Paul Maric of CarAdvice.com.au, a stellar online blog covering the Australian motoring industry has had the joy of taking The Stig’s favourite hot hatch for a spin around the block to gain some practical insight on the latest European built import, Honda’s Civic Type-R.

First impressions are very positive with a full report available @ CarAdvice. As with all hot hatches reaching the Australia shores (generally in small quantities), the Civic Type-R is going to sell quickly with it’s uniquely modern styling and pricing that slides right in with the competition, namely the Golf GTI, Mazda 3 MPS, Ford XR5 Turbo & HSV VXR.

The Stig of Top Gear fame took a solid gander at the entire hot hatch market back in February this year. Well now you can download the full report right here from HHH.

(6.9 Mb - right click / save as)

Solid Sunday afternoon reading with some predictable results for the most part. If only we could get the Stig into the new VW Golf GTI W12 650 for a run around the TG track!

Honda’s Civic Type-R, lorded by The Stig as the hottest of all modern hatches is heading downunder to join the flourishing local hot hatch scene in Australia.

 

Speculated to be priced around the $40K ($32 K USD)  mark, the Civic Type R has 201 ponies at 8,000 RPM thanks to the 2.0-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine delivering a 0 to 60 in around 6 flat, top end running out to 146 mph.

 

Check out the interactive website @ www.civictyper.com.au

Further images available on the follow through.

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Recently snatching Top Gear’s highest award in The Stig’s Hot Hatch shootout, the 2007 Honda Civic Type R has been thrown into the Gym and bulked up considerably courtesy of JAS Motorsport.

Matt Davies, Euro Editor of Winding Road has had the opportunity to enjoy the JAS incarnation around Portugal’s Aut dromo do Estoril, you can experience the journey below.

Further detail can be found in Winding Road’s FREE online magazine. Although based in the US (thus missing out on a great deal of the Hot Hatch fun) it is highly recommended reading.