After all, with 228kW of power from its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine what was once a sensible family hatch has been turned into something of a fire-breathing monster. Honda claims it'll hit 100km/h from standstill in just 5.7 seconds and after driving it for a day there's little reason for disbelief because it goes, and goes hard.
Just as many will be attracted to the outrageous styling because you'd better believe it, despite all the pictures and motor show appearances seen so far nothing can prepare even the temporary custodian for the Type R in the flesh.
It is simply festooned with everything that's dramatic: the deep chin spoiler is further extended by a lip that curves up at the extremities to direct air around the front wheels, the extended wheel arches are anything but subtle and the double-decker rear wing is huge. Everywhere you look there are vents, scoops, winglets and mysterious bumps to direct airflow and manage cooling and the result is a car that will never go unnoticed.
eautiful it isn't. Hysterically over-the-top it definitely is.
For those who haven't been following the lead-up – which includes a record-breaking lap for front-drive cars around the full-scale Nurburgring race track in Germany – this hot Civic is Honda's comeback from the dark days of the GFC after which its cars tended towards the meek and mundane.
The company needed something extroverted and outrageous and, while visually and on paper the Type R fits the bill, it also needs to go, stop and handle to prove it has bite as well as bark.
The good news is, after sessions on the race track, Germany's high-speed autobahns and normal urban and country roads the Type R generally comes up smelling of roses.
Starting with performance, the direct-injection turbo engine doesn't just have a mighty power output but with 400Nm of torque it also has plenty of pulling power from the middle of the rev range, at about 3000rpm.
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