Who says you need a supercar to be fast? The new Honda Civic Type R has set a new Nürburgring lap record of 7:44.881, making it the fastest front-wheel-drive car at the ‘ring. However, this nifty little hatchback has put many supercars to shame with that time. Here are 5 supercars that are slower than the Type R:
The Gallardo Superleggera was the creme-de-la-creme of the supercars. 100kg lighter than the Gallardo Coupe, zero to 100 kmph in 3.8 seconds and a (then) price tag of ₹1.78 crore (without Indian taxes and duties). All of which helped the Superleggera set a lap time of just 7:46.882.
This might come in as a sour surprise for the Porsche fanboys, but the hallowed GT3 RS has been out-lapped by the humble Honda. The 996 GT3 RS could only manage to go around the ‘ring in 7:47.678 with the help of its water-cooled 381bhp, 385Nm, 3.6-litre engine.
The 599 GTB Fiorano was developed using technology transfers from Ferrari’s F1 cars. Also, the bodywork was extensively tested in the wind tunnel and had a drag coefficient of just 0.336Cd. Paired with the 611bhp, 607Nm, 6.0-litre V12, it propelled the GTB from zero to 100kmph in just 3.7 seconds. However, that allowed this Ferrari to a now-not-so-impressive Nürburgring time of 7:47.892.
A replacement for the legendary Diablo, the Murcielago had big shoes to fill. With a 649bhp, 660Nm, a 6.5-litre V12 engine, the Murcielago managed a ‘ring time of 7:47.993.
The Corvette is a quintessential American supercar. Built to take on its European contemporaries, it was equipped with a 505bhp, 637Nm, 7-litre V8 engine, the LS7 - GM’s most powerful naturally aspirated engine until the introduction of the LT6. Even with that, the Z06 could run the ‘ring in 7:49.
All said and done, all of these cars are icons in their own right. Even if the new Civic Type R has a quicker lap time, it only goes on to show how car technology has evolved over the years. All of the mentioned cars’ modern iterations are/would be definitely quicker. Though we cannot ignore the fact that the Type R is priced from $44,390 (₹36.47 lakh, without duties and taxes), which makes it substantially more value for money.