Honda Civic Type R
FINAL REPORT Sizzling 306bhp hatch goes out with a bang as we take it on top speed run
ONE hundred and sixty seven miles per hour. It’s around that speed most commercial airliners begin to take off, but Honda claims it’s also the top speed of its Civic Type R. After nine divisive months, it’s time for the hot Honda to leave the Auto Express fleet, so what better way to say sayonara than with a top speed run?
The location is Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire. Handily, it has a 1.98-mile arrow-straight stretch of tarmac – one of the longest in the country. The idea is simple: how close can we get to the 167mph top speed in one of the fastest hot hatches currently on sale?
To ensure unflinching accuracy, we hook up a GPS tracker to the Civic. As a general rule, speedometers vary more in their accuracy the faster you go, so at the sort of speeds we’re aiming for, this equipment is vital. Once rigged up, the only thing left to do is strap myself in and go for it.
To squeeze every last mph out of the car, it’s important to carry as much speed as possible through the long right-hander leading on to the 1.98-mile straight. Carrying monumental speed through tight corners is something the Type R excels at, thanks to its huge level of mechanical grip and an effective limitedslip differential to help put the power down.
By the time I’m on the straight, we’re nudging almost 90mph. The numbers on the digital readout are a blur as they tick over at a relentless pace. By the one-mile marker, we’re already up to 140mph. Up to this point, the Civic has felt rather effortless – cruising up to double the national speed limit without breaking sweat.
However, it’s at this point things begin to change. There’s a noticeable tail off in acceleration due to the drag generated by the bodykit, and by 150mph, the numbers on the speedo seem reluctant to budge.
With a good chunk of the runway behind me I hold on for a few more seconds and, as the readout is indicating 158mph, I ease off and squeeze the brakes on.
Looking at the data, it seems the car’s digital dash was more accurate than we’d initially anticipated, with the tracking equipment saying we achieved a maximum speed of 156.3mph. After half a dozen attempts, our first run was the best we managed, but with a claimed 10.7mph still left to go, you’d need more than 1.98 miles to max the Type R.
Back in the real world, how has our nine months been with the Civic? The looks haven’t been to everyone’s tastes, but personally, the longer I spent with the Type R, the more I grew to like its wild exterior and unapologetic design approach.
For a blistering 306bhp hot hatch, it’s also incredibly practical, with a big boot, five doors and decent rear passenger space for two. There are niggles of course; the interior design is rather unimaginative and the naff touchscreen has an aftermarket feel.
However, you soon forget those issues when you get the Civic on the right road. Huge reserves of power and torque mean the Type R monsters its way from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, while the super-precise and grippy front end means you can really lean into corners. Add in the six-speed manual gearbox, which is one of the best in the business, and the Honda has the potential to keep you grinning from ear to ear.
“The numbers on the digital readout are a blur as they tick over at a relentless pace”