Probably the most capable front-wheel-drive car in production today It’s Honda’s take on how to do a hot hatchback, after quite a sabbatical for the Type R brand. This Civic Type R has been a long time coming.Now it’s here, it’s not short of mechanical promise. Some 306 promises, in fact, making it one of the most powerful hatches around. Although, unlike the Volkswagen Golf R and upcoming Mk3 Ford Focus RS, Honda has tasked the Civic with deploying its poke through only the front wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential.To aid that, Honda has fitted dual-axis strut front suspension; as Ford, Renault and Vauxhall already have, to reduce the torque steer effects – by 55%, Honda says - of putting 295lb ft through the front wheels.That torque comes courtesy of a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine - the first Honda powerplant to get both VTEC variable valve timing and a turbo. And, more significantly, it’s the first Type R engine not to be a naturally aspirated motor that revs to the stratosphere. Here it revs to only 7000rpm, making its power peak at 6500rpm and peak torque from 2500rpm. It's a very different proposition from its predecessors.Elsewhere? The rear suspension is by a torsion beam (not necessarily a bad thing), steering is electrically assisted and there are magnetorheological adaptive dampers.Those dampers can be placed into either of two modes - stiffer if you push a ‘+R’ button on the dash. Honda is making quite a big song and dance about the Civic’s speed around some German race track or other. The +R mode is optimised for there, so as well as stiffening the dampers, it firms up the steering, increases throttle response and reduces the intrusion of the stability control system. And – woo - the dials turn red.
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