RE: New Spa record for Civic Type R

[otolith]

Ultrafunkula said:

I think that's what I find so frustrating about it, the EP3 didn't need all the juvenile addenda to make an excellent car (if anything, it didn't look quite sporty enough).

I think that's probably a retrospective view, though - at the time, the skirts, decals, tailgate spoiler, big spidery alloys and low profile tyres were enough to make pensioners tut. These days it looks tame.

[Alex]

Tickle said:

I know all the hatches in this segment (Focus, Meg, Civic etc) are bigger than they used to be but this Civic looks massive!

I can get over the looks of the Type R, I thought the same of the previous FK2 but they have grown on me. The thing that struck me was the size of this new one. Part of the appeal of driving a car is being able to place it on the road. The natural evolution of cars is to make the next model bigger so limits how you thread them down a nice B-Road. Even the new Audi S1 looks A3 size now!

No doubt this Type R drives great, I just think it's size would suck some of the fun out of the driving experience for me, from a road driving perspective anyway.

As a side note, I seen a pic of a FK8 in Champ-White with white wheels on, it looks good.... to me anyway!

This is true. It is a big car, and I do back off down narrow roads in mine because of this.

[MRobbins1987]

Having test driven one of these I can only say great things about the way they get down a road, Honda have worked absolute wonders with this car. The styling isn’t to my tastes though far too large for the sector in my opinion.

I’ve just placed a deposit on the previous generation FK2 with a massive 1.5k miles on the clock, excited for collection day on Monday or Tuesday and should make for an interesting upgrade over my last EP3. It’s going to get ran in properly at Oulton Park on the 17th July.

[750turbo]

MRobbins1987 said:

Having test driven one of these I can only say great things about the way they get down a road, Honda have worked absolute wonders with this car. The styling isn’t to my tastes though far too large for the sector in my opinion.

I’ve just placed a deposit on the previous generation FK2 with a massive 1.5k miles on the clock, excited for collection day on Monday or Tuesday and should make for an interesting upgrade over my last EP3. It’s going to get ran in properly at Oulton Park on the 17th July.

You will love it!

May I suggest a savings fund for Tyres though? I have just ordered my 5th set of fronts at 35, 000 miles

[MRobbins1987]

750turbo said:

You will love it!

May I suggest a savings fund for Tyres though? I have just ordered my 5th set of fronts at 35, 000 miles

I hope so.

I’ve heard they like tyres, have you stuck with the Continental CS6’s or opted for something different? I will probably look at AD08r’s or PS4’s when it’s time to replace.

[Alex]

750turbo said:

You will love it!

May I suggest a savings fund for Tyres though? I have just ordered my 5th set of fronts at 35, 000 miles

Just fitted my first replacement set at 7.5k. Had to order from the dealer as none of the usual tyre places could guarantee supplying the correct Continental Sport Contact 6 with the wider rim protection. £245ea.

[Rawwr]

The tyre cost for the FK8 does terrify me a little bit and as much as I wouldn't want it to be a consideration, I'd feel a bit pained ever time I had to replace a pair.

[750turbo]

MRobbins1987 said:

I hope so.

I’ve heard they like tyres, have you stuck with the Continental CS6’s or opted for something different? I will probably look at AD08r’s or PS4’s when it’s time to replace.

CS6 were binned as I only got 6K out of the first set of fronts. Pirelli P Zeros all round now, £150 a go at the moment.

[Ahbefive]

I assume you are just replacing the 2 fronts at a time or do you rotate them half way through and then replace a set of 4?

[750turbo]

Ahbefive said:

I assume you are just replacing the 2 fronts at a time or do you rotate them half way through and then replace a set of 4?

Just the fronts, cant be bothered rotating to be honest. Obviously the rears last a lot longer (20K from memory?)

Edited by 750turbo on Wednesday 20th June 15:23

[The Voice]

I absolutely love how 'un-pc' the styling is on the FK8. I think it's absolutely mega!

Such a contrast to the sea of boring, lease-spec German metal.

But it backs up the looks by being the best hot hatch out there. Most of the reviews I've read put this at the top of the pile, often by some distance.

