Hottest hatch: Bonkers Nurburgring lap in Honda Civic Type R

The Honda Civic Type R has arrived in Geneva, accompanied by full specification details and some interior photos. This follows months of speculation, conjecture, grainy spy shots and rumours within the industry. Now, we know a lot more about it - including that fact that a development car went around the Nurburgring in a staggering 7 minutes and 50 seconds.

Honda calls the new Type R a "race car for the road" and the specification sheet shows why. It has a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that uses Honda's legendary VTEC wizardry. This produces 306bhp and has plenty of low-down punch for strong acceleration and swift overtaking.

Performance-wise, the Type R has a top speed of 167mph and will reach 62mph from a standing start in just 5.7 seconds. The front-wheel-drive car has a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.

There's a lot of technology under the bonnet – necessary to make that 306bhp manageable on the road. This includes adaptive dampers, electric power steering and what Honda calls dual-axis front suspension – the latter intended to reduce torque steer, the tugging sensation felt through the steering wheel in powerful front-wheel-drive cars.

Inside, the Type R looks quite similar to the recently updated standard Civic hatchback. Type R additions include racing seats, an aluminium gearstick and a sportier steering wheel. There's also an Android-based infotainment system in the centre console that will be familiar to smartphone users.

But it's the outside that's most exciting: the Type R sports a massive rear wing, quad exhausts and an aggressive-looking front end. Most of the external styling isn't just there for show – the front splitter, deep side skirts, flat underside and carefully designed front bumper have all been designed with aerodynamics in mind, while the many vents and holes funnel air to the engine.

And the price for all this lunacy? A fiver shy of £30k for the entry level model, and finance available from £300 a month.