Young Version — April 1998

The car feels perfectly at home on the circuit—like a racing car, a fish in water. It's so fun to drive. The Civic Type R is one of the few cars that feels good even stock, but modifying it takes it to another level. First, the engine: when we tested it for Young Version, it was an 8-spec setup, right? This one goes further, with a 22-spec setup. It's powerful, and the feel is superb. It pulls cleanly to nearly 9,000 rpm…

It's a different animal. Even if the revs drop a little, it never bogs down. The car also has a close-ratio transmission, which makes its crisp acceleration even stronger. The response is excellent, so downshifts on corner entry feel great; blipping the throttle with heel-and-toe brings a sharp rise in revs and a distinctive sound that really thrills you. It runs lap after lap without changing—that's the strength of a naturally aspirated engine. The suspension feels natural and easy to drive. Though it sits very low, the suspension still moves and does its job properly. The handling has slight understeer and stays precise and stable from turn-in through exit. The suspension is still a prototype, but I think it's already very close. The ride is supple enough for everyday street driving, too…

The carbon hood looks striking against the white body and costs ¥95,000. It is about 7 kg lighter than the stock hood. This test car wasn't a full-on circuit-only build, yet it could consistently lap Tsukuba Circuit in the 1:04 range. The amazing thing is that after five, ten, or more laps, the car's behavior doesn't change at all. Once the tires settle in, you can keep lapping at the same pace indefinitely. From start to finish, brake feel, coolant temperature, and oil temperature barely change. Seriously, the driver gets tired first. That's something a turbo car can't imitate. It makes you appreciate a naturally aspirated engine. With this much lightness and power, what more could you ask for? (Manabu Orido)