2023 Honda Civic Type R breaks Suzuka lap record

Honda's not kidding at making the next-generation Civic Type R the best Civic Type R ever.

During its final performance testing and evaluation, the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R lapped the Suzuka Circuit quicker than the previous track-focused FK8 Civic Type R Limited Edition. In the process, Honda's upcoming model also set a new lap record for a front-wheel-drive production car. 

The sixth Civic Type R (based on the 11th-generation Civic) set a 2 minute 23.120 second lap time on the 5.8-km Formula 1 circuit, beating the 2 minutes 23.993 record set by the Limited Edition Civic Type R by almost a second.

It's an amazing feat considering the old Limited Edition model had 320 PS, was stripped of creature comforts, and fitted with a combination of forged wheels and sticky tires. With this upgrade, we expect the new car to either have a major step up in performance engine-wise, or it's a lot lighter.

Honda still remains mum about the mechanical details of the all-new Civic Type R, but they have announced the front-wheel-drive sports car will be launched in 2022 for the 2023 model year.

And now that the Toyota GR Corolla has arrived, the brewing Civic-Corolla rivalry is an exciting time for enthusiasts like us. We even almost forgot the year is 2022.