Test drive: Honda Civic Type R

I have added a new hot hatchback to my, patent pending, 'I've driven that' - collection. It as it turns out is also the second most powerful car that you can drive at the Auto 2016 event.

The EP3 Honda Civic Type R is an iconic hot hatchback revered for it's brilliant chassis, fun handling characteristics and tuning possibilities. But the third generation was not loved all that much. Honda has tried to rectify that with the latest available model the fourth generation.

Honda Civic Type R in championship white

First lets kick off with the - there's no other word for it - insane styling. It looks ready modified with

Why? Just why

wheel-arches that look as they'd been borrowed from another car and spoilers. Big, big spoilers. The one on the boot is so large that when the car rolled in to the test drive car area that is how I recognized it. It was like a shark fin on top of car roofs. I find the styling stupid and a bit embarrassing. In my view a hot hatchback should be so discrete that only car bores will be able to notice it. This gathers attention as much as a cosplayer walking in costume through a train station.

The wing is so tall you can't see it in the rear-view mirror.

When falling into the harsh semi-racing seats, and I mean falling they're much lower down than you'd think, you find yourself in a Honda with a button that says +R. This button changes the lighting and instruments to red. It's obviously the race button. That is all you need to know about this car. No complicated computer to go into where to choose gearbox, suspension or steering settings.

Four tailpipes in a hot hatchback is too many. You too Audi, two is enough.

The Civic Type R is not meant for anyone with backache. It reacts with shakes and rattles to every little bump. Turning off the +R function evens out the ride a tad but not enough. It appears this chassis is not meant for anything else than race tracks. The steering confirms that. It's weighty and precise, not much lock is needed to make a sharp turn. The driving sensation is enhanced by the manual gearbox. A manual in a high performance hatchback! Oh joy. It's just as sharp and precise as one would like it. Short throws and a close proximity to the steering wheel aids the driver to make quicker shifts.

What? Do you want to know the speed at which you're traveling

What makes a hot hatchback is its engine. The fourth generation Civic Type R has a 2.0 litre turbo VTEC developing 310 horsepower. This goes through the front wheels which it actually handles rather well. On hard acceleration it tracks straight with minimal torque steer. Turbo lag was quite absent as well, but I think that was down to the manual gearbox which meant I always kept it at higher than normal revs. Finally the noise. Despite the tuning look of the exhausts it sounded real. No extra burble, crackle or bang only pure vtec kicked in yo.

I wouldn't buy this car purely on the looks. I can understand the track ready look because it feels like it would be very capable at pounding round a few circuits. Many others have also been repelled by the look of this car since the one I drove is the first I've seen on the road. Subtle hot hatchbacks are the way to go.

Test drive: Jaguar F-Type R coupé

Alright so, the Auto2016 event started off with a bang for my part at least. Instead of starting the weekend off cautiously I decided to dive straight to shark infested waters by driving the most expensive and most powerful car available the Jaguar F-Type R.

Jaguar F-Type R in a special Jaguar Experience livery

 I entered the large area where the test drive cars are kept with anxiety and general uneasiness. I was among one of the first to drive this thing. It is worth over 200 000 euros, what if i bin it? What if some orangutan in a Renault drives into me? Then there wouldn't be any F-Type for the rest to drive around in. I entered the car as gracefully as I could and started the engine in what turned to be a very echoey room. During the test drive I was accompanied by a nice woman wearing a discrete Jaguar jumper, because no one is allowed to drive off alone in any of the test drive cars. The lady showed me where to open the flaps on the exhaust, I gave the engine a 'gentle' warmup just to make sure the Jag got everybody's attention and then drove off.

The four tail pipes emit a sound only made by a furious deity.

The general numbness, though, went away quickly when I entered the outside world. The F-Type R in normal city traffic is actually not scary at all. It's extremely easy to maneuver and the visibility, all though not great, is sufficient enough for you to sense the corners of the car. The test drive route for the event is around 20 minutes and exciting at all. Mostly in the city a bit of motorway acceleration and that's it. But the F-Type made the route very exciting indeed.

The suspension is not set up for comfort

When applying the throttle for some big speed it punches through the air and waves and buildings and anything else really, with an absolutely brutal V8 soundtrack. The general numbness that existed in my legs before the test drive returned. The acceleration is something I've never experienced before. I'd love to compare the acceleration and the sensation of speed to something else but truth be told, this is by far the fastest most powerful car I've ever driven. Only words that come to mind are holy sh*t I need to drive this on an autobahn and try again.

I apologize for the bad picture, my hands were shaking

The car is an absolute beast when it wants to be and in dynamic mode it is constantly rattling the cage door wanting to be freed. It feels very normal when you're not feeling playful but no one is ever going to drive this car normally. It's a complete animal with a massive character wrapped in a handsome and muscular suit, that can burble the alphabet if it wanted to on the overrun.
I honestly cannot be objective with reviewing this car, but then again I'm not a real journalist.



Specs: The Jaguar F-Type coupé has a supercharged 550 horsepower V8. Power delivered through a ZF eight speed gearbox to the rear wheels or all four wheels (test car had AWD).

Auto 2016 Car Show

This weekend in Helsinki, Finland there will be held a car show called Auto 2016. It won't showcase concepts that may or may not enter production in the year 2028 but instead new and relevant cars that already are or will enter the showrooms in the near future.

I predict the glamour and prestige of Paris or Tokyo motor show will be absent as well but this car show has a special niche that I have never come across. There will be over 100 cars that you will be able to test drive. You're not anymore restricted to just look and talk about the cars on display. Hurray!

Obviously the organisers of the event and importers of the cars cannot just give you the keys to any flagship model from their selection. This means most of the cars will represent what I call the buying with the brain sector. That mostly means small hatchbacks, economical SUVs and well, other boring every day greywackes.

But it's not all bad. Some test drive cars are fully loaded such as the latest Civic TypeR and VW Golf R variant. But certainly the highlight will be when I place my right foot on the throttle pedal of the Jaguar F-type R. Yes, indeed, any ham-fisted lead-footed lunatic with a driver's license can this weekend step out from the virtual world of Forza Horizon 3 and drive a 550 horsepower super cat in the real world. That's some serious trust the local Jaguar importers have on this nation which invented the Scandinavian flick.

Anyhow. This weekend will be filled a lot of driving in very different cars ranging from the Mazda 2 to Mercedes GLC. Probably all the test drives and opinions on cars that are only on the floor will end up on this blog. That's a lot of content.