Track Battle: Honda Civic Type R vs BMW M3 and Audi RS3

The Honda Civic Type R has beaten the hot hatch elite, now it takes on some more serious rivals...

We’ve been blown away by the performance of the new Honda Civic Type R. It’s already beaten a SEAT Leon Cupra and Renault Sport Megane Trophy round our test track at Llandow in South Wales. And that got us thinking. Let’s just say you want a practical performance car with four doors and a reasonable boot, but one with even more power than the 306bhp Honda Civic Type R. Just how much extra would you have to pay and how much more performance would your extra dosh get you?

Well for £10,000 more than the £30,000 Honda, the Audi RS3 Sportback has a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo with 361bhp – which is a 55bhp improvement over what you get from the 2.0-litre four-cylincer turbo in the Type R. However, if you were to pay a further £6,000 you could have a BMW M3. Then you get a 3.0-litre twin turbo engine developing 425bhp, which is 64bhp over the Audi and 119bhp more than the Honda Civic Type R.  

Unless you're playing top trumps, however, performance stats don’t matter all that much. How the cars perform out in the real world is what really matters. So we took a BMW M3 and an Audi RS3 Sportback to the exact same track where we had previously timed the Civic Type R to see just how their power advantages translate into improved lap times.

This test would allow us to compare three different ways of putting power down to the ground: front wheel-drive, all wheel-drive and rear wheel-drive. Fortunately, on the day of our test the conditions were exactly the same as when we timed the Honda and so this meant we would have a fair comparison. However, what actually happened came as quite a shock to us all. We won’t give the game away here: you’ll have to watch the video for the full result. But suffice to say, the outcome won’t be quite what you are expecting…

Read a full review of the Honda Civic Type R here...

Recommended

Mercedes-AMG A45 S vs Honda Civic Type R: 2023 twin test review
Mercedes-AMG A45 S and Honda Civic Type R - front tracking
Car group tests

Mercedes-AMG A45 S vs Honda Civic Type R: 2023 twin test review

A refresh has upped the ante for Mercedes-AMG’s A 45 S. How does it shape up against our reigning Hot Hatch of the Year, the Honda Civic Type R?
26 Aug 2023
Top 10 best performance cars to buy 2023
Best performance cars - header image
Best cars & vans

Top 10 best performance cars to buy 2023

Performance cars have reached new heights of speed and interaction - here’s a list of our ten favourites from the current crop
26 Jul 2023
Top 10 best hot hatchbacks to buy 2023
Best hot hatchbacks - header image
Best cars & vans

Top 10 best hot hatchbacks to buy 2023

The best hot hatches offer giant-killing performance and a gripping drive, all wrapped in a user-friendly package
12 Jul 2023
Hot Hatch of the Year 2023: Honda Civic Type R
Honda Civic Type R - Hot Hatch of the Year 2023
Awards

Hot Hatch of the Year 2023: Honda Civic Type R

The Honda Civic Type R is the 2023 Auto Express Hot Hatch of the Year, with the Hyundai i20 N and Mercedes-AMG A 45 S commended
5 Jul 2023

Most Popular

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’
Opinion - Fiat Scudo
Opinion

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’

With some huge savings to be had, Mike Rutherford thinks a van could be the perfect vehicle
3 Dec 2023
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 EV concept at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

Renault’s reborn Renault 5 will start from €25,000 in Europe, suggesting a circa-£30k price in the UK. It's due on sale in the summer of 2024. Here's …
1 Dec 2023
Deal of the Day: Spacious Skoda Superb is a peerless estate for £223 a month
Skoda Superb Estate - front tracking
News

Deal of the Day: Spacious Skoda Superb is a peerless estate for £223 a month

The Superb is one of our favourite estates and our Deal of the Day for Monday 4 December
4 Dec 2023