The Honda Civic Tourer: a high-torque racecar … with room for the kids

By Peter Braun Published December 3, 2013

I love a good wagon. So the news that Honda is bringing its Civic Tourer five-door to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) is music to my ears.

Before we go any further, let me say that the BTCC is one of my favorite motor racing events. It’s just about the closest you get to genuine ‘stock car’ racing anymore. And, delightfully, wagons have a long history in the sport. Some of my favorite BTCC former champs are the Volvo 850 wagons from the 1990s.

Skip to about 1:30 for the good stuff

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Things are looking good for the Civic Tourer, as the Civic has claimed the manufacturers trophy for the last four years running.

The Tourer shares the same wheelbase and suspension set-up as the previous hatchbacks that Honda’s racing team was running. Because of the cargo area, it’s a bit longer.

The weight out over the rear axle may create some problems with weight distribution but Honda remains confident that it has created an uncompromising racer.

In fact, the whole point of using the Tourer is show of the performance of the Civic across the range and try and convince buyers that just because it’s a wagon doesn’t mean it’s boring.

Whether or not this works is anyone’s guess, but I can say that I love the look of the BTCC Civic Tourer. The aero-kit and paint job blend the wagon’s lines seamlessly into that of a racing car. It’s great.

I wish the best of luck to the Honda Yuasa drivers Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, as they prepare for the 2014 season of the BTCC.

Peter is a freelance contributor to Digital Trends and almost a lawyer. He has loved thinking, writing and talking about cars…

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