Honda Eclipse - September 2018 by Honda New Zealand

September 2018

A VIEW FROM INSIDE 2018 has been a year of happenings for Honda with some great milestones being achieved. Firstly, we’d like to congratulate Scott Dixon on his amazing feat – a 5th IndyCar Championship title. An outstanding performance from an incredible Kiwi who has come to represent grit, determination and longevity in a sport which has only had one other five-time series winner, the great AJ Foyt. On 1st August, it was Honda’s 30 year Anniversary in New Zealand. We are very proud to have staff and customers that have been with Honda New Zealand for all this time. We thought an appropriate way to celebrate this milestone would be to plant 1000 native trees for every year we have been in New Zealand. That means we are going to collectively plant 30,000 trees between August 2018 and August 2019. It’s a big task but we have a number of exciting ways in which we will achieve it which you can read more about in this issue. It’s also an appropriate extension to our tree planting programme, having funded the planting of over 650,000 native trees in New Zealand since 2004. Called the Honda TreeFund, this is a local initiative inspired by the philosophy of our founder, Soichiro Honda, who had a vision to ‘leave blue skies for our children’. Spring has now arrived and with it the launch of our latest HR-V. It’s the world’s top-selling small, crossover SUV. The 2018 HR-V gains a whole new look and even more features as well as a sporty RS model added to the line-up for the first time. The Civic Type R that we launched in New Zealand last year has gained many local and international accolades from the Automotive Press and Honda Fans alike. In 2018, the Civic Type R Challenge was set – to try and break lap records for front-wheel drive cars at five of the world’s top race circuits. This was an attempt to emulate the ‘challenge’ performance of the previous generation Type R in 2016. Well I am pleased to say the new Civic Type R beat all the records held at all of the five circuits, as well as setting a new lap record at Nurburgring (In 2017, by 6.7 seconds). We look forward to our future in New Zealand in these rapidly changing times. We are extremely grateful for the loyalty and support of both our staff and customers over the years which have helped to ensure that Honda remains one of New Zealand’s most iconic and loved car brands. Nobuya Sonoda Managing Director Honda New Zealand

5 FACTS ABOUT HONDA

When Honda was founded just after the second world war, they made engines to motorise bicycles. By 1963 they had made their first car, and by 1964, they had become the largest motorbike manufacturer in the world.

In 2002 Honda built the world’s first fuel cell powered vehicle – the FCX Clarity. It runs on hydrogen and emits no pollutants.

THE 2018 CR-V WHY LESS IS MORE

The new 2018 model is based on the all new CR-V platform launched in the spring of 2017. This is the fifth generation of the model which helped to create the compact SUV class in New Zealand when it was first launched and this latest model does not disappoint. The 2018 CR-V offers Honda’s 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine for the first time. Which means it delivers more power than the earlier 2.4L CR-Vs, at the same time delivering better fuel efficiency. More powerful and more fuel efficient – that’s a pretty attractive combination in an SUV. It also offers tall rear seat passengers a great deal of room and now with a 7 seat option, it truly is the ideal family car with plenty of room for kids + friends, or 4 adults + 3 kids or 1 adult + 6 kids or whatever permutation works for you. Space aside, the designers have also been hard at work and this CR-V has sophisticated new styling as well as a host of new features and technologies for improved connectivity, comfort and convenience. Every CR-V offers as standard: All new turbocharged Engine, 18” Alloys, Smartphone connectivity, Navigation, Reversing Camera, LaneWatch Camera, Electric Tailgate, Auto Headlights, Cruise Control, improved fuel economy (7.4L per 100km) and much more. The top spec AWD Sport Sensing includes the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver technologies which includes Road Departure Mitigation and Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Auto High-Beam Support and the new Driver Attention Monitor, Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking with Forward Collision Warning and pedestrian sensing capability, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and LaneWatch Camera System.

3 4

The 2018 CR-V starts from only $37,990 +ORC and comes with a transferable 5 Year unlimited km warranty and 24 hour, 7 days a week, national roadside assistance.

Honda’s private jet is the fastest, quietest and most fuel efficient in its class.

The company invests 5% of its revenue in research and development (much higher than most large companies) and is at the cutting edge of robot technology and space flight systems.

