Picture this: It’s almost go time at your local dragstrip/autocross/road course, and you’re sitting there in a brand-new 2024 Honda Civic Type R (or its spiffier sibling, the Acura Integra Type S).

Four-wheeling has never been safer with comprehensive systems like hill descent control. But how does HDC keep you from skidding down the trail?

There’s a moment behind the wheel when everything feels perfect. The struggle is over. The controls go light and seem completely balanced. The fight between suspension, tires, and tarmac reaches ...