Saturday 7th May 2016

Honda Civic Type R: PH Fleet

2,000 miles in, Matt is still finding aspects to love (and not love so much) about the Civic Type R

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"That's a boy racer's car."

"No it isn't Grace, it's an incredibly exciting and quite expensive performance car."

Don't like the looks? It'll be gone very quickly!

"Well then, if you can afford one you won't want something that looks like that."

And so the debate about the Civic's styling wagers on. My friend Grace doesn't care about cars, but cared enough about the bewinged Honda to comment. Nearly everyone does, in fact, from neighbours to PHers to strangers at the petrol station. Mostly the response has been positive, the fact it's so dramatic usually drawing praise and enthusiasm. But then you'll be scowled at in the supermarket car park and realise not everyone appreciates the (apparently) Nurburgring-honed aero...

Really this month's update should begin with an apology, an apology to all of those at the Santa Pod Sunday Service. I was terrible at drag racing, not doing justice to the Type R's performance and, worst of all, being beaten by Ben in his bloody TT as well. At least he's been incredibly modest in victory. I'm sorry. I was catching him though, honest.

Brilliant Brembos mean it stops too

With a good start we'd have easily won (excuses, I know) because the Honda is just so damn quick. Even when getting into it straight from cars like the M4 GTS and Elise Cup 250, the way it boosts and goes is shocking. And very entertaining. But it's nice to discover new traits also. Because while you can have a lot of fun with the shift lights ablaze chasing every last rev, it's nearly as rewarding at lower revs too. So strong is the mid-range and so satisfying is the gearbox that going up and down through third, fourth and fifth on a B-road is more fun than you might think. Yes, it's not the traditional Type R way, but it's a new and welcome dimension to the performance.

Another is how refined it is on the motorway. Again, not usually a Type R strong point, but of course now it will sit at around 2,500rpm at the legal limit rather than buzzing away beyond 4,000. And when you're being brake checked on the M1 by half-wits wanting to race, a car that keeps you calm is welcome... That torque ensures overtakes are easy too. VTEC purists will be calling for my head here, but the point is that the new Type R is far more usable (and enjoyable) at saner commitment levels than the aesthetic might suggest. It even streamed Four Thought to the stereo very well from my phone...

Fun at all speeds in fact. No, really

Sorry yes, Type R. Racing. Hot hatch. This month I've also done some experimenting with the '+R' mode, because Honda makes a lot of fuss about it. I won't be doing it again. Yes, the sharper throttle is welcome given how torpid the standard response is, but the ride becomes too harsh and the red illuminated dials are annoying. It's that or nothing too, with none of the individual configurability found in rivals. Selecting +R also appears to change the source button on the wheel, meaning it no longer controls the audio but instead the different racing displays. Not sure on that one, but will investigate further. There is a 0-60mph timer though, plus a quarter-mile one, so perhaps Lowden and I need a rematch.

Elsewhere the news is good, really good; get beyond the looks and it's just a fabulous car to drive. The filler cap has broken but I think that was much my eagerness to get more fuel in and start driving again. In a couple of weeks the Civic is leading a PH convoy out to Wales, including a day at Anglesey, where I think it will be shown in a very good light indeed.

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FACT SHEET
Car: 2016 Honda Civic Type R GT
Run by: Matt
On fleet since: March 2016
Mileage: 2,307 (delivered on 625)
List price new: £32,960 (Type R GT at £32,295, plus £525 for Championship White paint and £140 for Elegance Floor Carpets
Last month at a glance: A Type R that rewards at less than flat out? Whatever next?

Previous reports:
Welcome the first ever Type R to the PH Fleet!

 

[BenLowden]

I'll give you a head start next time. Maybe.

[Durzel]

I can't get over the fact that even counting inflation it's a £33k Civic Type-R. Still, a massive improvement over the FN2.

[Catatafish]

Durzel said:

I can't get over the fact that even counting inflation it's a £33k Civic Type-R. Still, a massive improvement over the FN2.

33k now is 20k in 2000, so seems reasonable to me. Us old gits just need to re/calibrate our value of the queens pounds.

[WCZ]

they certainly stand out when you see one on the road

[Durzel]

Catatafish said:

33k now is 20k in 2000, so seems reasonable to me. Us old gits just need to re/calibrate our value of the queens pounds.

That may well be the case, but the EP3 Type-R wasn't £20k in 2000, or even 2002 for that matter.

EDIT: Unless my memory really is that bad I thought they were ~£18k for the AC version.

[Vyse]

Delivered on 625. Was it a demo car?

[HJMS123]

Durzel said:

That may well be the case, but the EP3 Type-R wasn't £20k in 2000, or even 2002 for that matter.

Neither did it have 300bhp, LSD, Brembos, cruise, auto lights etc and a proper media system.

