HONDA’S $ 275,000 CIVIC

NUMERO UNO: IT’S WHAT SAW THIS HATCH HIT A RED HOT PRICE

The prospect of Honda’s allnew 235kW/ 400Nm Civic Type R hot hatch is a tasty one. But how much would you pay for the privilege of ownership?

A growing trend among car companies is to auction off, for charity, certain milestone build numbers. The US manufacturers have been at it for some time now; tempting must- have completist collectors with first, last and significant in- between chassis stampings.

Now Honda has joined the growing fray, offering a 2018 Civic Type R with VIN number 01 at an auction in the United States.

The 2.0- litre four- cylinder turbo hot hatch was snapped up for US$ 200,000 ($ 275,000), with the hefty purchase fee donated to the Paediatric Brain Tumour Foundation by Honda. There is no word on who the Japanese car fan was who placed the winning bid.

Rather than just an interesting story and a chance for some “feelgood” PR though, putting up some extreme auction fodder serves another purpose for Honda. It’s a nice litmus test, providing a taste of how much buzz there is in a new model.

For the Civic Type R— a car with a cult, but hardly rampant, following in the United States — the auction fever to nab the first one at least points to something enthusiast drivers are keen to see in the metal.

Or perhaps the auction winner is just an eccentric millionaire with a habit of buying the first of anything he stumbles across, and with as much desire for the Type R as that first edition Archie and

Veronica comic he won last week. Regardless, Kiwi enthusiasts will have the opportunity to sample the Nurburgring front- wheel drive lap record holder ( 7: 43.8 if you must know) in a couple of months. It’s the first time Honda has brought the car into the country officially and is expected to be a hot seller.

Oh, and don’t worry, it won’t feature a six- digit price tag.