If the Civic Type R were a pop star, it would be Taylor Swift. Or possibly Harry Styles. Talented youngster grows up in the public eye, goes through changes, has a bit of an experimental/outrageous phase and then settles into a happy bout of maturity and broad appeal. There's a comfortable self-referencing of things that have gone before remixed for a modern audience; Swift and Styles play with the music of the Sixties, the Type R with its level-headed back catalogue of reliable, accessible greats inspired - but not bound by racing. Though I doubt Swift gets as specific as the Yoshio Nakamura and Shoichi Sano's Honda RA272 of 1965 (the V12 racing car that delivered Honda's first ever F1 win). Suffice to say, growing up is hard to do. Weird analogies are even harder.
But looking at the newest version of the Civic Type R, glistening in traditional Championship White paintwork at the Tazio Nuvolari circuit in Italy, you can't help thinking that the CTR has finally settled, found its niche. It's still very obviously a fast Civic, but it's calmer looking, more confident. A world away from the fast-but-obnoxious last gen. But more of that in a minute - first, we need a bit of backstory.
The fastest of the Civics has always been about producing an engaging four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive manual hatchback. Something lightly practical that delivers for the drivers among us. Thus, we've been treated to a proper jumble of model designations during the Civic Type R's lifespan: EK9 ('97 and JDM only), EP3 (the boxy one from '01), FD2 ('07, Japan), FN2 ('07 - the wedgy one) and 2015's FK2, which got all box arch and bewinged, and then the FK8 and the attendant specials which basically looked like they were designed by a 12-year-old with a plastic fetish. Now we are at FL5, and things have changed. This is the Civic Type R after it has forgone the need to be quite so attention-seeking.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من Top Gear.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من Top Gear.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SAAB
From greatest hits to lowest moments, everything you ever wanted to know... and a fair bit you didn’t
BEHIND CLOSED JOORS
A new book gets unfiltered access to BMW Design’s cutting room floor. These are the projects that could have been...
THE LAST OF US
The Audi R8 is no more. TG was there to witness the final build, and we couldn't help but get involved...
GRAND DESIGNS
CEO RJ Scaringe is ready to take Rivian from plucky EV startup to global powerhouse... we meet the man and the new models his master plan relies on
SOUND OF THE UNDER GROUND
Stig's secret subterranean lair is the perfect place to make a lot of noise. And that's exactly what we've done. Welcome to TopGear Tunnel Run
The big test: small electric SUVs
Things are looking bright with the arrival of the latest electric Volvo but the existing crop of electric crossovers has something to say too
FUTURE PROOF
The Chinese auto industry is moving at pace. And it means business
HOW TO WIN THE ICONIC DAKAR RALLY
Three years ago, Audi set itself the seemingly impossible challenge of winning the world’s toughest desert race. Here’s how the famous four rings made motorsport history
PURE KLASSE
Last year saw the saloon version of BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse, now here comes the SUV...
INFINITI EX VETTEL EDITION
The list of special edition road cars bearing the name of F1 world champions is short, but not short enough.