In 1972, Honda became the first automaker to produce an engine that met the strict US Clean Air Act Emissions standard. They then openly shared this technology with other auto manufacturers.

Good news. For a limited time, the 2018 CR-V is available with a really great finance rate – 1.9%.*

*1.9% fixed interest rate per annum on any new CR-V, maximum 36 month term, minimum 20% deposit, establishment fee of $419 plus a PPSR fee of $10.34 and monthly account fee of $4. Subject to Honda Financial Services lending criteria. Offer ends 31/10/18.

JAZZ UP YOUR LIFE The 2018 Jazz arrived earlier on this year with a fresh new look, brand new colours and sharp black detailing to refine a small car which had already set new standards in its class. With a palette of 12 on-trend colours to choose from and an array of features which you would not expect in a small car, the Jazz should be the small car of choice this year. This award-wining car boasts smart technology and advanced safety features as well as class leading space. What’s more, reversing camera, Bluetooth, touch screen, Hill Start Assist, Emergency Stop Signal, Magic Seats and parking sensors, are standard across the range. The Magic Seats for the uninitiated are a stroke of genius design which allow the seats to be configured in up to 18 different ways giving a boot capacity of 363 litres and a rear storage capacity of 1323 litres. If that weren’t impressive enough, this means you could load a surfboard, a flat screen television, a small tree in a pot (standing upright) or even a bicycle or two inside. And there is a model for everyone, from the entry level S to the RS Sport with an amazing fuel economy of between 5.1 and 5.8L per 100kms across the range. Every new Jazz also comes with a 5 year unlimited km warranty and a 5 year nationwide roadside assistance. So if you are considering a small car this year, look no further than the Jazz. – it’s a winner, all round.

T We’ve decided to plant 1,000 trees for every year Honda has been in New Zealand.

That’s 30,000 trees.

his leafy celebration forms a key part of our 30 year anniversary plans and is a natural extension of the Honda TreeFund which was established in New Zealand in 2004. The TreeFund is a local initiative inspired by our founder Soichiro Honda who had a vision “to leave blue skies for our children” – an initiative which has funded the planting of over 650,000 native trees to date.

3. Planting days

30,000 trees in one year is a big task so we are planning to achieve it in the following ways:

Auckland Region – Atiu Creek Regional Park, Kaipara Harbour

1. Gifting trees We are giving away a native tree to each new Honda owner, the first time they buy a Honda from us, whether it is a new or used Honda. If you have received a tree from us before, and buy another Honda, we will donate a tree through the Trees That Count organisation. They will send you a certificate to confirm that a tree has been planted on your behalf.

2. The Honda forest We have committed to a significant project in Kaiapoi, north of Christchurch, an area hit hard by the Canterbury earthquakes. We will be working with the local council and other interested parties to assist with the extensive Kaiapoi Regeneration Project. We will be funding the planting of a Honda forest of some 2.5 hectares. This will consist of native trees and plantings around a large lake with walkways and cycling tracks throughout. Located near the town centre, the Honda forest will be part of a large recreational area including a new BMX park, dog walking park and multiple new sports fields. This project will not only help to restore biodiversity to the area, it will also provide a wonderful lasting recreational area for the community, making Kaiapoi a greener place to live and visit.

Honda staff planting days were organised in key areas this planting season and next season we will be organising Honda customer planting days where we will invite interested customers to attend – our plan is to plant 15,000 trees this way throughout New Zealand.

This regional park has extensive harbour frontage with large tracts of native forest supporting a range of flora and fauna. In addition to 450ha of easy, rolling grassed land, the property contains a number of significant areas of native forest and wetlands in the gullies and provides habitat for the nationally threatened New Zealand dabchick and brown teal ducks. The park also has intact areas of coastal forest and a stunning coastal area that is now under intensive regeneration. This was the site of our first 30th Anniversary planting event! Honda NZ staff and Auckland Honda dealerships came together at Atiu Creek Regional Park on Wednesday 8th August and together we planted a whopping 2,014 New Zealand native trees. Wellington – Mount Victoria Town Belt This project aims to create a ‘forest in the heart of Wellington’. The project is a partnership of Wellington City Council, Rotary and Conservation Volunteers to see 100,000 native trees planted by volunteers in the central Wellington Town Belt on Mount Victoria. It will create a substantial new habitat for native birds that are increasingly venturing away from the city. On 16th August, staff from Honda dealerships and in the North Island and upper South Island got together and planted over 500 native trees in this green belt in the heart of Wellington. Christchurch Region – Kaputahi Creek, Marshlands This lovely site on Belfast Road, looks back onto the Port Hills, and in time will become part of a much wider native forest network across the Styx River catchment and the wider Christchurch City region. The project aims to restore habitat for native bush bird species that have become locally extinct over the last 150 years. It will also provide shade over the creek for endemic species such as long-finned eels.

