At the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a lighter version of the 2023 Honda Civic Type R, only sold in Europe, broke the record for the fastest front-wheel-drive production car. Honda says the 2019 Renault Ménage R.S. Trophy-R finished the 12.94-mile track in 7:44:881, faster than the CTR’s 7:45:399 time. The record-setting Civic Type R S had Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 track tires, solely available from Michelin for European automobiles. A recent version of this article states that the Honda Civic Type R that set the front-drive record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife is a lightweight Type R S that will only be offered in left-hand-drive European countries. The standard 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine in the Euro-spec CTR produces 325 horsepower, while the US-spec engine produces 315 horsepower. The front-wheel-drive 2017 Honda Civic Type R is a beast. We’ve known this for a long time, but now that Honda has named it the fastest front-drive production car to lap the world-famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, the rest of the world is reminded of how great it is. The track-ready car went around the course of 12.94 miles in 7:44.881 seconds. A 2019 Renault Megan R.S. Trophy-R set the old FWD record, which did it in 7:45.399. But the CTR that set the record is not the same one that can be bought in the U.S. The smaller Type R S will only be sold in Europe, where cars are driven from the left. With Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, the Civic Type R S did a lap of the ‘Ring. In the U.S., these race-style tires can be installed by a dealer for $1780, but Honda says that they must be bought straight from Michelin to be sent to Europe. Car and Driver have asked Honda if the Civic Type R S has Cup 2 tires because if it doesn’t, it could raise questions about the car’s ability to meet production standards. When we hear back, we will add to this story. Watch the video below to see the CTRS break the lap record. People who remember that the 2017 Civic Type R from the last generation had a faster lap time of 7:43.80 on the Nürburgring may be confused now. The Nürburgring has changed a lot since then, as our partners at Road & Track have pointed out. The people in charge of running the track have started tracking lap times. This includes setting new rules for where a lap starts and ends. The Nordschleife is now 12.94 miles long, longer than when it was 12.8 miles. Because of the extra 0.14 miles and official timekeeping, lap times recorded before and after the 2019 rule changes can’t be compared directly. Thus, the new CTR is quick. The 2023 Civic Type R was the fastest FWD car we’ve lapped at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in our latest Lightning Lap. This showed the newest generation’s progress. At 2:58.8, it was 1.9 seconds faster than the Type R Limited Edition.
