THE all-new Honda Civic Type R has set a new benchmark lap time for front-wheel drive cars at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The cars, soon to be produced at Honda’s South Marston plant, completed a lap of the famous race track earlier this month in a record-breaking 7min 43.8sec.

The new time represents an improvement of nearly seven seconds compared to the model’s predecessor.

Production of the new Civic Type R for European customers will begin in Swindon this summer.

Jason Smith, Swindon’s director of Honda of the UK Manufacturing, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have built the Type R that went to the Nürburgring.

“This record demonstrates the build quality and is a testament to the skills of our associates at our factory.

“The Type R is gaining more and more interest ahead of its worldwide launch.”

The lap time was achieved during the final phase of the model’s testing regime, on a dry track with an optimum ambient temperature for the best tyre and powertrain performance.

The car’s new high-rigidity body frame is 16kg lighter than the previous model’s, which provides significant benefits to steering response and cornering stability.