For whatever its worth, and whatever it means for the average buyer – lap times at the Nürburgring are held in high esteem in the motoring world, and just weeks after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Honda Civic Type R has jumped to the top of the times.

The top of the times for front-wheel drive cars that is – and thats pretty impressive. 7 Minutes 43.8 seconds was the time.

It was a pre-production car, in the final phases of testing – dry track and optimal conditions for the tyres and drivetrain so say Honda.

For the record – this new time is a huge seven seconds faster to the previous models time.

The new Civic is lighter and more rigid, which gives a much more stable drive in these conditions playing a big role in the new time.

Ryuichi Kijima, lead chassis engineer for the Honda Civic Type R explains “The cornering speed achieved in the new Type R is higher because the car features a wider track and tyres, a longer wheelbase, new multi-link suspension in the rear and optimised aerodynamics that improves stability, ”

“For example, drivers typically enter the corner after Metzgesfeld at around 150 km/h. Even at this medium-speed corner, the speed is around 10 km/h higher due to the new Type R’s excellent stability. So, with improved cornering performance, we can increase the speed throughout the lap, helping the new Type R to achieve a much quicker lap time.”

Production of the car hasn’t even started yet – but the company sure is hyping up the fans.