Honda Civic Type R - The hot head in the test

At the latest, when others pull out the smartphone at the ice cream parlor and take a picture of your test car and it's not a McLaren, you realize you're too old for this car. A compact car. Golf class. Only with many more wings. And you're asking yourself: Do they find that so cool or are you making fun of this new Civic Type-R's phallic compensation wing? Actually, it does not matter. Already on the way to the ice cream parlor, it was clear to me: I'm too old for that.

Driving Report: HONDA Civic Type-R

"Not for everyone"

The massive spoiler at the rear is one thing, the fender flares that look like a motor show meal are the other. Visually, the Civic, by its very nature not usually drawn, is a shovel too much. The four tailpipes could also be used as chimney pipes. But here, too, one owes something to the “VTEC fans”. All the years. If you don't know what I'm talking about, google “Mohr exhaust for CRX”. Far be it from bashing the Type-R excessively for its vulgar make-up. Seriously. It's just just not for a middle-aged, overweight family man like me. And I like sporty cars. Also hot hatches. But then I tend to stick to the design of one Golf GTI Clubsport.

Vice Seats

It becomes clear in the cockpit that the new Type-R is not a stunner, but was designed seriously for the fast lap. The seats mean business. Definitely one of the finest stalls that you can currently get in a production car. Just too high again. But that's the basic problem of the Civic. The tank sits under the first row of seats so that you can get the practical rear bench with the “Magic Seats”. That in turn does not allow a seated position that is too low. Anyone who opts for the Civic family carriage may not see this as a problem. In an athlete it is one. The fact that HONDA opted for a cockpit design that is so completely different is a gift. It's about the heart of the Civic Type-R and that beats with a lot of emphasis.

Yo, VTEC just kicked in!

To circle the Nordschleife in 7: 50,63, there is more to it than being visually brushed on riot. Steam, pressure, power. And at Honda, they resisted the turbocharger for a long time. VTEC, the variable camshaft, has long been the proven means of power delivery. But that was only about speed. This has now changed with the new Type-R. Boost pressure from a monoscroll charger provides pressure, not from idle, but just above it. The ever-present commemoration proclaimed by a great loader. The continued pressure until just about 7.000 from a successful setup under the hood. 310 PS should go to work. Infernal the sound. Massively the pressure. And Honda has not allowed the Civic Type-R four-wheel drive. Luckily. Pure hot hat feeling. A wild steering included.

If you are not afraid to defend the massive make-up of the Civic Type-R at every gas station against the clumsy declarations of love by pre-pubescent Fast & Furios fans, the Type-R gives you a massive portion of driving fun. It starts with the setup of the chassis and finds its climax somewhere between ease of rotation and ease of shifting.

Especially this gear knob. Short, crisp and direct. It's like adjusting the gears by hand. Switching is a dream. All other manufacturers can learn something from this gearbox, the short shift travel and the precision when shifting. Wouldn't they already rely on dual clutch transmissions. Honda doesn't even offer anything like that. Shift manually or buy another car. But it goes well with the Type-R. It makes the car so honest, so direct. It maximizes the passion in distributing every single one of the 400 Newton meters of the 2.0 liter turbo. The adaptive damping is also direct and merciless. It knows “crisp” or “merciless” as damping levels. In between, it can be adjusted. “Crisp” is enough for everyday use. You immediately believe that he would like to jump over the curbs like his counterpart from the WTCC series away from everyday life. With the + R button in the cockpit, where other Honda have the ECO button, the performance of the turbo engine changes, the steering becomes stiffer and the dampers switch to “merciless”. You can do it. Post-pubescent pleasure when someone thinks the rear spoiler is cool again. The front axle struggles with performance, but often wins. It's surprising how much speed can be achieved. Even the Japanese cannot outsmart the Kamm circle. The effective use of the mechanical lock rumbles through the steering, but provides plenty of traction. Driving fun? Yeah, hell - the Type-R really does. But together with the exaggerated optics, an old man feels quite out of place. Unfortunately.

Most of the pictures were taken on the winding Kaunertal Glacier Panorama Road.

And finally ...

Geil that raushaut HONDA so a hot hatch. Loyal fans of the Type-R should be happy about the merciless performance of the front-wheel drive. Anyone who has sought understatement, turns away quickly. The Civic Type-R is uncompromising and intense. In every dimension.

Chuck Norris and the unforgotten Ayrton Senna. A racer with exciting technique and martial appearance. A mixture of adolescent power and solid racing technique.

The hothead is back

Alternative to: Ford Focus RS, Audi RS3, Renault Megane RS, Golf GTI Clubsport S.
Match with: Expressionist performance athletes!
That convinces: Transmission and front axle are brilliant!

All technical data of the HONDA CIVIC Type-R at a glance:

The vehicle registration document for the Honda Civic Type-R

Large gallery of the Honda CIVIC Type-R

All photos: SB-Medien, Stefan Baldauf and Guido ten Brink