The day I went to Slovakia to drive a hot-hatch hero

I may as well get it out of the way: I’m a Honda Civic Type R fanboy. I love every version of it. I don’t know what it is about the stupidly quick hot-hatch with the red logo but it gives me palpitations (in a good way), and that’s something none of the competition manages.

The hot-hatch market is full of great cars, but whether it’s a Ford, Vauxhall, Renault or Hyundai, none of them possess the allure of the Civic Type R. With over 25 years of history, there are a lot of Civic variants to choose from, but while not everyone will agree, my favourite version is the FK2 Type R circa 2015. It’s the standout version in an incredible line-up, helped in spades by its bonkers looks and warp-speed performance thanks to its 230kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.

It also sticks in the memory because, as one part of an incredibly lucky career, I headed to Slovakia for the vehicle’s European press launch to drive it on the road and track, as well as talk to the engineering team behind it while I was Editor of Automotive Engineer magazine. I spent a lot of time in that role on a variety of trips but this one sticks out more than the others. It was a real privilege.

Looks to die for

Before I even got near the driving seat, the previous year I’d been at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where the fourth-generation Civic Type R had been unveiled. Apart from the ridiculous power output, its looks caused a big stir.

Modified small hatchbacks with big wings, splitters and skirts were a big thing, but they were always made by enthusiasts. Not this time. Honda had made a production car that didn’t shy away from going big on out-there looks from the get-go. I loved it. Who wants a hot-hatch that doesn’t shout about it?

However, not everyone agreed. Ford’s latest RS was released at around the same time, and in comparison, it looked like a daily runaround.

At the vehicle’s launch, we spent time on the Slovakia Ring Circuit and road routes in the area, and given plenty of opportunity to get comfortable behind the steering wheel. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The car was a gem on the road, while on the track it rewarded even my meagre skills. The work the engineering team did on the engine and chassis setup was pure magic – kudos to Hisayuki Yagi, the Type R’s chief engineer – and made you feel like a real pro as you shifted through the track’s 14 turns.

But as good as the powertrain was and as well as the suspension setup endured my terrible throttle and braking inputs (they did get slightly better as Honda had brought in some pro-drivers to help the journalists learn the track), it wasn’t until I took a passenger ride with someone who is paid to race that I saw just how good the car was with the right person in the driver’s seat.

Two to tango

Honda’s two British Touring Car Championship drivers, Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal, were on hand to push the cars close to their extreme limits. When you sit in the passenger seat with someone who knows what they’re doing, it’s art.

Two drivers, two cars on track, and they danced around each other effortlessly. I was in Shedden’s car and his control was phenomenal; the steering, throttle and braking inputs so subtle as he played with the other car, swapping places and toying with one another for the entertainment of the other passenger and I. It was totally mesmerising and incredible fun.

But it wasn’t simply the time in the car that put the FK2 Civic Type R head and shoulders above its siblings and other hot-hatch brands, but the time I had chatting to Yagi about the car’s development. Whatever you think about a car, the engineers who bring them to market are highly invested in making them as good as they can possibly be, and that enthusiasm came out in my conversations after I’d stepped out of the Type R.

While the world was looking at increasing power and adding all-wheel drive to control it, Honda didn’t want to stop making a front-wheel drive hot-hatch, and that was an attractive approach for Yagi. “As an engineer, it is a much bigger challenge to create the world’s fastest front-wheel drive vehicle, and that was very inviting,” he said to me with a childish grin on his face.

The world’s moved on since 2015 and there’s another generation of the Honda Civic Type R on the road. It’s an incredibly good car but not the one I’d have if someone dropped a load of money in my bank account and forced me to buy a hot-hatch. That’s reserved for the FK2

If you’ve had a journey that has changed your life or made a lasting impression, email james.scoltock@thinkpublishing.co.uk to feature

This is an edited extract from IMI's new MotorPro magazine, received free as part of IMI membership.