At the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Honda first unveiled the production version of the Civic Type R. Subsequently, the new vehicle has now set a new benchmark lap time for front-wheel drive cars at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Earlier this month, the development car lapped the world famous circuit in 7 minutes 43.8 seconds, which is about seven seconds faster than its predecessor. The lap time was recorded during the final phase of the model’s testing regime, on a dry track with an optimum ambient temperature for the best tyre and powertrain performance.
Honda claims that the torsional stiffness in the Civic Type R has been improved by 38 per cent while the high-rigidity body frame is now lighter by 16kgs. The vehicle also gets a new multi-link rear suspension that enhances stability under braking and reduces the total roll movement of the car, thereby enabling late braking into corners and helping to achieve higher cornering speeds during the lap.
Mechanically, the Honda Civic type R gets a refined 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo engine that generates 316bhp of power and 400Nm of torque. In order to help with better acceleration, the vehicle gets lower gear ratios in the six-speed manual version. Additionally, it also gets a comprehensive aerodynamic package, which the automaker claims, will deliver outstanding high-speed stability, with a best-in-class balance between lift and drag.
Elaborating upon the feat, Ryuichi Kijima lead chassis engineer for the Honda Civic Type R said, “The cornering speed achieved in the new Type R is higher because the car features a wider track and tyres, a longer wheelbase, new multi-link suspension in the rear and optimised aerodynamics that improves stability. For example, drivers typically enter the corner after Metzgesfeld at around 150 km/h. Even at this medium-speed corner, the speed is around 10 km/h higher due to the new Type R’s excellent stability. So, with improved cornering performance, we can increase the speed throughout the lap, helping the new Type R to achieve a much quicker lap time.”
