evo LAPTIMES ON THE BEDFORD AUTODROME'S WEST CIRCUIT FROM ISSUE 138

Does anyone else believe it completely unreasonable that Honda offers a handsome hatchback version of the venerable Civic, but not to those of us in North America? How 'bout the fact that the Honda Civic can be had as this handsome hatchback.... in Type R clothes? Does it offend you that the Honda Civic is sold as a handsome Type R hatchback with Mugen kit, as well? In the UK, this very rare - and, say it quietly, very expensive - Honda Civic Type R Mugen has just gone round the Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit faster than the stonking Ford Focus RS. Yes, the Ford Focus RS, the one with more than 63 additional horsepower over the Honda Civic Type R Mugen, the one with all of Ford's handiwork and all of that desirability.

That being said, the Honda Civic hatchback so beloved of the evo magazine stuff was no match for eight other cars in evo's Track Car of the Year test. Against much more expensive machinery, most of which was built with performance in mind from the outset, the Civic Type R Mugen was just a wayward soul. Oh, and by the way, the LCC Rocket was the only car in the list below not to compete in evo's TOTY contest. Lotus's 2-Eleven GT4 was victorious while its more roadworthy counterpart, the Lotus Evora, took home the crown as evo's Car of the Year.

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Radical SR8LM - 1:13.6

Lotus 2-Eleven GT4 - 1:20.1

KTM X-Bow 300 - 1:21.5

Ariel Atom 3 S'Charged - 1:22.9

Porsche 911 GT3 - 1:23.3

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni - 1:23.4

Caterham Superlight R300 - 1:24.3

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X FQ-400 - 1:25.9

Honda Civic Type R Mugen - 1:28

LCC Rocket - 1:28.8

Ford Focus RS - 1:31.3

RenaultSport Clio 200 Cup - 1:31.9