Honda Just Smashed Five European Circuit Lap Records With The Civic Type R To Prove A Point

The Civic Type R's stunning Nurburgring lap may have been bettered by the VW Golf Clubsport S, but Honda has just nabbed five other FWD lap records with its hot hatch
Honda Just Smashed Five European Circuit Lap Records With The Civic Type R To Prove A Point

Despite the whole ‘production-ready prototype with a roll cage that made no difference honest, guv’ caveat, the 7min 50sec lap that the Honda Civic Type R clocked at the Nurburgring last year is mighty impressive. It’s now been ousted as the front-wheel drive Nurburgring king by the VW Golf Clubsport S - very much a production car but lacking rear seats - but fortuitously, Honda hatched a plan earlier this year that came to fruition just a few weeks after VW unceremoniously nicked its crown.

The plan in question involved taking a production Type R (no caged prototype shenanigans this time) to five of Europe’s most famous circuits - Silverstone, Spa Francorchamps, Monza, the Hungaroring and Estoril - to claim the front-wheel drive lap records for each.

Honda Just Smashed Five European Circuit Lap Records With The Civic Type R To Prove A Point

The times, you ask? 2min 31.85sec for the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit with BTCC’s Matt Neal, 2min 56.91sec at Spa thanks to WTCC driver Rob Huff, 2min 15.16sec at Monza and 2min 10.85sec at the Hungaroring with WTCC’s Norbert Michelisz, and a 2min 04.08sec effort at Estorial with WTCC and Formula E safety car man Bruno Correia on driving duties.

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It’s worth pointing out that a lot of this is more about benchmarking - after all, the other manufacturers of bonkers front-wheel drive hot hatch missiles haven’t been going to these circuits and setting ‘official times’. Indeed, a journalist on the Hungaroring ‘leg’ of the lap time tour even briefly held the lap record with a 2min 20sec effort, before Michelisz was sent out to set his time.

Honda Just Smashed Five European Circuit Lap Records With The Civic Type R To Prove A Point

Still, if you look carefully enough, it is possible to put a few of these times in context. For instance, a pro driver at the 2017 Nissan GT-R launch we were at recently clocked a 2min 48sec lap at Spa Francorchamps, which is eight seconds faster than the Civic. Not a huge difference, considering the Civic has a lot less power and isn’t four-wheel drive.

So, now the gauntlet has effectively be laid down, it’s your move, VW….

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Comments

Anonymous

The RS would easily beat this.

06/14/2016 - 12:19 |
1 | 5
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Of course it would, the RS is 4WD. This is a FWD benchmark.

EDIT: I’m an idiot, you mean the Renault not the Ford. Carry on.

06/14/2016 - 12:30 |
9 | 2
Joao. S

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Let’s wait for the new Megane R.S comming next year

06/14/2016 - 12:47 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

…and still comes with full interior

06/14/2016 - 12:29 |
22 | 0
CZ 69% Muscle

Was any of this done by a car in “as sold” form or should there be a massive asterisk next to these records?

06/14/2016 - 12:30 |
1 | 1

“standard production car with no mechanical modifications” according to the press release

06/14/2016 - 12:44 |
9 | 0

Don’t think anyone would be wanting one of the cars thats been broken in on the track tbh

06/14/2016 - 15:16 |
1 | 0
Fantaribo

Megane RS kills this

06/14/2016 - 12:32 |
1 | 3

The 2017 Megane R.S will obviously beat it, +300 hp, semi-automatic gearbox, and Renault’s engineers are great on these things

06/14/2016 - 12:48 |
3 | 1
Tatsuya Mikkinoppe

Leave it to the folks at Mugen/Spoon/J’s Racing/Seeker for a even more hardcore FF weapon

06/14/2016 - 12:39 |
86 | 0

Spoon please….

06/14/2016 - 13:09 |
13 | 0

I love the work of Mugen

06/14/2016 - 14:57 |
6 | 0

you called for a new FWD record?

06/14/2016 - 19:22 |
20 | 5
Brent Fabian [Tracker Guy] (#GMT190LivesMatter) (Natsuki)
  • Dat V-Tec doe *
06/14/2016 - 12:49 |
3 | 1
Anonymous

I’m wondering: Is this a response to Rory Reids piece in Top Gear about hot hatches? Saying the “Ford RS is the best car and you can keep your Porsches and Pagani’s”. Ok Rory - you can give a Pagani to me then, I won’t mind.

06/14/2016 - 12:54 |
12 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Top gear came out 2 days ago….I don’t think Honda would have watched that, and then had time to do all of this haha. Its quick but not that quick.

06/14/2016 - 13:51 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

i’m not sure anybody cares about TG anymore. :)

06/14/2016 - 13:53 |
11 | 0
Anonymous

One quick lawnmower

06/14/2016 - 12:55 |
4 | 5
Chewbacca_buddy (McLaren squad)(VW GTI Clubsport)(McLaren 60

When VTEC and Turbo kick in full time

06/14/2016 - 12:58 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Unfair to say it’s a production car. It has stickers which add 50HP each to the car which doesn’t come as any option from Honda.

06/14/2016 - 13:00 |
67 | 1
Enz0

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Up with you,!!!
You made me laugh…

06/14/2016 - 22:21 |
6 | 0