The Honda Civic Type R is a sports car destined to split opinion and you cannot help but feel that is precisely what Honda had in mind when they were spending what turned out to be a quite considerable amount of time in putting this little tough guy together.

In comparison to its predecessors, the Type R is not exactly a breakthrough of any description for Honda, rather an emphasis of all the things they felt they had got right the first time around. So if you weren’t a fan, it’s quite possible might not be won over by it now and if you were, there will be plenty for you to embrace.

Looks wise, the Type R is somewhere between futuristic and an arcade game. What could be quite a run of the mill car sports car has the looks of a very confident little street fighter. If you had to pick one word to describe it’s aesthetically, then that word would be ‘punchy’.

On the technical side, this motor comes with the same 197bhp 2.0-litre VTEC unit that the last Type R had, albeit with a good few refinements and Honda’s hot Civic engine is still totally compelling with its free-revving nature and quite superb transmission.

The handling of the Type R is an area that has been tweaked and the fixed rear axel is now stiffer which results in a sharper, all round more positive sports car drive. It’s a three door with a sloping design roof, so space and specifically headroom is a secondary consideration in the rear, but on an upside the boot is comparatively huge.

For a car that clearly wants to underline it’s ‘attitude’, what you are getting with the Type R is remarkably good in terms of running costs. Sure, it’s group 17 insurance and your best fuel figure is a middling 31mpg too, but that’s normal for this segment of the sports car market. This Civic beats the Astra VXR and the Golf GTI, and even undercuts the Focus ST.

All the audio specifications you would expect are there… including auxiliary socket (MP3 connection), front speakers, rear speakers stereo CD tuner with RDS and tweeters.

For the connoisseur, there is the Mugen. Only 20 of these top end sports cars are available, each costing £38,599 now this could be argued to be a vast amount of hard earned cash for a hot hatch, no matter how exclusive it is. But this is a sum that does include a fair degree of ‘star’ treatment.

Mugen, will tailor the car to your exact personal requirements, and you'll be genuinely involved in the build process because Mugen engineers will be in constant contact with you. Even the engine's ECU mapping can be tailored to suit you.

The Type R Mugen boasts a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine with a new red line of 8,600rpm., 237bhp and 157lb ft. That's 39bhp over the normal Type R. What the Type R Mugen delivers is a truly fabulous sports car that actually feels in tune with both the driver and the road. It's an incredibly intuitive car sharp throttle, responsive, while a shortened gear change gives a quicker time between cogs, making the whole feel that of ‘an experience’.

Lastly we come to the Honda Civic Type S. This little baby could hold its own on virtually any super car fore court with its fabulous design. The front is dominated by a lighting panel which stretches right across the front of the car acting as a barrier between the bonnet and bumper, while the huge mesh grille beneath the front number plate adds to the Type S’s aggression.

This is one hot little sports car with its 17-inch, five spoke alloys, side skirts and funky door handles with 18s as an option. The rear is just as provocative with a spoiler stretching across the middle of the window, while the unique twin-triangular tail pipes give the whole car a look that is quite futuristic. The S type is not a car for wall flowers, librarians or your granny in the Salvation Army.

The S Type’s interior follows the theme of the exterior and with gusto. Prepare yourself for a huge blue and I mean glowing blue rev-counter and super futuristic sports steering wheel complete with, of course, audio and cruise control switches on it. Honda have even put in a start button which is not only big, but red! Stealing the show from the rev-counter is the digital speedometer, which is mounted just beneath the windscreen.

The CD player is quite understated by comparison but boasts ease of use, which quite frankly, is a blessing.  The foot pedals are chrome plated which is a nice detail and one that adds another element of sports car feel to the whole package.

The Type S is only available as a three-door which only serves to underline the target audience that this car is aiming for. The boot is a massive 485 litres which is more impressive than most other cars in this sector.

The Honda Civic Type-S has been fitted with a wholly unique suspension system from the rest of the range. It has revised spring and damper settings to give an increased, sportier performance. The suspension is a good combination between stiff and soft which makes the Type-S a great all-round car capable of long and short journeys. And to increase the car’s stability, the distance between the wheels is 20mm greater at the rear giving the Civic a solid, feel.

Hondas are renowned world wide for their reliability this Japanese car manufacturer is ranked the third best in the UK market. All of this is wrapped up with a comforting three year/90,000 mile warranty.

The Honda Civic Type-S  is unarguably a cracking little sports car and a pleasing if radical beast in terms of automotive design. It’s nippy and efficient and coming in around the same money as a Ford Focus but with Japanese reliability.