PistonHeads Expert Opinion
A car with a long and varied history in the UK. At first it was the bargain basement breadvan, the EP3 Civic Type R offering an alluring combination of 200hp and 8,250rpm for ยฃ15,995. The FN2 successor didnโt quite hit the same high points despite carrying a lot over, then the Civic Type R went away for a while...
It returned as the turbocharged Type R, and it announced its return in no uncertain fashion: the 310hp FK2 looked like a spaceship, and drove like a touring car, all aero-enhanced grip and tireless brakes. The current 320hp FK8 was very similar, although it enhanced the package noticeably; an independent rear axle increased refinement as well as handling precision, a new flywheel helped it zip through revs faster and a lowered seat position put the driver right at the heart of the action.
The current Civic Type R is quite a lot different to that first one that arrived in the UK almost 20 years ago, but itโs quite a lot better, too - itโs the best hot hatch out there, in fact.