Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson gets behind the wheel of his new Civic Type R

Kaiser Chiefs’ front man Ricky Wilson rocked up to Honda of the UK Manufacturing in Swindon today to pick up his new racy British-built Civic Type R.

Fresh from putting the Civic Type R through its paces on the famous hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the end of June, Ricky is now the proud owner of a Brilliant Sporty Blue model complete with the all-new +R mode button which increases the response of chassis and engine for enhanced driving skills.

Speaking after taking his first spin, Ricky exclaimed; “What an amazing feeling. This is the first time I’ve ever had a new car and it’s also the first time I’ve had a car that’s a boy. My other two cars were girls!

“I got in the car and instinctively I knew where everything was, I feel at home in it already...... and I’ll get home even quicker!” 

Ricky was also treated to a tour of the birth place of his car and added; “It was like a movie – I could hear the Terminator theme music in my head as I walked around. The technology and scale of the operation is out of this world.”

Since joining Honda as an ambassador for the Civic Type R at the beginning of summer, Ricky has not only raced the famous Goodwood hillclimb but also secured his National B race licence at Knockhill circuit in Scotland, under the expert guidance of Honda Yuasa Racing BTCC star driver, Gordon “Flash” Shedden. 

Civic Type R

Available from £29,995 on the road and in dealerships now, the all-new 2.0 litre VTEC TURBO engine puts 310PS through the front wheels at 6,500rpm and 400Nm of torque at 2,500rpm, both higher than any previous Honda Type R model.

Red-lining at 7,000rpm, the engine – part of Honda’s next-generation Earth Dreams Technology series – features an advanced new turbo charging system which incorporates Honda’s legendary Variable Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) technology to boost low-end torque while delivering sustained acceleration.

With a top speed of 167mph and 0-62mph dispatched in just 5.7 seconds, the new Civic Type R is not only the most powerful and aggressive car ever to wear the acclaimed red ‘H’ badge but is also the fastest front wheel drive around the iconic Nurburgring.

Philip Crossman, Managing Director of Honda UK, commented: “We are quite sure that Ricky is going to have a lot of fun in his new Civic Type R. In fact, we even predict he could have a riot. However, in all seriousness, this brand partnership between one of the UK’s leading rock stars and one of the UK’s fastest cars is a match made in heaven and we look forward to working with Ricky as time goes on.”

For further information on the Civic Type R range please visit www.honda.co.uk or to keep up with all things social, get involved with #TypeR.

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