Honda’s Spiciest Civic Just Got Showed Up at the World’s Most Notorious Car Proving Ground

Back in 2023, Honda’s FL5 Type R set the pace for the fastest ever front-wheel drive production car to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife, putting up a blistering time of 7:44.881 minutes.

It’s a feat that’s stood for three years, as no other automaker has managed to usurp the spicy Civic and its performance chops. Of course, the record-setting Type R was technically an S-Grade model, an even more focused variant that ditches creature comforts like air conditioning, navigation and parking sensors.

Honda

Now, however, it seems it’s time for Honda to head back to the drawing board. Thanks to the efforts of Volkswagen and its GTI Edition 50, the FL5 Civic Type R is no longer king of the hill.

The GTI 50 Edition takes the crown

That’s because, according to an announcement issued this week, the GTI Edition 50 has just edged out Japan’s finest with a time of 07:44.523 minutes.

Volkswagen

While that only barely beats the Civic, it’s nevertheless good enough for Volkswagen to reclaim the title of the fastest front-wheel-drive production car for the first time since 2016. Even after the German automaker improved on its result, Honda’s FK8 Civic Type R stole the record the following year.

In any case, it’s not without good reason that Volkswagen’s Edition 50 managed to get the job done this time around. As the most powerful GTI the brand has ever sold, it brings 321 horsepower and 310 lb-ft under the hood from its turbocharged 2.0-liter four.

Moreover, Volkswagen equipped the record-setting example with its GTI Performance Pack. Along with stiffer springs and additional negative camber, the option includes further chassis tuning, a lightweight Akrapovič exhaust and some forged wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza Race semi slicks.

Clearly, then, it was no ordinary VW GTI. Beyond making more power than the Civic Type R (nearly as much as the brand’s all-wheel-drive Golf R), it also benefited from a bevy of track-focused upgrades.

Volkswagen

Honda may already have an answer

If you’re a Honda fan, don’t despair just yet. Even with the big EV losses this year, the brand isn’t likely to let this challenge go unanswered.

After all, Honda remains committed to fielding the Civic Type R for the United States, regardless of the model’s current European discontinuation. Given the relaxation of emissions regulations here in America, it has plenty of runway ahead of it.

Honda

Moreover, there are already reports of Honda working on turning its Civic Type R HRC concept into a production reality. While the automaker hasn’t confirmed details just yet, speculation suggests upgrades will span everything from a motorsports-grade K20 to improvements with cooling and exhaust.

Ultimately, however, the clearest proof that the brand remains committed to its front-wheel-drive dominance is that it would be willing to make the Type R an exception. Even with the possibility (read: likelihood) of the brand transitioning to a hybrid-focused lineup, Honda has acknowledged that its spicy Civic is safe, if only for the sake of its performance.

Honda

It’s unclear how and when the brand will take down Volkswagen’s GTI Edition 50, but with the German automaker’s hatch assuredly combustion-powered for the future, this fight should have a few more rounds to it yet.

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