The new Honda Civic Type R has followed in the tire tracks of its predecessor by leaving the rest of the front-wheel driven world for dust. Yep, it’s broken the Nurburgring lap record again.
Honda says the car’s development team set a time of 7m 44.881s last March 24, surpassing the 7m 45.389s benchmark set by the stripped-out, and pricey Renault Megane Trophy-R in 2019.
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Those of you with an eidetic memory may have noticed that the Type R’s latest time is a second slower than the FK8-generation managed six years ago, but Honda points out that the FL5’s time was set over the full 20.8km lap ‘as defined by circuit management in 2019’.
What’s really impressive is that the Type R is now less than a second slower around the ‘ring as a Porsche Cayman GT4, 2010 Nissan GT-R and early Audi R8, and just as quick as a Pagani Zonda S from 21 years ago. Progress!
Honda attributes the Type R’s prowess to additional downforce drawn from the rear wing and underfloor elements, while the 35mm longer wheelbase and multilink rear suspension paired with a wider rear track give it more stability over the old car.
“The Civic Type R was developed under the concept of ‘Ultimate Sport 2.0’, aiming to be the ultimate FWD sports model, instilling confidence and excitement with drivers that resonates in the heart,” said Hideki Kakinuma, Civic Type R Large Project Leader. “Since the launch of the Civic Type R in 2022, we have received numerous positive responses globally, far exceeding our expectations, but there was one more mission that we had to challenge - to be the fastest FWD model on the Nürburgring.
“Six years after the previous generation, we have reached a new dimension in the evolution of the Type R and the passion we put into it. To those who are already an owner of our latest Civic Type R and to those who are expected owners, we truly hope that you will love and enjoy the Civic Type R.”
NOTE: This story first appeared in TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
