Description
Added on the 07/08/2018 10:15:12 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
Inspired by the ‘Type R Challenge 2018’ which took place at legendary European race tracks, the Honda Civic Type R has set the benchmark lap time for a front-wheel drive production car around the iconic Mount Panorama race circuit at Bathurst, Australia.Driven by 2009 Formula One world champion, 2018 Super GT Series champion and Honda ambassador, Jenson Button, the factory specification Civic Type R recorded a 2 minute 35.207 second (2:35.207) lap around Australia’s greatest racetrack.Mount Panorama is best known as the home of the Bathurst 1000 motor race, held each October. An incredibly challenging track for both man and machine, it’s technically a street circuit, as it is as a public road for 350 days each year when no racing events are being conducted. The current layout is 6.213 km in length with 23 corners and a 174-metre vertical difference between its lowest and highest points, not to mention gradients as steep as 1:6 or more than 16 per cent.Button holds the unofficial lap record for the Mount Panorama circuit, a spectacular 1:48.8 lap time set in a Formula One car in 2011 as part of a special event to promote the Australian Grand Prix, so it was fitting that he was the driver to set a benchmark time in the Civic Type R.
Following two successes in the Honda Civic ‘Type R Challenge 2018’ at the Magny-Cours and Spa-Francorchamps circuits the high-performance hatchback has set a new 2 mins 31.32 secs lap record for a front-wheel drive production car at the Silverstone GP circuit in the UK, beating the benchmark set by the previous generation Civic Type R in a similar challenge in 2016. The Type R was piloted by three-time British Touring Car Championship winner Matt Neal, who is currently campaigning a Honda Civic Type R in the 2018 BTCC with Halfords Yuasa Racing.
"After setting a lap record at the Magny-Cours GP circuit just last month, the high-performance hatchback has set a new lap record front-wheel drive production lap record of 2mins 53.72secs at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. The Type R was piloted by former FIA WEC LMP2 class World Champion, Bertrand Baguette, who is currently racing a Honda NSX-GT in the Super GT series with Nakajima Racing. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is one of the longest tracks in the racing seasons of many categories at 7.004km, and features very fast straights and high-speed corners, along with more technical low-speed sections and significant elevation changes. The class-leading acceleration and outright speed of the Civic Type R’s 2.0-litre VTEC TURBO engine, enabled Baguette to exploit the long straights and accelerate quickly out of the sweeping corners."
Tony D'Alberto was forced to fight back through the pack in another up-and-down weekend of TCR Australia racing at Phillip Island on the weekend.The Honda Civic Type R TCR driver was the fastest in practice and proved far too good for his rivals in qualifying, outpacing the field by nearly half a second in another blistering performance. His lap time was the fastest-ever TCR lap recorded around the famous Island venue.D’Alberto’s weekend was thrown on its head at the fourth corner of the first race when he was tagged awkwardly by Honda stablemate Brad Harris and Hyundai driver Josh Bucan. The incident sent Tony’s Honda FL5 off the track and into last place.With the bit between his teeth, D'Alberto started a sensational recovery drive in the final two races on Sunday, finishing eighth in Race 2 and a fine fourth in Race 3.D'Alberto says that the speed of his Honda is on point – he just needs a little luck to bring home more trophies.
Launched to international acclaim last year, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R continues to garner awards and accolades – the latest being the retaking of the production vehicle front-wheel drive (FWD) lap record at the infamous 12.92-mile (20.8km) Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit.On 24 March, 2023, members from the Civic Type R’s development team completed a 7 minute 44:881 second lap around the daunting German circuit – nicknamed ‘The Green Hell’ – making it the fastest production specification FWD vehicle. This time was set on the revised, now longer (20.8km), track layout as defined by circuit management in 2019.