Here are seven supercars the FL5 Honda Civic Type R beats at the Nürburgring

Back in March this year, Honda announced that it had reclaimed the front-wheel drive lap record at the Nürburgring with a time of 7m 44.881s around the longest available 20.832km layout of the Nordschleife. 

That is mighty quick, and a time of 7m 39.54s on the 20.6km lap (which was used for most timing pre-2019) ensures that the little Honda – with its 324bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot – can outrun or at least hold its own against some serious machinery at the Green Hell. And yes, we’re aware of the variables involved in Nürburgring lap times and of the few tiny technological advancements that might have taken place in the past few decades, but this is still quite a ridiculous list…

7m 40s

Yep, back in 2005 a ‘standard’ Bugatti Veyron really did set a time at the ‘Ring. Not a very good one on the 20.6km loop mind, but imagine trying to hustle that 8.0-litre quad-turbo 987bhp W16 around the Nordschleife. No thanks. 
 

7m 40s 

In 2007, Lambo announced an official Nürburgring lap time of 7m 40s for the updated Murcielago with its V12 now enlarged to 6.5 litres and power upped to 631bhp.
 

7m 56.234s

When Merc’s experimental SLS EV set a time of 7m 56s in 2013 it became the first all-electric production car to break the eight-minute barrier around the 20.8km circuit at the Nürburgring. And remember, it had 740bhp propelling it along…

7m 44s

The Zonda R might have set a bonkers time of 6m 47s in 2010, but the road-going S 7.3 (unveiled in 2002 with a 7.3-litre V12 and 547bhp) could only manage 7m 44s eight years earlier. 
 

7m 42.99s

Okay it might not be a supercar, but the fact that the Honda can be up there with the 444bhp previous-gen BMW M2 CS – first revealed in November 2019 – is quite the statement.
 

7m 42s 

Almost unbelievably, the current Civic Type R would keep up with Porsche’s second generation 911 GT3, even if the legendary Walter Röhrl was driving the 911. The German set a time of 7m 42s back in 2006.

7m 44.13s

In 2018 the twin-turbo V8 engined C63 S Coupe set a Nürburgring lap time of just over 7m 44s. We dread to think what the rear tyres looked like afterwards.