Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: No data available
Fast, good steering feel, great fun to drive, relatively subtle styling.
Not a lot, just the irritating split rear tailgate glass and poor rearward visibility.
Hot hatch masochists and keen track dayers might be disappointed with Honda's decision to make this Type-R a little easier to live with. For the rest of us, however, it's a very welcome development.
Although the Type-R has an electrically assisted power steering system (specifically tuned and applied to a quicker-ratio steering rack than in other Civics), it is direct and intuitive. Honda has managed to avoid the artificially-weighted feel so many such systems have; it does not suddenly lighten up, nor does it give the occasional sensation that you're losing touch with the front wheels.
There's no tendency to torque-steer - thanks to the smooth, naturally-aspirated power delivery as well as the steering itself - and no nose-heavy impression, as in some of its turbocharged, heavier-weight competitors.
At 1,267kg, the Type-R feels considerably lighter and more agile than many of its rivals, such as the Golf GTI (1,328kg), Ford Focus ST (1,317kg), Vauxhall Astra VXR (1,393kg) or Seat Leon Cupra (a positively lardy 1,400kg). It's not exactly an ultra-lightweight in the vein of the old Peugeot 306 GTI-6, for example, but by modern-day standards, it's about as near as you can get in a volume-production model-range.
Unusually, the Type-R has torsion-beam rear suspension instead of an independent layout; Honda claims this allows for more boot space and better stability when cornering. The Type-R rides 15mm lower than the mainstream Civics, with its rear track (distance between the two rear wheels) 20mm wider than the five-door's, and it has also received extra stiffening of its underside, front suspension and steering box mountings.
But talking of the mainstream model range... The same things irritate in the Type-R as in the lesser-powered Civics. The split-level rear tailgate glass, which has a peculiar distorting effect, does nothing to aid rearward visibility, and is hindered still further by the lack of a rear wash-wipe, the GT's large spoiler and the body-hugging sports seats, which make turning around to look behind even more difficult.
The Civic Type-R may not have on-paper power output figures to top its class - it's 40bhp down on the Astra VXR and Leon Cupra - but, with its light weight, its 0-62mph acceleration time is competitive.
With the VTEC variable-valve and camshaft timing technology now kicking in earlier down the rev range, and more smoothly, the engine feels more flexible, and it's altogether more driveable at lower engine speeds. In the old Type-R, you may as well have been driving a base-model 1.3 until 7,000rpm, which meant for a pretty dull drive in most normal road conditions unless you redlined it, but this car feels more special for day-to-day driving, with less effort. And when you want to unleash the full screaming, race-engine effect, the option's still there - the full 198bhp peaks at 7,800rpm (400rpm higher than before), so you can wind it right up before the 8,000rpm limit. It's a far more versatile all-round set-up.
Other improvements to the power delivery, and the way it's transmitted to the wheels, include a new electronic drive-by-wire throttle and a shorter-throw gear lever for the six-speed manual 'box. The sixth gear final-drive ratio has been lowered a little, to ensure that the Type-R just keeps on a-comin'.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Honda Civic Type-R
wrote on 04 06 2008
wrote on 28 02 2008
wrote on 06 01 2008