Kaiser Chiefs’ frontman Ricky Wilson has picked up his new Civic Type R from Honda’s Swindon plant today.

Fresh from putting the Civic Type R through its paces on the hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the end of June, Wilson now owns a ‘brilliant sporty blue’ model with the new +R mode button which increases the response of chassis and engine for enhanced driving experience.

Speaking after taking his first spin, Wilson said: “What an amazing feeling. This is the first time I’ve ever had a new car and it’s also the first time I’ve had a car that’s a boy. My other two cars were girls!

“I got in the car and instinctively I knew where everything was, I feel at home in it already. And I’ll get home even quicker.”

Since joining Honda as an ambassador for the Civic Type R at the beginning of summer, Wilson has raced the Goodwood hillclimb and secured his National B race licence at Knockhill circuit in Scotland, under the guidance of Honda Yuasa Racing BTCC star driver, Gordon “Flash” Shedden.