Honda Civic Type R Rally (2007) CAR review

What’s this – I didn't know Honda was going rallying?

It’s not, well, not just yet. Let me explain. In 2005, the FIA World Council decided to create a new cost-effective rally championship for 2007, called the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The nine-round calendar for 2007 includes some classic stages like the Sanremo and Safari rallies, as well as some more new-world events held in Russia and China. It’s given global coverage by Eurosport, which beams the races into 110 million homes in 59 countries.

I’m still with you… just

Honda’s official customer racing support partner, Italian-based JAS Motorsport, has just unveiled a full rally-spec Civic Type R that’s primed to compete in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. It will also meet the FIA’s new regulations for Group R next year. The idea behind the JAS car is to show off the company’s motorsport prowess, offering various stages of mechanical upgrade. So if you have a new Civic Type R and fancy a bit more poke, there’s an off-the-shelf engine chip upgrade. If you’re a track day fan, you can order a brakes and suspension upgrade. Of if you fancy having a punt at the full rally experience, you just phone JAS, slap down £65,000 and they will get the whole car prepped and ready to go. And it will be road legal – which is why JAS let us loose in one on the winding mountain roads near Verbania, on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Italy.