The Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition Is Suzuka's Fastest FWD Car

Remember when Honda sent the FK8 Civic Type R around a bunch of circuits to set some front-wheel drive records? The Japanese manufacturer is at it again, this time with the Type R Limited Edition.

In what seems to be a one-off on this occasion rather than the first in a series of record-setting efforts, the more focused version of the FK8 was sent around Japan’s legendary Suzuka circuit in 2min 23.993sec. That’s quicker than any other front-wheel drive production car, according to research done by Honda when the lap was set in February during the LE’s final on-track evaluation.

A quick peruse of the figures on Fastest Laps reveals that the Type R’s closest competitor at the track is the Megane RS Trophy R (driven by Renault Sport test driver Laurent Hurgon), which was four seconds slower. The Civic’s lap was also comfortably quicker than one laid down by drift legend Keiichi Tsuchiya in a Ferrari F40.

Helping the Type R Limited Edition bag the ridiculous time at Suzuka - which is operated by a Honda subsidiary and was built at the behest of Soichiro Honda - is a hefty reduction in weight. Thanks to the removal of a whole load of soundproofing, the infotainment system and the air conditioning plus the addition of forged BBS wheels, the LE is 47kg lighter than a Type R GT.

Those new rims have been given Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 semi-slick tyres, which as you can see from the video above, makes for mighty grip and traction in the corners.

Just 20 LEs made it to the UK, out of a European allocation of only 100.