The battle between the Honda Civic Type R and the Renault Megane RS has been a long-standing rivalry, with both hot hatches vying for the title of the fastest lap times on various tracks worldwide. While Honda recently claimed the front-wheel-drive crown at the Nürburgring with their FL5 generation Civic Type R, their latest performance at Hockenheim has fallen short compared to the Megane RS Trophy-R.

In a recent test conducted by Sport Auto, the Civic Type R was put through its paces on the Grand Prix layout of the Hockenheim circuit, with Uwe Sener behind the wheel. The result? A lap time of 2 minutes and 1.4 seconds. Although an impressive time, it was approximately two seconds slower than the Megane RS Trophy-R's previous lap record of 1 minute and 59.2 seconds.

It's important to note that the Civic Type R's lap was not completed by a factory driver, leaving room for potential improvements if Honda were to undertake more testing at Hockenheim. Nonetheless, with the discontinuation of the Megane RS without a direct replacement planned, Honda's victory at the Nürburgring remains unchallenged.

As stricter emissions regulations loom, the era of internal combustion engine (ICE) hot hatches is drawing to a close. It's difficult to envision any other front-wheel-drive car outperforming these two contenders on the track, unless Volkswagen decides to bid farewell to the gasoline-only Golf GTI with a stripped-down Clubsport variant.

While one era ends, another begins, as electric hot hatches are already making their mark. Following the introduction of the Abarth 500e, an Alpine version of the new Renault 5 is set to arrive next year.

Source: Sport Auto