The stars have aligned...

Good choice of colour. Looks superb.

Looks like it is in amazing condition, enjoy it!👍

It's been a bit of a journey. I first had the inkling in late 2019, but COVID and resulting redundancy put paid to it then. I finally went for a test drive in late 2022, but stalled on making the leap - no doubts about the car, but job and other life worries got in the way.

My 2007 Focus has soldiered on for far longer than we intended, but with service and MOT time approaching and some major TLC required, a decision needed to be made. After a shitty couple of years, it felt like the right time.

And then it all happened very quickly. I had considered other options including another Fiesta ST, and test drove a standard Civic (which I really liked) but knew deep down that it had to be a Type R, and it had to be red. As fate had it, there were no less than five suitable cars on Autotrader last weekend. But one stood out - the oldest of the five, but with the lowest mileage, balance of a Honda warranty, supplied new and to each of its subsequent owners by the same dealer, and always serviced by them.

I liked the continuity, and the dealer - Yeomans - is where I went for my test drive. The car was for sale privately in Hindhead, less than a mile away, It all felt right, and I knew within a minute that this was the one. It had obviously been fastidiously looked after, had the OEM Conti tyres that so many skimp on, and ticked every box.

Having made the decision to start seriously shopping again on Saturday morning, the deal was done by Sunday afternoon. After the longest working week in living memory, I picked it up on Friday afternoon. The car spent the week garaged and covered, about as worry-free as private car purchases get.

The challenges now are a) to learn how to drive properly again - I've got sloppy - and b) to maintain its condition as much as possible. I'm really going to have to up my car cleaning game 😂

Very nice. Always liked these but not for shrinking violets.

Great work, enjoy it! These are often owned by very fastidious people and that looks like it. Plus it’s made like a Honda obvs The CTR we bought new was a lovely car, I hope this is the same. There won’t be much quicker than that on a UK road…

Can't go far wrong with that! Excellent choice, and I love the colour! 

A week into life with my FK8, and I’m still learning with every mile. It's packed with tech that I’ve never had in a car before so there have been quite a few basics to master, from configuring the digital dash to using an electric parking brake. It's my first car with a touchscreen (although I’ve driven a few rentals so equipped) and is allegedly terrible. But the heating controls are straightforward enough and it has Android Auto, which is all I really need.

Over 200 or so miles I have begun to explore its abilities a little. There probably will come a time when I just get in and go, but I’m nowhere near there yet. Every drive is an event from the moment you open the door. The interior is a matter of taste but I love the red seats (which fit me perfectly), the chilly alloy gear knob, the way it snaps into life with an underlying note of intent. It feels special.

It's been up and down the M3 and A34 a fair bit, and while nobody would call it hushed, it's perfectly acceptable. Road roar from the 245 wide tyres is an issue only on very rough surfaces. It's fun to switch from Sport to comfort mode and back. The whole car settles into a sort of loping gait - the ride softens, steering lightens and the throttle response slackens. Then switch it back to Sport and it's as if it shrinks around you, getting up on the balls of its feet.

I’ve often seen it described as A Very Serious Piece Of Kit. Take it down a twisty B road - as I’ve done a few times already - and it's very keen to show you just how serious. The precision and harmony of its controls is breathtaking, and it wants the same from its driver, gently chiding you if you're lazy, especially with the gear change. Performance is effortless yet filled with drama and all the cues you need to know exactly how fast you're going.

I’ve had one minor scare - blind crest into a leaf-strewn right-left - where the ABS activated momentarily. But it feels secure on tricky unfamiliar roads, always underneath you, poised and communicative in a way that reminds me of my few brief runs in Porsches. I’m sure there is some understeer in there somewhere but I’m nowhere near finding it.

It's compromised, of course. One look at its 30-section sidewalls and the minimal travel of the suspension, and you’ll wonder how it does anything other than crash from bump to bump. But it strikes a remarkable balance between performance and usability, albeit at the extreme end of the spectrum. Helped by five doors and a big boot.

My daughter, who has shown minimal interest in cars thus far, loved it on sight and decreed that it's a girl. Therefore it needed a name, and has been christened Rosie on account of the colour. I can't argue with that, and Rosie is settling into our lives rather nicely.

Fantastic .