4. Trees That Count To plant the balance of the 30,000 trees, Honda is partnering with Trees That Count – an organisation that has built a unique community and marketplace connecting native tree planters with funders. For more information on the great work this organisation is doing, you can visit www.treesthatcount.co.nz.

HR-V A WORLD CLASS SMALL SUV

ou know a SUV has to be something special when it has consistently become the topselling small crossover SUV in the world since it was launched in 2015. You could argue that’s because the HR-V is tapping into a growing appetite for smaller, SUV models which offer many of the benefits of their larger cousins, without the bulk and fuel demands. But then this is true for all crossover SUVs, so what makes the HR-V the buyer’s choice? Motoring journalists and car nuts will tell you the problem with most of these small or compact SUVs is the space. According to logic you cannot have the small footprint without compromising on both the cabin space and storage. Well that’s where the HR-V is head and shoulders above with class-leading space for both passengers and cargo. Not only that, but Honda has also managed to incorporate into the HR-V the magic seats developed for the Jazz which allow the cargo space to be transformed. It’s a very logical reason for the HR-V’s top selling performance and that, along with Honda’s reputation for engine reliability, coupled with sleek coupe-like design and a sharp price point, have made the HR-V hard to resist. And it’s going to get even harder with the release of the new 2018 HR-V which boasts a sharp new look, additional technology and a brand new sporty RS model in the line-up.

“For the first time ever, the RS variant has been introduced to the HR-V line up. It’s available in an exclusive new colour, Phoenix Orange Pearl, and is designed for those customers who want a more edgy and sporty HR-V. The driving performance is improved and made more direct and dynamic with RS specific suspension, handling and steering adaptations.”

Catherine takes the HR-V glamping in Raglan.

was lucky enough to get the use of the new HondaHR-V for the weekend. My partner and I had decided to go to Raglan to go surfing and found this interesting glamping set-up which looked to offer just the right amount of ‘chill’ we were after. Let me say upfront I’m in love with the colour of the HR-V RS. The bright poppy orange with edgy black details – wheels and grillle bits around the front ( I’m sure there's a technical name for these). When I got into the car for the first time, along with the delicious smell of new car and the feel of the leather seats, I was amazed at how big it seemed inside. I actually had to get out and look at it from the outside again. A neat trick Honda have pulled – a car that is much bigger on the inside than it appears from the outside. This means it’s as easy to park as a small car and has a reversing camera and warning sensors to avoid those pesky parking pillars. Plus I am relatively short, so I loved being seated higher up than in a regular car. It was perfect for zipping around town on Saturday, buying supplies for the trip (going away with a chef means there’s never a one-stop supermarket shop on his list). Sunday morning we were up bright and early, packed the car (loads of room) and put the surfboards on top – too easy. Then came the ‘discussion’ of who would drive – he won the trip to Raglan which meant I got the return trip. We organised some great sounds using the touchscreen unit (such a stepup from my old car with it's elderly CD player) and used the navigation system to get to Raglan without an argument as neither of us had been before. Chef loved driving the HR-V, said it had plenty of go and responsiveness and he did not feel constricted in any way, being tall. We did the tiki tour around Raglan, checking out the surf spots. Popped the surfboards inside the car too (they fit inside people!!!) when we went to the recommended eatery for some fish and chips. And we had quite a few locals checking out our ride. Raglan was epic, surf was up, the glamping spot perfect, I had bought all the right cheeses and charcuterie and life was as it should be. Relaxing round the fire with a glass of cold white wine, delicious food, and smores provided by our awesome hosts (visit www.raglanruralretreat.com), I pretended for a while that in a perfect universe, the HR-V would also be mine. PS: We also did some town driving, including a trip to the Takapuna markets to get a French crepe, Auckland to Raglan and back and still had a half tank of petrol left.

