2017 Honda Civic Type R Is The Fastest FWD Car Around The Nürburgring
This month seems to be loaded with news related to the 2017 Honda Civic Type R. Here’s one more. The latest hot hatch contender in the US market has just taken the title of the “King of the Ring” from the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S.
Back in 2016, the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S went out on the Nürburgring for a spin. It returned to the pits after shattering the FWD lap record which was previously held by the Honda Civic Type R. Posting a time of 7:47.19, the VW walked away with the laurels. Fast forward to April 2017 and the 2017 Honda Civic Type R has taken back the crown in glorious fashion.
The new Type R hit the track with the exact same number of horses as the VW – 306 hp. Completing the 12.9-mile course in a breathtakingly quick 7:43:80, the new Type R dethroned the previous record-holder by a substantial margin.
A 3-second lead over the Golf GTI Clubsport S and a 7-second improvement over the previous-generation Honda Civic Type R. Long story short, the new “King of the Ring” is now the fastest front-wheel-drive (FWD) production car around the legendary circuit.
We have put together a “Monster Gallery” on our Facebook Fan Page with a truckload of promo images released by Honda.
Ryuichi Kijima, the lead chassis engineer for the 2017 Honda Civic Type R had this to say about the feat.
"The cornering speed achieved in the new Type R is higher because the car features a wider track and tires, a longer wheelbase, a new multi-link suspension in the rear and optimized aerodynamics that improve stability. For example, drivers typically enter the corner after Metzgesfeld at around 150 km/h (93 mph). Even at this medium-speed corner, the speed is around 10 km/h (6 mph) 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."
It was a pre-production Civic Type R which beat the pulp out of the Golf GTI Clubsport S. Before you reach for the whistle and the red card, Honda assures that the car which did the lap was in production spec.
Courtesy: Honda Media Newsroom
Courtesy: Honda Media Newsroom
Courtesy: Honda Media Newsroom
Courtesy: Honda Media Newsroom
The only changes were the installation of a full floating roll cage to keep the driver safe in the event of things going terribly wrong. They took out the rear seats and the Display Audio system to balance out the weight. Tires were track-focused and street legal. VW fans won’t be excited with this latest development. But they will just have to be patient here and wait for the Germans to strike back with a more potent GTI.
Honda has uploaded three videos on their YouTube channel to celebrate both the achievement and the team which made it possible. The playlist above includes “Hot Lap”, “Driver Forever” and “Ghost Car”. All of them are worth checking out. The “Ghost Car” in particular is the standout clip, as it compares the new-gen model’s track performance with that of its 2015 predecessor.