Hero's Welcome

Our car of the moment drops its bags at MOTOR HQ

OUR DOUBLE Performance Car of the Year and Bang For Your Bucks champion has found its way into the MOTOR garage for the next six issues. During this time, we will establish whether or not the phenomenal driving experience the Honda Civic Type R offers, can be reconciled with some other, shall we say less than salubrious facets. In particular, a very busily styled, very unpopular exterior, and an interior that’s also a bit hit and miss.

But for me personally, I will be trying to open my mind to the idea of owning a Honda at all. I’m not a Honda guy; my favourite all-time Honda is the S2000, a car that sits out on its own in Honda’s performance car history. A screaming, north-south atmo four in the front sending power via a blissful six-speed manual and limited slip differential to the rear wheels – nothing like it has worn a Honda badge since. As for other Honda performance royalty, I appreciate the original NSX but don’t lust after one, same for the DC2 Integra Type R and EK Civic Type R.

I only mention all this because I know a lot of readers feel the same way. And so here I am, self-professed non-Honda person, with the keys to a front-drive hot hatch with a big, fat, red Honda badge on the front of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very, very happy about this. That’s largely because when it comes to driving very fast, it’s hard to talk about the Civic Type R without sounding like you’re an exaggerating lunatic.