Honda Civic Type R Sets Lap Record for FWD Cars at Estoril Circuit

After setting lap records at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, Magny-Cours, Spa-Francorchamps, and Silverstone, the Japanese manufacturer is at it again. Honda set a new lap record for a front-wheel-drive production car with the Honda Civic Type R at the famous Estoril circuit in Portugal clocking a time of 2:01.84. The hothatch was piloted by the expert hands of Honda WTCR driver, Tiago Monteiro.

The legendary Estoril track, officially known as Autódromo Fernanda Pires da Silva, is 2.6 miles long with 13 turns including two hairpins, a chicane, and a very long main straight, giving vehicles like this very-capable Type R with its 2.0-litre VTEC Turbo that produces 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the perfect opportunity to showcase its dynamic abilities in a broad range of speeds in a single lap.

Tiago Monteiro said, “We came here with a goal to beat the existing lap record set by the previous car but you can never take anything for granted – I mean it’s a lap record so it’s no easy feat. You have to have supreme confidence in the car to attack around Estoril, and the new Type R is just so powerful, smooth and confidence-inspiring. We beat the lap record, smashed the record actually.”

He later added, “The Type R is very stable and has very good braking efficiency and an amazing engine so it just feels like you are driving a race car – on the track it’s easy to forget that it’s a proper road car, but then you can drive it home. The new Type R is a big evolution. I mean we’re talking about a totally different car in terms of design, aero, suspension, geometries, engine, but more than anything the feeling of driving the car.”

The new lap record at Estoril is the fourth front-wheel-drive lap record set by Honda in 2018, which forms part of a bigger five circuit challenge it has tasked the Civic Type R with. Not too long ago, the hothatch also claimed the fastest times at Magny-Cours, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone. You can catch all the tire-screeching action in the video below.