Honda has released a video of a 2015 Honda Civic Type-R lapping the famed Nurburgring in just 7:50.63 seconds. The time was set in May 2014, and lives up to the claims that the new Civic will be the fastest ever front-wheel drive car around the German circuit.
The video has been released in the build-up to the Geneva Motor Show, and for context the current record for a front-wheel drive car is 7:54.36 for a Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R set in June 2014.
Technically this isn’t a new production record. The time was set by a development car which is claimed to be identical to the final model except for parts removed to offset the weight of a roll cage. Honda claims this was done for safety, not to add rigidity, and meant that the air con, front passenger seat and audio equipment was all taken out.
Honda has already promised that a full production model will be taken to the Nurburgring later this year to properly claim the record.
It should have a good chance with a 2.0 litre turbocharged VTEC petrol engine, producing 306bhp and 400Nm of torque which peaks from just 2,500rpm up to the 7,000rpm red line.
That power helps to give a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds, and a top speed of 167mph. To get all that through the front wheels, it has a 6-speed manual gearbox with adaptive dampers and a dual-axis strut front suspension to reduce torque steer by a claimed 50 per cent over the standard Civic. And there’s electric power steering, a rear wing designed to limit drag at high speeds, and a wide front splitter.
There’s already talk at Honda about an even more extreme version to compete with examples from Renault and Seat – but despite the Tourer competing in BTCC this year, there’s going to be no Type-R estate.
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