Just my type

2017 HONDACIVIC TYPE R ( FK8) PRICE: $ 59,900 plus ORC The most capable Civic Type R, bang for buck Slow off the line, interior lacks polish, styling not for everyone HOT HATCHES, ALL THE WAY BACK TO THEIR ROOTS, ARE ABOUT CARVING UP BACK ROADS AND RACE TRACKS R is exceptional.

This is a car that feels natural at speed, even with all the technology underneath. The gearshift is surgically precise, to the point that you’ll find yourself just shifting for the sake of it.

Despite an innate feeling of lightness, it’s a car that feels incredibly stable — hunting for and finding grip through every corner, while carrying speed that would flummox some of its rivals.

Steering is weighted on the heavy side, and dripping in feel.

The engine and suspension are the cherry on top. Honda’s Adaptive Damper System is exceptional, not only for how it keeps the Civic planted, but also for how surprisingly soft the car feels on open roads.

We were lucky enough to drive four previous generations of Civic Type R during our test, and the newest model was easily the most comfortable.

The engine? It’s punchy down low thanks to the turbo, but thankfully still makes its peak power up high at 6500rpm. This ensures that, to get the most out of the car, you still have to rev the living daylights out of it — a fact I’m more than happy to accept.

The downside is that bark doesn’t match the bite. The engine's relatively quiet, and Honda’s revised VTEC calibration also means that you no longer get to enjoy that sweet, tonal scream the K20 engine used to make when it came on cam in the middle of the rev range in the older models.

But, because of new emissions laws, we're unlikely to see Honda make cars like those again. Instead, we have this new FK8 — a record breaking, athletic, singleminded track warrior.

And, maybe that's enough.