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2018 Honda Civic Type R sets Nurburgring lap record

Honda Civic TypeR Nurburgring Time Attack April 2017 Worldwide Copyright: © Patrick Gosling, Chris Brown/ Beadyeye Filename: 170403_CivicTypeR_TimeAttack _151.cr2

The new 2018 Honda Civic Type R, which launches in Australia later this year, has become the fastest front-wheel drive car around the famed Nurburgring race track this week.

Lapping the famous circuit in 7 minutes, 43.8 seconds, the Civic Type R steals the title from the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S – known here as the GTI 40 Years Edition – which managed a time of 7 minutes 49.21 seconds in May last year.

The record-setting lap was completed by a development car with technical specifications representative of the final production car.

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Helping the Civic Type R to achieve its time are aerodynamic and performance enhancements such as a wider track, wider tyres, a longer wheelbase, higher torsional stiffness, bodykit and large rear wing, and a new multi-link rear suspension set up.

Under the bonnet of the hot Honda is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, developing 235kW of power and 400Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels exclusively via a six-speed manual transmission.

Revealed at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, the Civic Type R will take on a range of small performance hatchbacks and sedans, including the Ford Focus RS, Subaru WRX STI and Volkswagen Golf R – though all of those are all-wheel drive.

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The hot hatch will be produced at Honda’s Swindon plant in the UK, and is scheduled for a fourth quarter launch in Australia – though exact timing is still unknown.

Final pricing and specifications are also to be confirmed, though the company’s local arm has hinted at a starting price of around $50,000, similar to the Ford Focus RS.

Stay tuned to CarAdvice for more Honda Civic Type R updates in the lead-up to its fourth quarter launch.

Click the Photos tab above for more shots of the Type R from the Nurburgring.

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