What to do with two (very) hot hatches, such as the top Golf and the first-ever turbocharged Civic, to make things just a bit more interesting?
The folks at Top Gear decided to stage a drag race instead of a typical back-to-back test.
The two are easily comparable, with similar weights and performance figures, which makes the end result difficult to predict.
The Type R is the more powerful, standing tall at 310 PS and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft). All that power directed to the front wheels alone. Goes to show how much we’ve come since 200 PS was, more or less, the limit for tackling the tarmac with the same axle that also has to do the steering.
The Golf R, on the other hand, is good for 300 PS and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. However, the power deficit is counteracted by the dual-clutch gearbox, launch control and all-wheel drive. Or is it? Things on paper are not all they seem to be when it comes to the real world.