THEY call it a race car for the road... and with good reason.

The name may be familiar but this new Civic Type-R is very different from the former version. The biggest change is under the bonnet, where for the first time this hot Honda discards the naturally aspirated powerplant and goes for the current vogue of turbocharging to create a VTEC Turbo.

To provide Type-R levels of performance without abandoning respectable economy and emissions, turbo was the only way to go.

The needs of putting all that power on the road brings with it a new suspension system that reduces torque steer, a mechanical limited slip differential and adaptive damping system that enables independent control of each wheel. Traction is excellent.

And when it's time for some serious fun you can opt for the +R mode to reduce steering assistance, sharpen the throttle response and ease off off the stability control.

Compared with this new Type R, the look of the previous version was quite conservative. Honda has now unleashed a beast with an extrovert exterior clearly allied to racing versions.

It is the most extreme Civic Type R ever seen, and the most aggressive looking hot hatch on the market, featuring a huge rear spoiler, big wheels with rubber-band tyres, aero-look wheel arches and four tailpipes peep out at the back.

The Type-R is based on the practical Civic five-door, so the compromises over the standard car are relatively modest. Up front there are supportive chunky sports seats with side bolsters and the familiar Civic dashboard with the addition of a centrally-mounted rev counter and a thicker steering wheel, while the rear seating will take three adults at a push and the firm ride is not at the expense of a comfortable experience.

The boot remains large and the cabin storage is decent too, which translates to a surprisingly family-friendly vehicle, even though its reason d'etre is to be a performance car.

The new engine dominates the driving experience and the switch to turbocharging has transformed the way this Type-R behaves. With a huge slug of torque at low revs you can be lazy with the gear changes and still make good progress, although the shift itself is very slick and satisfying to use.

Even though it is pushing 310PS through the front wheels there is almost a complete absence of torque steer.

Brembo brakes, climate and cruise control, Bluetooth, rear parking camera and a city brake system all come as as standard on the £30,000 Type R. For an extra £2,300 you get the GT version, tested here, which adds a suite of additional safety systems that includes blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning and traffic-sign recognition, parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers and an upgraded audio system including satellite navigation.

From the outside, the cars are identical, riding on 19-inch alloy wheels and in a choice of five colours. Red, black and white versions look equally stunning.

Fast, capable, enormous fun and pleasingly free from compromise, this car may not be for the faint-hearted but it surprisingly easy to live with. Honda is taking on the best with a car that some will find too brash but other will relish its outlandish design.

And it’s still a Civic, so it can perform magic tricks with the rear seat. Heck, it will even deliver more than 40mpg if you resist the temptation to press hard with your right foot.

Previous generations of the Type-R were praised as icons of the hot hatch segment in their day. The new model defines what a modern hot hatch should be: desirable, spectacular, useable and great fun.