![]() ![]() It’s far more restrained than the outgoing car and shows a greater emphasis on function over form, but it’s also clear that this machine was built to run. While there are significant changes throughout the new Civic Type R, the exterior design is arguably the biggest headline. Thanks to several days of steady rain, the canyon roads through wine country were pretty slick, and around seemingly every blind corner, large rocks scattered on the asphalt threatened to do harm to the Type R’s rakish new mug. With that in mind, I headed to northern California to put the automaker’s latest and greatest through its paces on Napa Valley’s scenic highways as well as the demanding tarmac of Sonoma Raceway’s road course. ![]() Honda made a number of tweaks underneath the skin as well, but remixing a combination that already works can be a tricky proposition. Underpinned by the 11th-generation Civic architecture, the latest Type R abandons the visual controversy of its predecessor for a more mature look, but it also brings a more grown-up price of entry along with it. It was a truly compelling proposition for pragmatists who sought weekday utility and weekend thrills, but the car’s unapologetic boy-racer appearance required some mental gymnastics for a significant share of the folks with enough buying power to actually own one. Honda had not only created an admirably dialed-in hot hatch with enough power, poise, and creature comforts to take on the best in the segment, it’d done so with a single, fully-loaded spec that came in at under 35 grand. Polarizing exterior design aside, time spent behind the wheel made it clear that the arrival of the Type R was worth celebrating.
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