Red Hot 2023 Honda Civic Type R Conquers “Green Hell” Nürburgring with New Front-Wheel Drive Track Record

Civic Type R now holds lap records at two legendary racetracks, Suzuka and Nürburgring Nordschleife

• The pinnacle of Honda factory performance, the new Civic Type R is the fastest, most powerful Honda vehicle ever offered in the U.S.
• In-car video documents the record-setting lap

TORRANCE, Calif., April 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R, the most powerful Honda production vehicle ever sold in the U.S., has set a new track record for a front-wheel drive car¹ around the iconic 20.8-kilometer Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany—considered the most challenging road circuit ever devised—during testing and performance evaluation. The officially measured new lap record time of 7 minutes 44.881 seconds² further demonstrates the improved dynamic performance of the new, more powerful Civic Type R compared to its predecessor.

For the record-setting lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Civic Type R was fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tires jointly developed with Michelin using know-how amassed through the development of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, which is the standard tire on the turbocharged hot hatch. Available through Honda dealers, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tires further enhance the circuit performance of the vehicle, improving dry grip and Type R’s well-balanced handling.

Message from Hideki Kakinuma, Civic Type R Development Leader

"To our Civic Type R fans all over the world:

Under the concept of ‘Ultimate SPORT 2.0,’ we developed the all-new Civic Type R with the spirit of ‘going beyond our past achievements’ and strived for the ultimate FWD sports car by refining the ‘essential value’ and ’emotional appeal’ unique only to our Type R models.

Since the start of sales in Japan in September 2022, we have received numerous customer feedback from all around the world filled with amazement and joy, far exceeding our expectations. However, we still had one more mission to fulfill, which was to claim the title as the world’s fastest FWD car with a record Nürburgring lap time.

Six years after the lap record was set by the previous-generation Civic Type R (FK8), we reached this new dimension as a result of all of the passions we poured in and all the advancements we made for this Type R model. Finally, our wish to share this title with all Type R fans all around the world came true.

We sincerely hope that all current and prospective owners of the Type R will enjoy and love their vehicle with the pride we share with you."

For more information on the Honda Civic Type R click here.

1 Based on Honda internal research (as of April 2023).

2 An official Nürburgring Nordschleife lap measurement. The lap time was measured based on the official rules instituted in 2019, with a full lap of the Nordschleife, which is 20.832 km long. Before 2019, lap times were measured with the lap length of 20.600 km and were not officially certified by the Nürburgring.

About Honda

Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The award-winning Honda lineup includes the Civic and Accord, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda’s electrified vehicle lineup includes the Accord hybrid, CR-V hybrid, and, in the future, Civic hybrid. The Honda Prologue SUV, Honda’s first volume battery-electric vehicle, will join the lineup in 2024. 

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for over 40 years and currently operates 18 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2022, more than 99% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, with more than two-thirds made in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.