The new 2018 HR-V range which starts from only $29,990 +ORC offers a new look both inside and out, additional safety technology and a more responsive drive, all adding to an already proven, highly versatile and spacious 5 door crossover SUV. The HR-V is the epitome of Honda’s ‘Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’ design philosophy of maximising space available for people and cargo, while minimising the space required for mechanical components. It is a true five-seater, with plenty of room at the back (including head and legroom), and we mean passengers older than 12. And all of this is achieved inside a package that's both compact and easy to park. Anyone who is familiar with the ingenious Magic Seats borrowed from the Jazz will know how versatile they are and how they can add to the cargo capacity. Those who don’t are in for a wonderful surprise as they discover these unique seats in the HR-V that flip and fold in 18 different ways. This allows not only adjustments for greater passenger comfort and utility but also offers a potential 1,462 litre capacity of boot space. But Honda didn't stop there and the new 2018 HR-V range also benefits from a long list of active and passive safety features. Safety is always paramount for Honda, with the five-star ANCAP safety rated HR-V no exception. This includes Vehicle Stability Assist™ with traction control, driver and passenger front and side airbags, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, Electronic Brake Distribution, and Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ body structure. For the first time Honda’s version of Low Speed Autonomous Emergency Braking, called City Brake Assist is standard across the range providing audio and visual warnings to the driver in the first instance and applying braking in the second, when the vehicle detects a potential collision to minimise the severity. Honda’s unique LaneWatch Camera is now standard from the HR-V Active model upwards, providing an 80 degree view of the passenger side, reducing the blind spot significantly. All grades are equipped with a multi-angle Reversing Camera with guidelines. And there’s plenty for the driver too with the 2018 Honda HR-V powered by a 1.8 litre DOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine with a Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission. HR-V’s CVT has had numerous upgrades to help provide a more natural and sporty driving experience. And yet fuel economy sits at a very attractive 6.6L -6.9L per 100km. Competitively priced from only $29.990 +ORC, the entry level HR-V S is packed with features such as the City Brake Assist, LED daytime running lights, remote keyless entry, auto climate control, emergency stop signal, customisable speed alarm and electric parking brake with brake hold. There is a simple and efficient 7-inch colour display with Bluetooth, phone and audio connectivity and in-built satellite navigation is standard across the range. Stepping up a grade to the HR-V Active, you can enjoy the addition of new 17-inch alloy wheels, LaneWatch Camera, roof rails, smart entry with push button start and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather gear knob.

For the first time ever, the RS variant has been introduced to the HR-V line up. It’s available in an exclusive new colour, Phoenix Orange Pearl, and is designed for those customers who want a more edgy and sporty HR-V. The driving performance is improved and made more direct and dynamic with RS specific suspension, handling and steering adaptations. But it’s not just under the hood where changes have been made. The exterior design of the RS has also undergone a sporty upgrade with 18-inch RS Alloy sports wheels, black detailing, privacy glass on the rear doors and RS badge. Inside the RS boasts a new leather seat design with RS trim, heated front seats, black roof lining, leather steering wheel and gear knob and sports pedals. Top of the range is the HR-V Sport NT featuring a further level of sophistication and the addition of more active safety tech without an increase in price. The stunning full length panoramic sunroof is complemented by the leather interior and chrome detailing. Equipped with front and rear parking sensors, power windows with automatic one-touch functionality, LED interior light and LED map light, Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror, Dual Zone automatic climate control, electric folding door mirrors, additional high-grade sound deadening and an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat. The Sport NT also comes standard with Honda’s Advanced Driver Assist System featuring Forward Collision Warning, High/Low Beam Support System and Lane Departure Warning. So not only does the new 2018 HR-V boast a new look, new technology, added safety and improved driving performance, it also offers class-leading cargo and passenger space. Just a few reasons why it will continue to be the world’s most popular small crossover SUV.

