It has been Britain’s best loved hot hatch for the best part of a quarter century and each of its five generations remains as relevant today as they were on launch. And for 2021, Honda has fine-tuned its Civic Type R, with a subtle facelift, an updated interior and a host of new technology. It’s so subtle, in fact, that you could be forgiven for mistaking it for the original FK8, which launched back in 2017.
However, climb behind the wheel and the differences are marked. From the counterweighted, cold to the touch gear lever to the immediate stopping power afforded by the new two-part discs, this updated Type R offers a sharper, altogether hotter proposition (who even knew that was possible).
We climbed behind the wheel of the middling GT (sandwiched between the even more powerful Limited Edition and discreet Sportline) for a blast around Goodwood. Could the last of the Swindon-built Type Rs live up to the hype?
Video
Video Review
Honda
Civic
Type R