| Honda Civic Type R - oxygen not supplied | | | | Japanese firm clearly utilising their Formula One |
| The hatchback brings with it two main | | | | programme for the good of their hot hatch. The |
| demographics that tend to part with their cash | | | | Civic Type R became the biggest selling |
| more than anyone else in society - the very | | | | performance hatchback in the noughties - with |
| young and the very old. For the old, a shiny | | | | over 35,000 units sold - so it was no surprise at |
| hatchback represents an economical, safe and | | | | the 2006 British Motor Show when everyone's |
| pleasant way to get to and from the shops, bingo | | | | legs turned to jelly when they clasped eyes on |
| and church. The Honda Civic range has been king | | | | the new one. |
| of the grey-haired brigade for decades and brings | | | | The new Civic is all triangles and space-age - a |
| with it an unassuming, sensible and reliable | | | | highly risky direction change for a company |
| transport solution for getting from A to B. | | | | happily catering for such a diverse range of |
| For young people - mostly males with fluff stuck | | | | customers. However Honda have always wanted |
| to their upper lip, the Honda Civic and it's | | | | to shed their image of being an old-persons car |
| hatchback rivals represent the cheapest way of | | | | maker and the newest Civic is a styling exercise |
| getting a car, insuring it and then thrashing it to | | | | with the sole intention of keeping its young fan |
| within an inch of it's life every night in a McDonalds | | | | base and stealing the middle aged away from |
| car park. The fun doesn't stop there either. Since | | | | their Volkswagen Golfs. The Type R for the |
| the initial conception of Max Power magazine in | | | | record didn't just turn my legs to jelly at the |
| the early nineties, car modification has gone | | | | motor show - I needed a crash team and some |
| through the roof. Even Hollywood has got in on | | | | oxygen. |
| the act with the Fast and the Furious trilogy | | | | The production model is only a tad watered down |
| seeing more neon lights in cinema car parks than | | | | from the final concept in 2006, with the body kit |
| an Ibiza club. | | | | identical. That means that unlike the previous Civic |
| Much like the punk movement, it's the DIY | | | | Type R, you don't need to check the badge to |
| aesthetic of personalising your car from a million | | | | know this isn't the base model. I don't know |
| different options and standing out from the crowd | | | | where to start to be honest - seeing one will say |
| that appeals. With its bullet proof reliability and | | | | everything I need to, as you'll either love it or |
| extensive catalogue of performance and styling | | | | hate it. It looks as though a spaceship has crashed |
| parts, the Honda Civic has simultaneously become | | | | into the Pyramids and driven off - but for me, it |
| the favoured choice at both ends of the circle of | | | | works. |
| life - but for very different reasons. | | | | Crucially Honda haven't messed with the engine, |
| Honda aren't stupid and having seen the mass | | | | so the new Type R retains the 2.0 litre, 197bhp |
| market appeal for 'hot hatches' thought they'd | | | | engine from its predecessor. Although this will of |
| better produce one for the British market - and | | | | course save on Honda's design costs, it's a clear |
| thus was born the Civic Type R in 2001. Top lip | | | | case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Honda say |
| fluff brigade were beside themselves with | | | | they have made this new model more refined, |
| excitement. Grey haired brigade were happy with | | | | with a suspension that isn't as racy the previous |
| the standard issue model. Either way, Honda was | | | | model, yet it's somehow firmer and unfortunately |
| onto a winner with a huge percentage of the | | | | not refined in the slightest. This criticism aside, the |
| population. | | | | new Type R has every reason to feel confident |
| The Type R was an exceptional car too, with a | | | | in an already crowded market place most notably |
| 0-60mph time of 6.6 seconds and the ever-eager | | | | featuring the Ford Focus ST, Renault Clio 197 and |
| VTEC engine revving to 8,250rpm. Stylistically it | | | | Volkswagen Golf GTi. |
| wasn't too different from the standard model, | | | | Brand loyalty counts for a lot and when the last |
| with 17 inch alloy wheels and a spoiler adorning the | | | | model sold 2333% more than anticipated, the fluff |
| rear the main differences. It was on the road that | | | | brigade are surely going to be reaching for the |
| the little Honda Civic really delighted with the | | | | oxygen and their cash too. |