Back to the future If we think about the year 1988, it is hard to believe just how much New Zealand and the world has changed since then. The advent of technology has fundamentally altered the way we live from the way we communicate, work, get our news, watch television, shop, exercise, drive, eat, relax and travel. It was a time where the internet was in its infancy and the world wide web was something only futurists were talking about. ATMs were as sophisticated as banking got, mobile phones were the size of gold bricks (and cost almost as much) and the Kiwi coffee culture consisted of filter coffee that stewed for hours. The internet, smartphones, online shopping, WiFi, Google, digital cameras, text messaging, emailing, social media and flat screen TVs are considered to be some of the greatest advancements of the last three decades. But some of the historic milestones have been equally astounding such as the Berlin Wall coming down, the release of Nelson Mandela and dismantling of apartheid, the introduction of MMP in New Zealand, the death of Princess Diana, Helen Clark becoming NZ’s second female Prime Minister, Y2K, 9/11, election of Barack Obama, the Global Financial Crisis, the making and success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, back to back Rugby World Cup titles for the All Blacks, Christchurch and Kaikoura Earthquakes, the losses and win of The America’s Cup, the unlikely rise of Donald Trump and Jacinda Ardern having a baby while in office. So much has changed and the cars we drive are no exception. The automotive industry has undergone equally significant upheavals thanks to technological advances, and concepts we once thought of as futuristic or too far-fetched, are now an everyday occurrence. Back in 1988 most people navigated the old fashioned way using dog-eared maps stored in their glove compartments as GPS systems were reserved for a handful of luxury cars and then at a whopping great price. Airbags were not a standard feature either – some luxury models had four airbags, some offered two and many simply had none. Today you can get up to as many as ten. We also peered dimly into the dark with headlights that were a really poor cousin of the modern LEDs which are small, super efficient and which can be formed into any shape, allowing car designers a serious degree of creativity and uniqueness. Today's adaptive LED headlamps can automatically turn on and off individual bulbs which unlike the old days where things were either extremely dim or glaringly bright, you can now see where you are going without your lights blinding other drivers.

Hybrid vehicles were nowhere to be seen in 1988 and it was indeed more than a decade later that Honda (and Toyota) introduced the first commercially available Hybrids, followed by Honda introducing the world’s first fuel cell powered vehicle, the FCX Clarity which runs on hydrogen, emits no pollutants and is still the sole street-legal car of its engine type in the US. Nowadays fully electric cars are becoming more and more common (Honda has a few in the production channel) and the recent appearance of the autonomous or self-driving car would make our 1988 selves feel as if we were on an episode of the Jetsons. If you drive a car with a push-button start, the experience of climbing into an older car and turning a key to fire it up feels surprisingly last century. Over the past couple of decades, smart key fobs have made getting in and starting your car nearly effortless. Simply leave the fob in your pocket. As you approach, doors will unlock by simply touching the handle. Once inside the engine purrs to life with an easy push of a starter button. It's a level of personalisation and convenience that's almost standard today. Turbos have been used on production cars since the 1960s. These compressors, driven by the vehicle's exhaust gases, force more air into the cylinders. When combined with more fuel, that results in more power. Turbos can make a small engine perform like a much larger one. It's technology that’s been around for a while but only recently becoming common to cars other than performance vehicles. Many car makers now offer these throughout their line-up – the Honda Civic and CR-V among them. Until the early 2000s, the only way to know what was happening behind your car as you backed out of the driveway was to look at your rear or side mirrors or to crane your neck and look out the rear windshield. The area directly behind the car was unseen, putting children and pets at risk. Nowadays reversing cameras are commonplace in many small and entry level cars with guidelines to help those tricky reversing situations. The significance of Bluetooth's wireless technology to the automobile industry wasn't completely apparent when it launched in the late 1990s. But by 2001 the company had its first in-car kit for talking on your phone hands-free. Today the technology is in just about every car and installed on almost every cell phone – we rarely think about a time when we didn't have it. It’s truly in the automotive industry that the advances in technology have resulted in the everyday but significant changes we consumers now take for granted. All the smart technology which keeps us safer such as automatic braking systems, collision-mitigation radar, automated cruise control, sensors to keep us in our lanes, are just a few of the features many of us now enjoy, along with ABS brakes and Vehicle Stability Assist. And because much of this technology is unseen, under the hood, we really don't appreciate just how far things have advanced in just 30 years.

