Killarney track test: Honda Civic Type R

CONSIDERING the FK8 Civic Type R’s title of the current quickest FWD car around the legendary proving ground that is the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the anticipation was suitably high as Deon Joubert exited the Killarney Raceway pits.

As the dark-grey bewinged-and-scooped hatch ew by for the nal time, the clock stopped at 1:26,30, or a second quicker than our previous run which was affected by unseasonably hot weather and worn tyres.

What the time wasn’t, however, was swifter than that of the FK2 Civic Type R we tested in 2015. It also didn’t beat our current front-wheel-drive champion, the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, but it’s worth remembering the Golf was a signi - cantly lighter track-honed special on bespoke, high-performance tyres. On-road, the Civic would be more of a match for the German.

Despite the time showing no improvement on the previous model’s, Deon was impressed with the Type R: “It is a magni cent car with a fantastic gearbox and great brakes. It is really dif cult to fault it on the track. Owing to how the car is set up and that it is front-wheel driven, most drivers will be able to extract more of its performance, more of the time, compared with something like a supercar. If you’re looking for bang for your buck, this is one of the best.”