All About Ford Mustang: The 2017 Honda Civic Type R sets Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for fastest front-wheel drive production car

Honda continues to prove they know what they’re doing with front-wheel drive.

What’s going on?

Honda is no stranger to the game of front-wheel drive. While many detest the configuration, it still works very well in its own respective ways. And Honda’s one of the few brands to prove that front-wheel drive cars can perform just as well as some of their rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive counterparts. The latest example: the hot new 2017 Honda Civic Type R.

It just took the title as the world’s fastest front-wheel-drive production car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife. A fitting record to sit next to other Honda greats, like the original Integra Type R.

How fast did the Civic Type R lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife?

It did the 12.9-mile Green Hell in just 7 minutes and 43.80 seconds, on April 3, 2017. It was almost three seconds faster than the Civic Type R before it.

This was partially due to the latest Civic Type R’s all-new and potent 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It’s then complimented by a very aggressive, but functional aerodynamic body kit, sport-tuned front control arm and rear-multilink suspension, a six-speed manual transmission as standard, and a limited-slip differential.

Honda admits the lap vehicle was a pre-production prototype, but insist that it represents a production-ready car.

When the 2018 Honda Civic Type R hits US dealers, it will be America’s first Honda Type R model, and the first US-bound Type R model since the original Acura Integra Type R.

Production commenced for the Civic Type R in Swindon, England.

– By: Chris Chin