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What is it?

A faster, sharper, more hardcore Honda Civic Type-R, made in Japan, for the Japanese. So why is Autocar reviewing it? Because importer Ian Litchfield is selling them in the UK. And if you want a real, uncompromised, spine-tingling Civic Type-R, this one is worth serious consideration.

First things first – why do we need this car? Well, for all its visual and aural sensationalism, the UK Civic Type-R has left more than a few die-hard hot hatch aficionados unsatisf...Read the full article

Evo magazine rated this FD2 JDM Civic type R above a Lamborghini Superleggera in their Car of the Year competition. I would really like to see Chris Harris video test this JDM CTR against the rest of the leading hot-hatch models....Megane, Focus, Mini, MPS3 etc.....on track and real roads. Honda has been making the best FWD chassis/platforms (Civic type R, Integra type R, Accord type R) for many years now and deserves to be recognized for thier contribution to affordable performance motoring.

If price is not an issue, how well does the Japanese CTR stack up against the R26?  How well does the Mugen RR stack up against the R26R? 

rusty1030:

If price is not an issue, how well does the Japanese CTR stack up against the R26?  How well does the Mugen RR stack up against the R26R? 

Completely different animals.

The Civic is a lot rawer, noisier and immediate than the R26R.  Things like throttle response are crisper down to the lack of a turbo and the Type R is genuinely track style hard core.

The R26R on the other hand is - dare I say it - softer and more civilised, even if it is not by a huge margin.

Between the two though, the R26R will be better drive on UK roads due to the suspension set up.  Certainly the Type R can be a little too compromised on the average bumpy B road and the Megane would probably show it a clean set of heels.

On the track however, the Honda is pure touring car and much more satisfying than the Renault.

Really it just comes down to what sort of a person you are and what you want from a car.  Personally, the Civic for me every time. 

 

How about a test between Type R vs R26 vs Golf GTI? I noticed u sated Civic's max spped is 150mph. Aren't Japanese performance cars are restricted to only 180km/h? Does Autocar ever carry out this tests? If u do, where can i read it cos i'm planning to buy 1 of them!

judah777:

Evo magazine rated this FD2 JDM Civic type R above a Lamborghini Superleggera in their Car of the Year competition. I would really like to see Chris Harris video test this JDM CTR against the rest of the leading hot-hatch models....Megane, Focus, Mini, MPS3 etc.....on track and real roads. Honda has been making the best FWD chassis/platforms (Civic type R, Integra type R, Accord type R) for many years now and deserves to be recognized for thier contribution to affordable performance motoring.

I agree entirely with your quote!

It would be great to see the FD2  ctr thrown in against the likes of the cars mentioned including the golf gti & scirroco. I read purchase most car magazines and am now sick of seeing this honda FD2 overlooked due to its JDM tag. They can still be bought from a selection of dealers so do us a big favour Autocar ' Please hold a group test with this car included' its a must! 

 I personally prefer a honda civic hatchback which is ok for the pocket and is also much easier maintenance.