01 Mar 06
One of the best-attended unveilings at Geneva happened on the Honda stand where the wraps were pulled of the Civic Type R. Even though Honda calls this a Concept - although the only bit that looks remotely 'concept' are the comically blacked out windows, which would be impossible to see out of - it is just about 100 percent production ready. The headline figures are 197bhp, a six-speed gearbox an on-sale date of early 2007 and a price tag in the region of £18,000.
True to its rice-rocket roots, the Type R's 2.0-litre powerplant will redline in the region of 8000rpm, and get the R to a top speed the far side of 150mph. And it's lighter than the car it replaces, to expect even better performance figures - it'll certainly give more powerful rivals something to think about. All things considered, this one is definitely not your Auntie's Civic.
