Wow - watching that video is amazing. It's fantastic to get to see the driver's footwork on the 3 pedals, the speed (doing the quickie multiply km by .6 to get mph...), the map with all the turns. And watching the G-Meter is pretty cool, too. Unbelievable. That Type R sure is something. Of course now wondering how the Type S will fare.
Honda Civic Type R Sets Nürburgring Lap Record
The Civic Type R has reclaimed its Nürburgring lap record for FWD Production Vehicles. It recorded a time of 7:44:881!
I wonder what kind of time the Integra Type R would do if they sent it on the Nürburgring. Could it beat the Type ?
- Lap time of 7 min 44:881 sec, set on 2019 enforced longer circuit layout, beats current record for production FWD models
On 24 March, 2023, members from the Civic Type R’s development team completed a 7 minute 44:881 second lap around the daunting German circuit – nicknamed ‘The Green Hell’ – making it the fastest production specification FWD vehicle. This time was set on the revised, now longer (20.8km), track layout as defined by circuit management in 2019.
Powering the Type R is a powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that, in its latest iteration, produces 329PS and 420Nm of torque. Paired with an updated six-speed manual transmission, it is capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 5.4 seconds and to a top speed of 275km/h.
The new, sleeker exterior design of the 2023 Civic Type R has also contributed to the record time, with highly developed aerodynamic solutions such as the angle of the high level rear wing and complex underfloor elements combining to generate genuine downforce.
In addition, the 35mm longer wheelbase, compared to the previous Type R, and multilink rear suspension are paired with a significantly wider rear track to offer improved cornering stability over its predecessor – and refined through repeated testing on both the Autobahn and the Nürburgring.
“The Civic Type R was developed under the concept of ‘Ultimate Sport 2.0’, aiming to be the ultimate FWD sports model, instilling confidence and excitement with drivers that resonates in the heart,” explains Hideki Kakinuma, Civic Type R Large Project Leader. “Since the launch of the Civic TYPE R in 2022, we have received numerous positive response globally, far exceeding our expectations, but there was one more mission that we had to challenge - to be the fastest FWD model on the Nürburgring.
“Six years after the previous generation, we have reached a new dimension in the evolution of the Type R and the passion we put into it. To those who are already an owner of our latest Civic Type R and to those who are expected owners, we truly hope that you will love and enjoy the Civic Type R.”
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Well I can see why Acura won't bring the Integra Type S to the Nurburgring, apparently Honda used a special lightweight Civic Type R to break the lap record.
www.carscoops.com
Tell Me About The 2023 Civic Type R ‘S Grade’
The record was set with a special lightweight version of the hot Civic called the Type R S grade or Type R S, a fact that wasn’t referenced at all in the North American media release and received only a passing mention in Honda Europe’s, which said only that model was a special grade only offered in LHD European markets. But we’ve been able to contact Honda Europe and find out what makes it special.
Essentially, it’s a regular Type R with a ton of equipment taken out, a bit like the old FK8 Type R LE revealed in 2020, but minus the yellow paint. It retains the 9-inch infotainment screen but loses the sat nav hardware and comes without air conditioning, the rear tonneau cover, parking sensors and cargo net hooks. Honda has also ditched the auto-dimming function for the rear view mirror, dropped the sun visor vanity illumination, and the door mirrors are old fashioned manual items with no electrical adjustment or heating function.
We’re still waiting to see if we can uncover how much weight this crash diet saves but as a guide the LE weighed 104 lbs (47 kg) less than a regular Type R, though it did have the help of some special forged alloy wheels. As for the engine and suspension, both are unchanged.
About Those Special Michelin Tires
The other asterisk concerns the tires, which are not the same black circles your standard Type R leaves the showroom wearing. Stock, the R rolls on 265/30 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, but the record car was shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect boots. You’re probably familiar with the semi-slick Cup 2 tires from track-ready cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and the Connect suffix in this case signifies an updated version that can be used with Michelin Track Connect sensors to send real-time data to a smartphone app.
Michelin launched the Connect in 2020 and they’re fully road legal, but the rub here is that if you want them for your Civic Type R in Europe where the record was set, you can’t get them from Honda, you have to buy them direct from Michelin. They are available to order from Honda dealers in Asia and the U.S., however, so Honda is able to claim that they’re ‘production’ tires.
We’re still waiting to hear if the U.S. will get any of these lightweight S models, but our gut feel is that North America, like the U.K., will miss out. Let us know if you think it’s fair that mainland Europe could be keeping potentially the best Type R to itself.
Honda Used New Lightweight Civic Type R-S To Set Nurburgring Record, But It's Not Coming To U.S. Or U.K. | Carscoops
The new Civic Type R S-grade comes without air conditioning, parking sensors and electric mirrors to save weight, but will only be offered in LHD European markets
www.carscoops.com
Tell Me About The 2023 Civic Type R ‘S Grade’
The record was set with a special lightweight version of the hot Civic called the Type R S grade or Type R S, a fact that wasn’t referenced at all in the North American media release and received only a passing mention in Honda Europe’s, which said only that model was a special grade only offered in LHD European markets. But we’ve been able to contact Honda Europe and find out what makes it special.
Essentially, it’s a regular Type R with a ton of equipment taken out, a bit like the old FK8 Type R LE revealed in 2020, but minus the yellow paint. It retains the 9-inch infotainment screen but loses the sat nav hardware and comes without air conditioning, the rear tonneau cover, parking sensors and cargo net hooks. Honda has also ditched the auto-dimming function for the rear view mirror, dropped the sun visor vanity illumination, and the door mirrors are old fashioned manual items with no electrical adjustment or heating function.
We’re still waiting to see if we can uncover how much weight this crash diet saves but as a guide the LE weighed 104 lbs (47 kg) less than a regular Type R, though it did have the help of some special forged alloy wheels. As for the engine and suspension, both are unchanged.
About Those Special Michelin Tires
The other asterisk concerns the tires, which are not the same black circles your standard Type R leaves the showroom wearing. Stock, the R rolls on 265/30 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, but the record car was shod with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect boots. You’re probably familiar with the semi-slick Cup 2 tires from track-ready cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and the Connect suffix in this case signifies an updated version that can be used with Michelin Track Connect sensors to send real-time data to a smartphone app.
Michelin launched the Connect in 2020 and they’re fully road legal, but the rub here is that if you want them for your Civic Type R in Europe where the record was set, you can’t get them from Honda, you have to buy them direct from Michelin. They are available to order from Honda dealers in Asia and the U.S., however, so Honda is able to claim that they’re ‘production’ tires.
We’re still waiting to hear if the U.S. will get any of these lightweight S models, but our gut feel is that North America, like the U.K., will miss out. Let us know if you think it’s fair that mainland Europe could be keeping potentially the best Type R to itself.
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