Honda has claimed the Nurburgring lap record for a front-wheel-drive production car after setting a time of 7:44.881.
That number is identical to the time set by the FK8 Type R but that is because track officials instituted new rules in 2019. This means that a full Nordschleife lap went from 12.800 miles (20.6 km) to 12.944 miles. The previous-generation Type R completed the lap under the old regulations.
“Six years after the lap record was set by the previous-generation Civic Type R, we reached this new dimension as a result of all of the passions we poured in and all the advancements we made for this Type R model,” said Hideki Kakinuma, the model’s development leader.
The Civic Type R was wearing Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tyres which are an option through the dealerships.
The Nurburgring is now the second circuit where the Honda Civic Type R holds the title of the fastest front-wheel-drive production car, having set the lap record at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit in April 2022.
While the Honda Civic Type R’s rapid lap puts it to the top of the front-wheel-drive timesheets at the Nurburgring, it is more than a minute slower than the fastest street-legal production car, the Mercedes-AMG One.