If you hate motorways, then the new Honda Civic Type-R isn't going to make you feel any better about them. In fact, it'll probably make you seethe even more and resent every moment spent pounding the same straight line, mile after mile.

Not that this sporty little three-door hot hatch is an under-achiever regarding the whole motorway thing. It actually rides very comfortably and its cabin is relatively serene, with no nasty drones drowning out the stereo. It's just that this is most definitely NOT what the Civic Type-R is about.

Every motorway mile is a missed opportunity to explore and exploit this car's character and have a bit of a laugh. THIS is what the Civic Type-R is about - finding the twistiest stretch of tarmac, forgetting about deadlines, To Do lists, or any other obligations for a short while, and focusing on fun.

Which is by far the best bit to focus on, as the Civic isn't the world's best-looking car. Or even the second best-looking, for that matter. This version, even with its ready-for-action front spoiler, side skirts and rear wing, will not especially please the aesthetically-inclined - even though the lowered suspension and smart 17-inch alloy wheels cheer things up considerably.

Nor will the interior elicit gleeful cries. Until you sit in the well-padded, sporty driver's seat, shaped to hold and support (sounds like a bra, doesn't it?), grab the dash-mounted gear lever which looks a bit awkward but is ergonomically sound, and twirl the leather-covered steering wheel.

Like previous Type-R Hondas, the Integra and the Accord, once you're moving, it all comes together. Providing the motive force is a new generation of Honda's famed VTEC engines, i-VTEC (everything has to have an 'i' in front of it these days). The i here stands for intelligent. This one's a compact, lightweight, four-cylinder, two-litre job that further underlines Honda's reputation as a veritable virtuoso of variable valve- timing technology, developing a fulsome 197bhp. Unlike the S2000 roadster, this is achieved with bog-standard, cooking 95 RON unleaded petrol.

Like other Honda engines, there's a defined VTEC 'step', a noticeable point where you're really in the powerband. This occurs at 6,000rpm; maximum bhp is found at 7,400rpm and the red line is painted at 8,000rpm. So it's a revvy thing, alright. And the engine note is really spine-tingling when you're in the VTEC 'zone'.

One of the (few) complaints about the Accord Type-R was that once you'd changed up a gear, it dropped you out of the power band. In the Civic, this doesn't happen. At least not to the same degree. And the good thing is that there's enough torque - 144lb ft peaking at 5,900rpm - to get the engine spinning away in no time at all.

We've come to expect snicky short-throw gearboxes from Honda. This close-ratio six-speeder doesn't disappoint. If you find yourself racing down a country lane, the engine zinging in your ears, you can fantasise that you're in a rally car with those high-mounted sequential shifts they have.

Honda claims the body is very stiff and I wouldn't argue. This stiffness helps the chassis do what it should do: provide a taut ride without jarring. The steering sends the car into a corner with an alacrity that often defeats the best efforts of the 205/45 tyres. Which means that it understeers if you push it. The steering is fast, but it fools you slightly because it seems lively, yet there's a deadness, a certain numbness from the electric power-assisted system that stops you from feeling what's really happening with the front wheels.

Play with the throttle, though, and the quick, nimble Civic is eased around the turn. The tail will creep around just a bit, but calling it lift-off oversteer would be too optimistic. This chassis is very stable. The only real niggle is that the back end does tend to feel light and a tad skittish under heavy braking, but that's as unsettling as it gets.

Equipment levels are basic - aircon is an extra and there's no sunroof - but important things like ABS, airbags and alarm are standard. Which makes the £15,995 price tag not unreasonable, although the Renaultsport Clio 172 should provide serious competition when we test these and the other new hot hatches next month. Personally, I can't wait to get back in one.

FACT FILE
Model Three-door hot hatch
Engine 1998cc, 16V, 197bhp
Performance 146mph max
Price £15,995
On sale in the UK September 2001
Likes Engine and gearchange
Dislikes Odd steering feel

Back to Honda Civic Overview