front compliance bushes are 10 per cent stiffer and friction in the ball joints has been reduced.

New two-piece floating front brake discs shed 2.3kg – with the added benefit of it being unsprung weight – and the brake pads feature a more fade-resistant material. The pedal stroke has also been reduced by 15mm for improved response. Revised styling includes symmetrical fog light surrounds, a new grille increases the intake air opening by 13 per cent, which when combined with an uprated radiator core reduces coolant temperature.