The big day for the new Honda Civic Type R is here as the car is being shown off to eager crowds at the Geneva Motor Show 2015, but more excitingly, there’s a video of it lapping the Nürburgring.
The YouTube video released by Honda shows a development version of the Civic Type R – ‘representative of the final production car’ – lap the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 53 seconds (7:50.63 to be precise), making it number one in the front-wheel drive hot-hatch class.
To put that into perspective, the new Type R has the Renault Megane beaten by nearly a second and the Seat Leon Cupra 280 by five seconds around the same Nordschleife circuit. The VW Golf R and its all-wheel drive is yet to be tested and is probably the only car that could knock it off the top.
Honda says the development car set the time in May 2014 with a standard state of engine tune and the suspension, exhaust, brakes and aerodynamic package identical to the production car. Even the tyres and alloy wheels were production-specification.
The removal of audio equipment, air-conditioning and front passenger seat was only done to offset the addition of a roll cage for safety reasons, Honda explained.
Part of the mind-bending pace comes from Honda’s 2.0-litre VTEC, which revs up to 7,000rpm and puts out 310PS and 400Nm of torque at peak. This allows a 0 to 62mph time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 167mph.
There’s also the +R button to think about, which increases the response of the chassis and drivetrain. In other words, it makes everything firmer and more instant at the expense of ride comfort. One for track days, then. Four-piston calipers and 350mm discs at the front try to tame the fun.
Honda has said it will return ‘later this year’ to the Nürburgring to set a lap in the production car so nobody can accuse the Japanese car of cheating.
Watch the video below and feel very inadequate about your own driving skills. Then read all about the new Type R.
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