Updated on April 21st, 2023.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R may just be the hot hatch to beat, a status first teased when it set a front-wheel drive lap record at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit. That was about a year ago, back when this latest Type R was still under camouflaged wraps and not officially unveiled to the public.

Well, now this new Type R is available for public eyes and, if you’re lucky enough to find one, to buy. It’s the most powerful production Honda to ever be sold in the United States; and if this fact, plus the Suzuka Record, wasn’t enough to convince you of it’s impressive sport potential, Honda has taken things to new heights by setting a front-wheel drive lap record on none other than the world famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

For the record, the 2023 Honda Civic Type R completed the circuit in an officially measured 7 minutes and 44.881 seconds. It rode on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect tires, a dealer option available for buyers if they want an upgrade over the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S compound. Otherwise, the Type R was still rocking the consumer-ready 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque derived from its turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. (Update: We’ve learned the Type R which completed the lap was a new “Type R S grade” yet to be released. It packs the Euro model’s 325 horsepower and is a lighter version of it, and will be available for order in European LHD markets.)

Here’s the lap in its entirety, and it’s an absolute watch for fans of the Type R, the Nürburgring or just flat-out performance driving. Unfortunately, we can’t seem to find the name for the pilot behind the wheel; but to whoever you are, hats off to you.

This 20.832 kilometers (12.944 miles) of tarmac is considered by many to be one of, if not the most challenging road courses on Earth. In fact, British Formula 1 racer Sir Jackie Stewart once referred to the track as “Green Hell.” It should be noted that before 2019, lap times were measured to a lap length of 20.600 km.

After last year’s First Drive of the 2023 Honda Civic Type R, we walked away with a great appreciation for the raw performance ingrained in its DNA. And with its Acura Cousin, the Integra Type S, to be dropping soon, we can’t wait to get behind either wheel.