[ganser]

I consider this current CTR the Porsche GT3/RS of the hot hatch sector in terms of spirit. The looks reflect this ideology, even if not all the addenda are 100% functional. Definitely it has a million times more road presence than its peers, and it seems it has the dynamics to back up its looks. It may not be to everyones taste but I would definitely love to give it a go and possibly own one. I've never driven a Megane RS but I would say the difference between these cars are marginal and would only notice something if pushing hard. In that case I would choose the CTR for its road presence, its drive and certainly better reliability

[Tickle]

ganser said:

I consider this current CTR the Porsche GT3/RS of the hot hatch sector in terms of spirit. The looks reflect this ideology, even if not all the addenda are 100% functional. Definitely it has a million times more road presence than its peers, and it seems it has the dynamics to back up its looks. It may not be to everyones taste but I would definitely love to give it a go and possibly own one. I've never driven a Megane RS but I would say the difference between these cars are marginal and would only notice something if pushing hard. In that case I would choose the CTR for its road presence, its drive and certainly better reliability

Out of intetest, what reliabilty issues are there on the new meg or indeed out-going 275? Renault Sport are generally very reliable.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

culpz said:

Driver101 said:

I've not even seen a new Megane RS yet.

To be fair, they've only just recently been released. I've not even seen any for sale on AT yet in the UK, let alone seeing any out on the roads.

However, i wasn't specifically talking about the new one. The 275 was, and still is, a fantastic drivers hot-hatch. I think the new 280 model will continue build on that. Most appear to be waiting for the Trophy though, which is fair enough.

They had them as course cars at this years Monaco GP, they look alright in the flesh especially in that new yellow/orange but nothing special. To my eyes, they are as indistinct as the Hyundai and the Focus.

[Ahbefive]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Megane, to my eyes, are as indistinct as the Hyundai and the Focus.

Not the Golf GTi/R, A45, RS3, 308GTi, Leon Cupra, m140i etc?

The Civic certainly looks far more outlandish than them all but I think some are far more subtle than others.

[anonymous-user]

750turbo said:

Just the fronts, cant be bothered rotating to be honest. Obviously the rears last a lot longer (20K from memory?)

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 20th June 15:23

Guessing the camber setting etc is fairly different front to rear, always found rotating tyres didn’t give great results myself.

[culpz]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

culpz said:

Driver101 said:

I've not even seen a new Megane RS yet.

To be fair, they've only just recently been released. I've not even seen any for sale on AT yet in the UK, let alone seeing any out on the roads.

However, i wasn't specifically talking about the new one. The 275 was, and still is, a fantastic drivers hot-hatch. I think the new 280 model will continue build on that. Most appear to be waiting for the Trophy though, which is fair enough.

They had them as course cars at this years Monaco GP, they look alright in the flesh especially in that new yellow/orange but nothing special. To my eyes, they are as indistinct as the Hyundai and the Focus.

Looks are all subjective anyway but i think the new Megane does look fantastic.

However, aesthetics was not really was i was getting it. The Megane is the car you want to go out for a drive in, as apposed to concentrating on what it looks like from the outside. I can understand the styling still being an important factor though and i think it's been designed very well.

[culpz]

Tickle said:

I know all the hatches in this segment (Focus, Meg, Civic etc) are bigger than they used to be but this Civic looks massive!

I can get over the looks of the Type R, I thought the same of the previous FK2 but they have grown on me. The thing that struck me was the size of this new one. Part of the appeal of driving a car is being able to place it on the road. The natural evolution of cars is to make the next model bigger so limits how you thread them down a nice B-Road. Even the new Audi S1 looks A3 size now!

No doubt this Type R drives great, I just think it's size would suck some of the fun out of the driving experience for me, from a road driving perspective anyway.

As a side note, I seen a pic of a FK8 in Champ-White with white wheels on, it looks good.... to me anyway!

My thoughts entirely. It actually looks more like a saloon than a hatch. It's certainly very long, or at least looks it. In fact, it probably looks more like a new Accord than a Civic.

I think i much prefer the FK2.

[MRobbins1987]

750turbo said:

CS6 were binned as I only got 6K out of the first set of fronts. Pirelli P Zeros all round now, £150 a go at the moment.

Most people seem to be doing the same with the CS6 and swapping for something different. I will start a readers car thread when I get around to it, already planning some modifications.

[nickfrog]

ganser said:

I consider this current CTR the Porsche GT3/RS of the hot hatch sector in terms of spirit. The looks reflect this ideology, even if not all the addenda are 100% functional. Definitely it has a million times more road presence than its peers, and it seems it has the dynamics to back up its looks. It may not be to everyones taste but I would definitely love to give it a go and possibly own one. I've never driven a Megane RS but I would say the difference between these cars are marginal and would only notice something if pushing hard. In that case I would choose the CTR for its road presence, its drive and certainly better reliability

Traditionally it's the Megane that is perceived as the GT3 of hot hatches. Probably because of its relatively restrained looks, trackability and playful handling. I remember the Honda only been warrantied if run on a particular road tyres which limit its track potential if true.

The Megane only start making sense when pushed hard actually. Probably on track.

For me the Honda would be a Lamborghini of hot hatches.

Edited by nickfrog on Thursday 21st June 09:31