Forbidden fruits

Isn’t it strange how humans tend to gravitate to the things society deems off limits? Honda has never sold its Civic Type R in New Zealand before, but it took only a few days of inquiry to locate four of their past generations — such is the community element that surrounds these machines.

In that vein, credit must be paid to all the folk at NZHondas. com, who aided us through every step of this lofty project.

In a month that hasn’t been kind to New Zealand’s so- called boy racer community, their passion and helpfulness deserves high praise.

The Civic Type R tale started with the cheeky little EK9, released in 1997. Two decades have since passed and, while the model has grown in dimensions and in capabilities, the ethos is still largely unchanged. Not to say that each car doesn’t have its own distinct feel.

We were lucky enough to sample each generation one by one on a brief drive up and down a typical narrow country back road — the sort of exciting hidden gem of a road that these cars were made for.

The quirky EP3 took some getting used to with dashboardmounted gear knob, but it soon felt like a glove.

The FD2 surprised with its rightfoot savagery; its hearty VTEC kick in the middle of the rev range still one of the most addictive sensations in motoring.

And then there’s the humble EK9 and the sinister FK2 — two cars that somehow manage to be extremely different but also much the same.

Which was best? You’ll have to visit Driven. co. nz on Monday to find out . . .

In the meantime, you can read our full review of the new FK8 Civic Type R on page six. ABOUT US