The Honda Civic Type R is here

Honda has revealed the Civic Type R; the "most extreme and high performing Type R in the 22 year history of the red ‘H' badge". It's so extreme and high performing, it's gone blue with rage.

Honda has confirmed that the new Civic Type R will feature a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing more than 276bhp.

This, says Honda, makes the new Civic hot hatch more powerful than any previous Civic, Integra, Accord and even the NSX. Fast, then.

It'll be a Euro 6 compliant engine, which you don't really care about. But it will get a turbocharged engine for the first time, delivering low-down power, which you do really care about.

Don't worry though, Honda is still promising the high-end fireworks "much loved by fanatical Type R owners". You know who you are.

This will also be the first Type R in history to feature a ‘+R' button, too, located next to the steering wheel. Press it, and you loosen yet more of the Civic's straitjacket. The engine's responsiveness is "heightened", torque-mapping becomes more aggressive and the steering becomes more responsive. A fine fight on your hands, then.

Though Honda assures us that the Achilles heel of any powerful front-driver - torque steer - will be minimised thanks to the Civic's ‘steer axis'. A new mechanical system including two supporting ‘kingpins' has been fitted to the front suspension to make sure the Type R goes where you point it, rather than towards the nearest window for a little smooch.

There's active damping too, with four-stages, and of course, the obligatory six-speed manual gearbox. Helpfully, Honda has confirmed that this device "allows the driver to select their chosen gear". Um, thanks for the advice.

"The all-new Civic Type R has been developed and engineered for European drivers," says Honda. "The concept of the Type R is to be the complete driver's car."

Prices will be announced closer to its on sale date in 2015.