2023 Honda Civic Type R Sets Suzuka FWD Lap Record Before Reveal

April 8, 2022

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2023 Honda Civic Type R Sets Suzuka FWD Lap Record Before Reveal

The new Civic Type R has managed to beat the old Civic Type R.

The 2017 Honda Civic Type R is already breaking records before its official unveiling. In 2 minutes and 23.120 seconds, the tiny five-door vehicle completed the tough Suzuka circuit in Japan. (Alprazolam) To put things in perspective, the previous-gen model in the hardcore Limited Edition took 2 minutes and 23.993 seconds to complete the task. It’s not a huge improvement, but taking roughly a second off the time is still impressive.

In both cases, the tenacious hatchback lapped the race track’s 3.6-mile (5.8-kilometer) circuit. The forthcoming Civic Type R, like its predecessor and former record-holder Renault Megane RS Trophy-R, had a rolling start. It’s worth noting that we’re talking about a front-wheel-drive car that clocked in at 143.5 mph (231 km/h) at one point during the hot lap.

Honda mysteriously blacked up the instrument cluster, presumably to prevent inquisitive eyes from learning any juicy data about the vehicle. The next Type R will be a manual-only vehicle, similar to the Civic Si, and will likely have a 2.0-liter gasoline engine. Engineers are likely to have extracted a few more horsepower from the turbo four-pot compared to the FK8 model’s 316 horsepower.

When it comes to horsepower, it’s worth mentioning that the previous CTR produced 316 horsepower only in Europe and Japan, owing to higher-octane fuel, while the rest of the world had to make up with 10 less. The new model is projected to be Honda’s last ICE-only vehicle on the continent, as speculations of a hybrid model seem unlikely.

When the Civic Type R does come later this year, Honda will face a new competitor in the form of Toyota’s long-awaited GR Corolla. Those who prefer all-wheel drive may already order the VW Golf R, which has 315 horsepower and is more powerful than the previous version. In 2022, the next-generation BMW M2 and Nissan Z will also be available, making it a terrific year for car fans.

The clip shown above was shot on March 14 at the Japanese Grand Prix location for Formula 1, but Honda decided to wait until now to show the updated CTR in action.