Last month, the Southern Group was invited to visit the Honda press garage in Bracknell for a drive day. The day’s itinerary promised members the chance to drive a selection of the brand’s latest crop of performance, hybrid, and electric models, along with a selection of models from its heritage fleet on the surrounding country roads.
On what was a very sunny and warm day, making it perfect for testing cars, a total of 12 members made the trip over to Berkshire. An excellent turnout for a mid-week group event.
Behind the wheel of a real F1 car
For the day’s driving activities, Honda kindly lined up the following new models for the group to test:
- Civic Type-R
- e:NY1
- ZR-V e:HEV
- CR-V e:HEV
- CR-V PHEV
Also available were the following heritage models:
- Civic Type R EP3
- Accord Type R
- S2000
Throughout the day, Honda’s heritage fleet proved popular with group members, along with the latest Civic Type R and the e:NY1 EV, which are the polar opposites of the brand’s new car range. The only break in the blur of car testing activity was for an excellent outdoor lunch, where members got the chance to enjoy the sunshine and swap ideas for the best test routes nearby.
Honda UK press garage: a collection of Japanese hero cars
Of course, aside from the hard work of testing cars and catching up, there was one more distraction: the contents of the Honda press garage itself. Here, the fantastic Honda team looks after all of the brand’s press fleet of new models, along with the classic heritage cars.
The first to go missing was Stu Bird, who was later found under the immaculate Honda S800 roadster after several hours of admiring the cleanliness of its underside.
Walking further into the garage, a pair of ultra-rare Honda NSX’s were sitting on ramps. Both have been a part of Honda’s heritage fleet for some years, with the red 1990s NA1-gen car having once been driven by legendary Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna. The later 2000s NA2-gen facelifted NSX also has something of a legendary status as well, having been fully rebuilt after an accident at Millbrook Proving Grounds a few years ago.
At the back of the garage sat a first- and second-generation Civic. A pairing that used to be prevalent on UK roads in the 1970s and 1980s that is now rarely seen outside of classic car events. Both were in immaculate condition as well, and both have appeared at Honda drive events in recent years, so they do get driven.
After a thoroughly enjoyable day of test drives in the sunny weather, Ian Robertson, SGMW Chairman commented: “The Southern Group enjoyed a veritable feast of products both new and classic, not to mention catching up with team Honda who are always great to spend time with.”
SGMW car picks of the day:
SGMW car picks of the day:
Ben Hodges: 2024 Honda Civic Type R
For me, it can only be the latest Honda Civic Type R. When first setting sight on the new FL5-generation model, it all looks a lot calmer and toned down when compared to the wild FK8 – a car that was dripping with spoilers and aero bits that made it look aggressive from all angles. Sure, a sizable rear wing is still present, along with a set of triple tailpipes, making it look far more sporty than the regular Civic, but it’s all a bit more grown-up this time around.
It’s the same story inside, too. All of the dashboard and tech are the same as the regular Civic, but here you get bright red carpets and matching sports seats in case you needed reminding that this is a Type R.
Power comes from a 2.0-litre VTEC turbo petrol engine, which has been lightly revised for the FL5. Thanks to a new turbo, a less restrictive exhaust, and upgrades to the cooling system and the engine control module, it now produces 324bhp and 420Nm of torque – an 8bhp and 20Nm increase over the old car. Figures that give it a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds.
One of the Type R’s greatest strengths has always been driver involvement, and this is still thankfully very much present in this new model. Switch it into +R mode, and everything stiffens up, along with a set of mode-specific graphics appearing on the dial cluster. On the move, the engine feels a little more responsive than before with a ferocious power delivery whenever you press the throttle hard, making it feel rapid on the road. The six-speed manual gearbox is also brilliant, with a short throw and a very precise feel to it.
Like the old car, the chassis is still superbly balanced. The revised steering offers a greater level of precision than before, with the chassis benefiting from the extra rigidity. On twisting B-roads, it feels alert and agile, making it easy to negotiate sharp turns at speed. The limited-slip differential works quietly in the background on faster roads, too, only making its presence known when required.
While the suspension is quite firm, it rarely unsettles the car when driven enthusiastically thanks to the improved chassis control in +R mode, which helps it cushion road imperfections. In fact, in normal mode, it offers a pretty comfortable ride as well. It’s not as smooth as a Lexus, but it’s not bad for a car of this type.
While some modern cars are now a bit muted due to tightening emissions regulations, the Civic Type R emits a pleasing growl mixed with turbo whistle, with the standard pops and crackles when downshifting. There was a hint of electronic enhancement on the inside, though, with a noticeable digital sound overlay when accelerating.
2024 Honda Civic Type R: the verdict
So has Honda nailed it with the latest Civic Type R? Yes, it’s a superb driver’s car, although it is expensive, with a starting price of just over £50,000.
While it was a short test drive, it was immediately obvious that the latest Type R is a brilliant performance car. It does everything that a hot hatchback should and offers fantastic driver involvement, something that gives it a significant edge over its similarly priced rivals.