I prefer the older gen Type R's as well but this constant comparison is boring.

[JMF894]

FWIW I paid a tad over 17K for my new Premier edition ep3 in late 2005

And also FWIW I desperately want the current Type R as my next car!

[Axionknight]

I need to stop reading these articles, I love these, mine would be grey, however. Indeed the local Honda dealer called me on Friday to see if I was still interested as they had a grey GT in as a demo, available for purchase and sharpish delivery.

I was speaking to my missus about them around the time of the first PH fleet article and I joked about buying one if Sunderland managed to avoid relegation.

So it looks like I'm not getting my new car!

Edited by Axionknight on Tuesday 3rd May 12:49

[TomEP]

Durzel said:

Catatafish said:

33k now is 20k in 2000, so seems reasonable to me. Us old gits just need to re/calibrate our value of the queens pounds.

That may well be the case, but the EP3 Type-R wasn't £20k in 2000, or even 2002 for that matter.

EDIT: Unless my memory really is that bad I thought they were ~£18k for the AC version.

I paid £16.3k for an a/c new type r in 2004. It was a bargain at the time and even the insurance was ok for a 21 year old. I don't get this one - it would appeal to me if I was 21 again but wouldn't be able to afford it even after adjusting it for current prices. I put it in the missed the mark category

[Catatafish]

Durzel said:

Catatafish said:

33k now is 20k in 2000, so seems reasonable to me. Us old gits just need to re/calibrate our value of the queens pounds.

That may well be the case, but the EP3 Type-R wasn't £20k in 2000, or even 2002 for that matter.

EDIT: Unless my memory really is that bad I thought they were ~£18k for the AC version.

Far too easily confused... 18k versus 20k... more or less the same and completely missing my point about old feckers and their blindpsots to inflation. Has Pedantry Cup '16 started already?

[mp3manager]

An EP3 was considerably less than my annual salary when it was new but the FK2 is considerably more than my annual salary now, which is depressing and has sod all to do with inflation.

[renrut]

The more I hear about these the more I want one. Can't really justify it right now but maybe in a couple of years. On the practical side are these any good at getting over speed bumps? Our estate is littered with them and although I could justify one for myself in a few years I couldn't justify moving house to get one!

[TheJimi]

Has there been any road or track comparisons between the old previous CTR's and the new one?

[LaurasOtherHalf]

I'm going to bore everyone telling them the same story, but i picked mine up last Tuesday and took it to the Nürburgring, running it in on the way. One evening of TF and then open pit lane DN14 and Spa the following day, the car was absolutely immense

'Tis an absolute riot, but +R mode is solely for the track in my early experience so far. Admittedly, i have no idea about how accurate the speedo is but we were taking Tiergarten at an indicated 153mph on a flying lap-it's so planted and tied down it just begs you to take corners faster and faster

[Rob.043]

It has to cost a lot more that it did in previous incarnations because the development time was huge! You can't make a car go this fast for much less. It seems like Ford did a good job with the Focus RS and the other comparable products are appropriately priced. Their all (hot hatchery) pushing performance capabilities in to realms that were the preserve of £40-50k++ sports and even supercars 10 to 15 years ago.

The performance bargains of today are to buy those older used cars...

[Steven_RW]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Stuff - nurburgring - stuff: we were taking Tiergarten at an indicated 153mph on a flying lap

The guy putting in the lap record was at 168mph at that point. You need to send yours back to get the boost checked ;-)

(attempts at humour re: what actually is the spec of the lap record attempting cars..)

:thumbsup: for getting out the n.ring. I'm a massive for of the current Type-r. Grey looks great.

Cheers

RW

[otolith]

Seem to remember my EP3 was buzzing away at 3500rpm at the motorway limit, not 4000.

[Axionknight]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I'm going to bore everyone telling them the same story, but i picked mine up last Tuesday and took it to the Nürburgring, running it in on the way. One evening of TF and then open pit lane DN14 and Spa the following day, the car was absolutely immense

'Tis an absolute riot, but +R mode is solely for the track in my early experience so far. Admittedly, i have no idea about how accurate the speedo is but we were taking Tiergarten at an indicated 153mph on a flying lap-it's so planted and tied down it just begs you to take corners faster and faster

STHAP, PLEASE!

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Steven_RW said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Stuff - nurburgring - stuff: we were taking Tiergarten at an indicated 153mph on a flying lap

The guy putting in the lap record was at 168mph at that point. You need to send yours back to get the boost checked ;-)

(attempts at humour re: what actually is the spec of the lap record attempting cars..)

:thumbsup: for getting out the n.ring. I'm a massive for of the current Type-r. Grey looks great.

Cheers

RW

I know, i watched it while i was out there! I suspect it is less to do with the spec of the record car and more to do with the inferior size of my balls!