Even though the new Honda Civic Type R holds the front-wheel drive production car record at the Nurburgring, owners shouldn’t expect to match the car’s 7 min 43.8 sec lap just by jumping behind the wheel.
Nevertheless, French car magazine L’Argus recently took to the iconic German circuit and performed an extremely impressive lap, tackling the track’s most difficult sections with poise and control.
While we’ve yet to drive the new Type R, we’ve heard it is a significant improvement over the short-lived FK2-generation model, particularly because of its overhauled suspension system.
Thanks to the hot hatch’s balanced chassis and the absence of any torque steer, it looks right at home at ‘Green Hell’. In fact, the driver comfortably passes a Lotus Exige S, Porsche 911 GT3, 911 GT3 RS, and a handful of Renault Sport models.
Powering the new Civic Type R is a turbocharged 2.0-liter VTEC engine with 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels exclusively through a slick six-speed manual transmission.