Spa-Francorchamps is the latest victim
Honda’s hot new Civic Type R continues to set new records. After a shaming at the Nurburgring and another record-breaking lap at France’s Magny-Cours the Japanese hatchback now has its latest victim: Spa-Francorchamps. With Bertrand Baguette, Super GT driver and LMP2 champion, the Civic set a lap time in 2:53.72.
Spa-Francorchamps, at 4.4 miles (7.04 kilometers), is not Nurburgring. However, it’s one of the longest laps in the racing season. There are a lot of fast corners and straights on the track. Honda says the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, which is tuned to 316 horsepower (235kilowatts) as well as 295 pound-feet (405 Newton-meters), was able “exploit” most of the fast track.
Bertrand Baguette who set the record lap said, “It’s clear that Type R was born for the track.” It feels equally at home on the roads in everyday driving. It is very comfortable to sit in the car and there is excellent visibility.
This is the third fastest lap Honda has achieved with its Type R in less that a year. The Civic won at Magny-Cours, France last month. In 2017, the Type R’s sporty hatchback achieved the same feat at the Nurburgring in 7:43. These lap times are not the only ones Honda can beat – Honda promised in February that it would keep chasing records.
The Civic Type R is available for purchase now. It recently received a minor price increase to $35,595 with the $895 destination. It is not clear which track Honda will be trying to conquer next.