Once again, we find ourselves looking at the all-new Honda Civic Type R, the king of the hot hatch segment. However, it's not going up against the Leon Cupra or the Megane RS.
Auto Express has managed to get hold of mint examples of the previous generation Civic Type R. First, there's the EP3 with its high-revving K20A engine. It's considered by many to be the finest front-wheel drive car of its era, and for good reason. It was as cheap as a Clio RS while packing a mightier punch. The world was sad to say goodbye in 2006 when production stopped.
Then there's the disappointment known as the FN2. It continued to use a naturally aspirated 2-liter VTEC engine, but lost the independent rear suspension and gained a few pounds. You could say it's the Japanese equivalent of the Golf 4 GTI in that regard. No tears were shed when production stopped in 2010.
It was never a match for any of its rivals, not even the Golf. However, the same cannot be said about the third generation Civic Type R, launched in 2015.
Its debut was like a bomb going off in the middle of the hot hatch segment. Honda now holds the title for the fastest hot hatch ever to lap the famous Nurburgring track.
With 310 PS, we know that it's a much faster car than its ancestors. However, we're disappointed in Auto Express' Rebecca. Despite having three legends sitting together, she didn't organize a track shootout or even a simple drag race.
Civic fans are among the most brand-loyal people on the internet. Some of them are wondering if it's worth trading in their older models for this one. Of course, we know it's much faster, but has the fun issue been addressed?
We can, however, say the Civic Type R is a performance bargain. With 310 ponies and a base price of only ?29,995, this car is like buying a Bugatti Veyron for S-Class money.
