Honda Civic Type R 2023 Tempted to Show Hot Lap Nurburgring

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The last pure petrol car Honda will sell in Europe is drawing near as the next-generation Civic Type R makes its debut this summer. Meanwhile, a short but sweet teaser video shot in May 2022 at the Nürburgring built up the hype by showing the hot hatch going full tilt around the Green Hell. The prototype is still completely camouflaged, but we can still see some interesting details, including the Brembo brake calipers behind the black wheels.

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s triple exhaust system is still there, and so is the massive rear wing making the Civic Type R look much more aggressive than its rivals. The red camo can’t hide the larger wheel arches, revised aero and improved cooling of the regular model. While Honda sold the Si strictly as a sedan, the CTR would only be a hatchback model. Both have something in common as both body styles come exclusively with a manual gearbox.

Honda has been tight-lipped about the engine, but everyone was expecting a turbocharged 2.0-liter petrol unit. There have been some reports of the model going hybrid, and even a step up to an all-wheel-drive system, but those are unfounded. The engineers have likely fiddled with the four-pot unit to extract a bit more power from the already healthy 306 hp or 316 hp you get in the FK8 depending on region-based emissions regulations. For what it’s worth, Honda has vaguely hinted at more oomph, saying the next-generation car will be “the most powerful and best-performing Civic Type R ever.”

The teaser campaign has largely focused on the Nordschleife, which could be Honda’s not-so-subtle way of letting us know it’s chasing the record for fastest FWD production car. A pre-production prototype has already claimed the title at home at Suzuka, so we wouldn’t be too surprised if CTR wanted to be Lord of the ‘Ring once again.

To do that, he must complete one lap in less than 7 minutes and 40.1 seconds required by (takes a deep breath) The Renault Megane RS Trophy-R Nürburgring package. The French automaker took out the rear seats and made some other radical changes to its hot hatch, so we’ll have to wait and see if its Japanese rival will be as extreme.

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