► Month one with our new Honda Civic Type R
► Features a shouty exterior and 2.0 turbo engine
► 0-62mph in just 5.7secs and a top end of 168mph
‘I’m bigger and bolder and rougher and tougher, in other words sucker there is no other.’ Even with the help of a product-planning crystal ball like Georg Kacher’s, it’s unlikely that ’90s Dutch hard house duo Human Resource had the latest 168mph Civic Type R in mind when they released 1991’s Dominator.
But given the unarguable Max Power connotations of the latest Type R’s theatrically overblown styling and the way the hot Civic has commanded the affordable performance car conversation of late, they seem like a good pairing. Right down to the Hoover sound effects.
This car is hardcore to look at and to drive. But what about to live with? That’s what we’ll be finding out over the next six months. We already know from last July’s Giant Test how good the Civic is to send down a Welsh B-road. But the fact that it comes with (and only with) five doors for the first time, and that the new turbocharged engine doesn’t just bring more power, but vastly improved flexibility, suggests this might be the most useable Type R yet.
Type Rs come in two flavours, the regular car for £29,995 on the road or the GT for £32,295. They’re all but identical from the outside, both coming with 19in alloys, deeply sculpted front seats and that gigantic rear spoiler plus keyless start, active city braking and a reversing camera.
But we went for the GT, judging the £2300 premium a fair exchange for the posher model’s 320W Garmin multimedia system, auto lights and wipers, dual-zone climate and parking sensors. On top of that there’s the peace of mind that comes from a suite of safety systems that includes blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning and traffic-sign recognition.
The latter will ensure we’re never in any doubt how many multiples over the speed limit we’re going. This is a rapid machine, far quicker in the real world than suggested by the 5.7sec 0-62mph time, which would surely be in the fours were the Civic anything but front-wheel drive. That said, with the standard limited-slip diff marshaling the distribution of rations to the front tyres, traction is impressive given the power output, and the lack of torque steer commendable.
If only the styling was as controlled. It’s an aggressive-looking package, but not entirely well resolved. The way the 19in wheels fail to fill the arches is disappointing, and the weird overhang aft of the rear wheels looks plain odd. But beyond that there’s the inescapable feeling that it looks plain embarrassing. Maybe it’s the colour, a pearlescent black at £525, the only option fitted to our car. Black is one of only five hues available, and in theory, the least shouty, but the Championship White version I first drove last year would be my choice.
Whatever exterior colour you choose, you get the same slightly garish red-and-black interior trim, a theme that works better on the seats than the fat-rimmed wheel. The driving position, the seat support and the gearshift is excellent and a red R+ button behind the chunky wheel switches the instrument backlighting from saintly white to a devilish red while also sharpening the throttle response, tweaking the steering map and tightening the standard adaptive dampers by a significant 30%. Will I be reaching for that button again and again, or just the headache pills and a niqab whenever we have to drive it in public? We’ll find out next month.
How we specced our Type R
GT trim (£2300): Sat-nav and safety kit make the bulk of the benefits
Pearlescent paint (£525): Evil to look at – and to photograph in winter
Manual gearbox (std): There’s no dual-clutch option
R+ mode (std): Sharpens steering, throttle and adaptive dampers
19in wheels (std): Fail to fill the arches (or avoid kerbs)
Logbook: Honda Civic Type R
Engine: 1996cc 16v turbo, 306bhp @ 6500rpm, 295lb ft @ 2500rpm
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Stats: 5.7sec 0-62mph, 168mph, 170g/km
Price: £32,295
As tested: £32,820
Miles this month: 2488
Total miles: 8383
Our mpg: 26.5
Official mpg: 38.7
Fuel this month: £432.11
Extra costs: £0
Read more from the March 2016 issue of CAR magazine