Honda Civic Type R Looking to Set Nürburgring Record

The upcoming Honda Civic Type R Concept is a serious track car and Honda is setting out to prove their performance chops by taking the car to the Nürburgring with the goal of breaking the record for the fastest lap by a front-wheel drive production car. They aim to best the likes of Renault and SEAT. Honda’s project leader for the Type R, Suehiro Hasshi, explains what the team’s goals are with the vehicle, describing it as the most extreme Type R Honda’s ever built.

Honda says the car’s 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder, turbocharged VTEC engine will produce “more than 280 horsepower” and, with the new “+R” button, will be well suited to break the record on the famed German track. When the driver presses +R, the car automatically adjusts the torque-mapping, suspension dampers, and the steering for optimal track performance.