There's also this:
the new Civic type R,
Honda's not-so-subtle antidote to all of Europe's very fast...
very samy hot hatches.
But the question is:
Does it have the trousers to back up the mouth?
It's a cracker of a hot hatch.
It's got two- litre turbocharged motor, 316 horsepower,
and it weighs just under 1,400 kilograms.
That is potent.
Hitting 60 in five point eight seconds
and with a top speed of 169 miles an hour,
this will give any hot hatch a run for its money.
I just love it. And...
You got to look at my new gearbox. Look at this stick down here
with a perfect type R aluminium gear knob,
and it has a sensible number of gears, too.
And while more and more hot hatches
now turn up with sensible grippy four-wheel drive,
the Civic still sends all of its power to the front.
And it's all the better for it.
It's so much more fun than a four-wheel drive hot hatch.
Because it's got grip when you want it, but when you don't, you can do this.
You get in it and you grow horns.
What we have here then is a car that Japan should be truly proud of,
except, that is, for one tiny detail.
You see, the type R is not actually made in Japan at all.
It's made in Swindon, and there's nothing wrong with Swindon.
You just don't really associate it with excitement, do you?
And then, of course, there's the way it looks.
Clearly, it's been designed only to appeal to children,
but here's the issue:
this thing costs over 30 grand.
Thirty thousand pounds,
so even if you were young and daft enough to think it'd look good enough to buy,
you wouldn't be able to afford one.
But look at it another way:
If you're in the market for a new Japanese performance car,
this Honda might just be a bit of a bargain.
But it may have 150 something horsepower less,
but I suspect this Civic might be about as quick around this track
as that LC 500.
Time then for a race.
Which means we need a driver for that Lexus.
No, it's not the Stig.
It's the Stig's ninja cousin.
Player one, Lexus LC 500
versus player two, Honda Civic Type R.
One lap. Winner takes all.
Let's do this.
Ready? Fight!
Coming off the line.
Come on, Ninja Stig. Okay, they be sideways everywhere.
I sort of want to beat him, but I sort of don't.
What does a Ninja Stig do if he gets beat?
It's gonna be inside of that. Oh he's looking lively.
I'll get around right here.
I've got him on the brakes.
I've got him.
Fantastic right.
Now he's got grunt.
Yeah.
It's got traction issues.
This is so impressive for a hatchback.
I've got brakes. I've got grip. I've got turning.
Oh, he's running wide. This is my chance.
Come on, little Honda.
Player two, Honda Civic type R wins.