If you’ve ever sat in or been near a race car, the one thing you’ll have noticed about them is just how rough and ready they are. They look fine from a distance, but up close they’re cracked, battered, dented, bruised and generally abused, and all for the sake of performance and lap times. The concept of a race car for the road has often been bandied about but never successfully realised because apart from the odd exotic, road cars can’t cost quarter of a million each, they don’t come with a team of mechanics and a trailer full of spare parts and they’re not driven by professional drivers on closed circuits flat out all the time.
The Civic Type R, as in is R-is-for-Racing (pages 28 and 29), uses all kinds of racing technology and feels about as hard-edged and race-car-like as a modern car can but I’m afraid we’re really half the men we used to be back when they actually put race cars on the road to homologate them. Take the BMW M3 CSL, for example. 80 percent of drivers opted for air con and a stereo and out the window went the 80kg weight saving they’d paid so much to enjoy. The Civic Type R isn’t offered without climate control or ESP. As drivers, then, we’re more pampered and less skilled than we ever were. Which is why you should save yourself nine grand and plum for the Type S instead. It looks almost as good as the Type R, with 17” wheels (down an inch on the Type S) and black (as opposed to body coloured) body cladding, both of which look great and are less damage-prone, too.
There’s no spoiler (better visibility) and no mesh grille with its big red ‘H’ (less likely to be nicked), while inside everything is a little more comfort orientated and laid back (easier on the senses). It’s still very well equipped, with dual-zone climate control, a panoramic glass roof, cruise control, Alcantara seats, Honda’s version of ESP and a leather steering wheel amongst the standard features, while under the bonnet there’s a 140hp 1.8-litre engine that’s capable of offering brisk performance without the need to be nailed to the redline constantly (good job, too, as it gets a bit vocal). More importantly, it’s a lot more comfortable to drive with a more compliant suspension and a quieter cabin, which is much better suited to our poor roads, though that’s not to suggest it’s not an engaging handler –anything but. Sure, it’s not as spine-tingling as the Type R but it’s not as far off as you might imagine, either. Just don’t dwell too long on the F1-style bonnet and grille. The Civic Type S is really more corporate box than cockpit broil.
INFO
Honda Civic Type S
Engine 1.8 litre 4-cylinder, 140hp, 174Nm torque
Transmission 6-speed manual
Acceleration 0-100km/h 8.9 seconds
Top speed 205km/h
Economy 6.6 litres/100km
CO2 Emissions 156 g/km
Weight 1,196 kg
Boot Capacity 485 litres
Base Price €27,820
Price as Tested €28,220
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