“If you drive a car with a push-button start, the experience of climbing into an older car and turning a key to fire it up feels surprisingly last century. Over the past couple of decades, smart key fobs have made getting in and starting your car nearly effortless.”

GREAT SCOTT! S

cott Dixon has just won his 5th IndyCar Championship title following the season finale at Sonoma Raceway on Monday 17th September. Driving a very calm and calculated race, the Honda NZ Ambassador finished off his season in style. He started off second on the grid and maintained his position throughout – a strategy which ensured he secured the overall title. His championship rival, Alexander Rossi made a mistake on the opening lap and despite a concerted effort at the end, just could not get close enough to Dixon to be a real threat. It’s been a great year for Scott as back in August he signed a contract extension with Chip Ganassi. This contract extension effectively ended any speculation that he’d leave Ganassi after 17 seasons to join Fernando Alonso on a new McLaren team. Dixon was apparently among the top IndyCar drivers who had been targeted to team with Alonso, but now it’s confirmed that Dixon will once more be driving Ganassi's № 9 Honda.

YEARS OF HONDA IN NEW ZEALAND I

n August 2018, Honda New Zealand celebrated a very special milestone – the 30 year anniversary of when we first set up our New Zealand operation. But Honda cars were available in New Zealand well before this. New Honda cars (fully assembled) were first imported by Archibald & Shorter. Following this, NZ Motor Corp (NZMC) was appointed by Honda Japan to manufacture and sell cars in New Zealand. Manufacturing facilities were located in Petone and Nelson where the first fully NZ assembled car rolled off the assembly line in 1976. Appropriately it was a Civic, the vehicle that for many Kiwis came to represent Honda over the decades. NZMC became MotorCorp (MC) and this entity was sold to Honda in 1988, becoming the company you know today, Honda New Zealand Ltd. Production continued at the

Nelson plant (the Petone plant had closed down some years prior) and as many as 24 cars rolled off the assembly line per day. This was in the era where the cars were put together by people, not robots. However in 1998, the Government abolished import duty tax and allowed a free market for used cars to enter the country. The effect on the price and subsequent sale of new cars was significant and automotive manufacturers in New Zealand stopped production. Honda was no exception. Honda Newmarket was the first Honda dealership. Established first by MotorCorp, it has been located on the same site for 60 years, and has become something of an Auckland icon. Honda Corner is often used as a landmark when directing new visitors around Auckland.

Today Honda has six Honda-owned branches in the major centres and 18 independent Honda dealers nationwide. Of our 260 staff members, ten have been with Honda continuously for the last 30 years. Many more, over a 30 year period, started with Honda, left for a few years, then returned and are still with Honda today. The loyalty and service of staff is the backbone of our company and we take this opportunity to acknowledge their outstanding service and ongoing commitment to the company. And it’s not just staff who have been with Honda on this 30 year journey either. We have customers who bought their first Honda new or used over the last three decades (or more) and have never moved out of a Honda, and those who have just bought their first Honda and become part of the Honda family. It’s an ongoing story and one we look forward to being part of.

Honda #1 IndyCar

“I have always said I have a massive amount of respect for Chip and what he’s done in this sport. This is not an easy business,” said Scott. “His resume speaks for itself, and he’s the type of team owner any driver would want to drive for.” Scott Dixon may also be exactly the type of driver any team owner would want to drive for them. His tenure with Ganassi has been the longest of any driver, moving to Ganassi in 2002 after PacWest Racing developed funding issues. In this time he has now won the Indianapolis 500 five times and his overall 44 career wins put him 3rd on the list of all-time greats. “We have achieved a lot together,” says Ganassi, “but there are no signs of him slowing down. He’s still the guy the championship goes through, and you know you have to beat him to get on the top step. He’s a driver that's always thinking about the next race and how he’s going to approach it, attack it and ultimately win it”

Honda claimed the Indycar 2018 Manufacturer Championship title, with two races still remaining! “Winning nine races already with two races to go is a pretty good testament to the strength of our engine" said St. Cyr, President of Honda Performance Development. But now they can add Scott Dixon’s 2018 Drivers' Championship title to the trophy cupboard. The last Honda driver to win this was also Dixon back in 2013. Scott is only the second driver to have won this title five times, the other was the great AJ Foyt, who achieved this feat some 50 years ago.

