Civic Type R Keeps Destroying the World’s Best Tracks

Honda didn’t want its claim that the new Civic Type R is a “race car for the road” to be unsubstantiated. So, during the past few months, it went out with a production version of the car on regular road tires and shredded five lap records on some of the most famous tracks overseas and in the world.

Back in the middle of 2014, the Type R ripped it up at the Nürburgring and set a front-wheel-drive record of 7:50.63 and unseated the Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R, which had the previous record of 7:54.36. That’s since been broken again by a Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, but that’s okay, because the Type R has been on some new adventures all across Europe.

First up was Silverstone back in April. Three-time British Touring Car champ Matt Neal lapped a wet track in 2:44.45 and a dry one in 2:31.85. Next factory driver Rob Huff took down Spa-Francorchamps in 2:56.91. The Type R and World Touring Car Championship driver Norbert Michelisz beat Monza in 2:15.16, and safety-car driver Bruno Correia set a record in Estoril with a time of 2:04.08. Finally, Michelisz took one more spin at Hungaroring and broke yet another record with a time of 2:10.85. Basically, you take the Type R to any important track, there’s going to be a new front-wheel-drive record.

As a quick reminder/review, this was all made possible thanks to things like the 306-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter i-VTEC, extensive chassis and suspension tuning, an aero package that creates negative lift, and adaptive dampers.

via [Honda]