THE TEST ROUTE

HOND ACIVIC TYPE R LIMITED EDITION

LAST YEAR HONDA’S FK8 CIVIC TYPE R WON THE heart of many an eCoty judge. They praised details such as steering that has clearly been developed to be the very best that’s possible in a modern-era front-wheel-drive car, and a gearshift that not only feels so intuitive to use and so natural in action but also connects you to a gearbox that works so seamlessly with the engine the partnership feels like one single mechanical component rather than two bolted together.

And then there’s the damping, the body control, the diff, the brake feel… The FK8 is a hot hatch like few others that have gone before and it seems impossible few could ever match it, never mind beat it.

This means the Limited Edition (just the 1020 worldwide) feels like a hot hatch evo would come up with if left alone in a Honda planning meeting. It has a near 50kg weight saving (who needs air con and a radio?), a set of Cup 2 tyres and forged BBS wheels, adjustments to its dampers, spring rates and bushing, and some geo changes thrown in for good measure.

Throughout the year every time the Limited Edition has arrived in the evo car park it’s excited those who have got behind its wheel and sat in its excellent Recaro seats. On track it’s proven to be blisteringly fast, communicative, reassuring and rewarding in equal measure, and on the road those traits have carried through.

But here at eCoty it will need to demonstrate more than simply being a quicker example of last year’s standard car.