CIVIC TYPE R

2018 Challenge

World Touring Car driver Esteban Guerrieri set a new 2 min 01.51 sec lap record at Magny Cours in France. Japanese Super GT star Bertrand Baguette set a record of 2 min 53.72 sec at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

5 circuits 5 front-wheel lap records

British Touring Car legend Matt Neal set a lap record of 2 min 31.32 sec at Silverstone in England. Back in 2016, Honda attempted to set new record lap times with the previous generation Civic Type R – and they succeeded. So in 2018, the new generation Civic Type R attempted to emulate this feat at five European tracks.

World Touring Car driver Tiago Monteiro set a lap record of 2 min 01.84 sec at Estoril in Portugal.

The gauntlet had been already laid down in 2017 when the Type R was put through its paces at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife track, where it clocked a new record lap time for a front-wheel drive production car at only 7min 43.8sec (incidentally bettering the previous record by 6.7sec).

Magny Cours, France – May 2018

Silverstone, England – July 2018

FIA World Touring Car Cup driver Esteban Guerrieri broke the first of the 2018 record attempts by lapping the 4.4 km track in 2 min 01.51 sec. The Civic Type R that Guerrieri drove was a production-spec example with road-legal tyres.

Moving to the UK and the Silverstone circuit (also used for F1), the Civic Type R now had three-time British Touring Car Championship winner Matt Neal behind the wheel. Setting a new record for a front-wheel driven production car at 2 min 31.320 sec, the Type R beat the previous best time, which unsurprisingly was also held by the last-generation Civic Type R.

Speaking about the lap record, Esteban Guerrieri said: “The best thing about the Type R is that it gives you confidence. It’s very responsive and gives you good feedback. People call the Type R the ultimate performance hot hatch and we proved today that it really is; the car continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible from front wheel drive.”

Jenson Button, former Formula One world champion, set a lap record of 2 min 10.19 sec at Hungaroring in Hungary.

Speaking about his lap record, Matt Neal said: “Where I found the real advantage of the Type R was in the high-speed corners – the stability, which is a combination of the aero and the new advanced suspension system.”

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – June 2018

Estoril, Portugal – August 2018

Hungaroring, Hungary – August 2018

Following the record-breaking lap at France's Magny Cours, the Type R smashed the record at Spa-Francorchamps. With Super GT driver and LMP2 champion Bertrand Baguette behind the wheel, the Civic recorded a lap time of 2 min 53.72 sec.

The Type R’s fourth attempt at this challenge took place at the iconic Estoril circuit in Portugal. Driven by Honda WTCR driver, Tiago Monteiro, the Type R was ideally suited to the Estoril track with its hairpin bends, difficult chicane and long main straight.

The fifth and final record of the challenge was in the hands of former F1 world champion and current NSX Super GT Racer, Jenson Button. The British driver lapped the 4.38 km Hungaroring circuit in 2 min 10.19 sec – and set a new benchmark for a front-wheel drive production car.

Breaking the record at a blistering time of 2 min 01.84 sec, Tiago Monteiro said of the car, “you have to have supreme confidence in the car to attack around Estoril, and the new Type R is just so powerful, smooth and confidence-inspiring. We beat the lap record, smashed the record actually.”

Although Button has moved away from Formula 1, the Hungaroring holds a special significance for him as it was the site of his first F1 victory in 2006. The narrow, winding Hungaroring is one of Europe’s most technical tracks, with 180 degree corners and a complex chicane challenging both car and drivers.

At just over 7 km, Spa-Francorchamps is one of the longest laps of the racing season. The track boasts more than a few highspeed straights, as well as a number of quick corners which allowed the car to capitalise on this fast track according to Honda.

“The first thing I noticed when I left the pit lane was how neutral the car was. I come from a background that is not front-wheel drive focused, so it was very different for me but because the Type R is so well balanced it was instantly really enjoyable and more natural.” Jenson Button

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