Popularly known as the Green Hell, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is demanding and notoriously tricky to master, making it the perfect battleground for manufacturers to claim bragging rights. You could make a case as to why judging cars by lap times at the famous racetrack is flawed and unscientific, but it's still exciting and good fun. And on the more serious side of the argument, the Nürburgring is also the proving ground for cars that most gearheads believe can't compete on the track.
FWD cars are not often perceived as formidable track-day cars, quite rightly sidelined for their inefficiency in transmitting power to the ground. However, hardcore modern FWD cars are rewriting the narrative and taking on the big boys, posting faster Nürburgring lap times than many of the more costly and powerful AWD and RWD cars. Scroll on to see the top ten fastest FWD cars around the Nürburgring.
10 2009 Ford Focus RS (8:26)
In 2009, Ford had its eyes set on a hot hatch lap time record with the Focus RS at the expense of the Renault Megane R26.R. The second-generation Focus RS features a 300hp 2.5-liter that pushes it to clear 0-60mph in under 5.9 seconds and hits a top speed of 163mph.
Although it fell short of the Megane R.S. R26.R's record with an 8:26 lap time, the Focus RS beat the Volkswagen Golf R32 and Scirocco to become the fastest hatchback that year. The Focus RS was also a giant killer, matching the Audi S5 (8:26) and the Nissan 350Z (8:26).
9 2008 Renault Megane R.S. R26.R (8:16.9)
From the 2006 Megane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26 that enjoyed great success, Renault built the extreme Megane R.S. R26.R. The track-oriented model boasts a 224hp 2.0-liter engine and racing features like a carbon hood, polycarbonate windows, and limited interior niceties to shed 270lbs.
In 2008, the Renault Megane R.S. R26.R posted a staggering record-breaking performance to get around the Nürburgring in just under 8 minutes, 17 seconds. These impressive numbers were comparable to the Honda NSX (8:16.2) and the Porsche Cayman S (8:16).
8 2011 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy (8:08)
A short time after its official debut, the Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy was off breaking records, establishing a fantastic Nürburgring lap record to unseat the previous Megane Renaultsport R26.R. The Megane R.S. Trophy achieved new performance levels thanks to a 265hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.
According to Renault's development driver Laurent Hurgon, the specific Bridgestone RE 050A tires, carefully-tuned Cup chassis, dampers, fade-resistant brakes, and Recaro seats also helped him set the record. The Renault Megane R.S. Trophy's 8:07.97 lap time was faster than the Audi RS4 (8:09) and almost rattled the BMW Z8 (8:07).
7 2015 SEAT Leon ST Cupra 280 (7:58.12)
The Leon ST Cupra 280 reinforced the fact that station wagons don't always have to compromise on performance. SEAT equipped the Leon ST Cupra with a 280hp four-cylinder TSI engine, a six speed manual transmission, and a limited front slip differential.
Spanish race driver and SEAT brand ambassador Jordi Gene set new standards and proved the Leon ST Cupra 280's sporty performance with a record-breaking 7:58.12 lap time around the Nürburgring. These numbers were so impressive that they came close to the BMW M2 (7:58) bettered the Cadillac CTS-V (7:59) performances.
6 2016 Renault Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R (7:54.36)
In 2016, the Renault Megane included another stellar Nürburgring record to its impressive list of achievements through the Megane RS 275 Trophy-R. A derivative of the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy, the R.S. 275 Trophy-R features a 275hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, Cup chassis, Öhlins Road & Track dampers, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and titanium Akrapovic exhaust.
The Megane RS 275 Trophy-R built on the success of the Trophy that came before it, shedding several interior niceties to shave off four seconds from the 2011 record. The 7:54.36 lap time bettered the Mercedes E 63 AMG (7:55) and Caterham R500 Superlight (7:55) Nürburgring lap times.
5 2015 Honda Civic Type R (7:50.63)
During the world premiere of the Civic Type R at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Honda proudly revealed that a development prototype had broken the FWD Nürburgring lap time. Honda further intimated that the 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo engine, advanced chassis technologies, and 19-inch production-specification high-rigidity alloy wheels combined to deliver the most rewarding and immersive driving experience.
After removing features such as the front passenger seat, air conditioning, and audio equipment to offset the weight of a full roll cage, the Civic Type R achieved 7 minutes and 50.63 seconds lap time during the final pre-production testing phase. This record-breaking lap time was well within Mercedes SL65 AMG (7:51) and BMW M3 CSL (7:50) territory.
4 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S (7:47.19)
In 2016, the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S set a 7:49.21 Nürburgring lap record for production FWD cars, then went back a few months later and smashed it to set a new record of 7 minutes and 47.19 seconds. Talk about one for the history books.
Volkswagen removed the rear seats, bolted lightweight race seats up front, installed a lightweight battery, and slapped on Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires to get the most out of the 310hp 2.0-liter turbo-four engine. The GTI Clubsport S' lap time was in some serious company, just shy of the Lamborghini Murcielago (7:47) and Porsche 911 GT3 RS (7:47) lap times.
3 2017 Honda Civic Type R (7:43.80)
After losing the Nürburgring lap record for FWD cars to Volkswagen, Honda did not wait long before snatching the crown back. Besides the standard weight-reduction techniques for the run, Honda engineers improved cornering speed through a wider track and tires, new multi-link suspension, longer wheelbase, and optimized aerodynamics.
Honda then paired the U.S.-spec 306hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with a six-speed manual to achieve a 7:43.80 lap time, 6.83 seconds faster than the previous Type-R record holder and 3.39 seconds faster than the Golf GTI Clubsport S. Cars with comparable lap times included the Nissan GT-R (7:43.7) and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (7:42.9).
2 2019 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy-R (7:40.1)
Three years after its previous record, another Megane, the R.S. Trophy-R, put Renault back at the top of the Nürburgring lap time leaderboard. The Megane R.S. Trophy-R featured the same 292hp 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four as the standard Trophy, but with improved suspension and 287lbs less weight.
Renault also fitted the track-focused Megane R.S. Trophy-R with radically-improved drive axles, reworked aerodynamics, Akrapovic exhaust, big Brembo brakes, and sticky Bridgestone tires to clock 7 minutes, 40.1 seconds. Surprisingly, this lap time was faster than the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (7:41.27) but slightly behind the 997 Porsche 911 Turbo (7:39).
1 2019 Lynk & Co 03 Cyan Concept (7:20.143)
The Lynk & Co 03 Cyan Concept claims two records; the fastest FWD car and the fastest four-door car to lap the Nürburgring, both achieved simultaneously. The Lynk & Co 03 Cyan Concept boasts a 528hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, six-speed transmission, Ohlins adjustable dampers, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires.
With World Touring Car Champion Thed Bjork at the wheel, the still-in-development pre-production model cleared the old 12.8-mile lap Nürburgring circuit in 7:15.123. Even more impressive, the Lynk & Co 03 Cyan Concept recorded a 7:20.143 lap time on the updated 12.94-mile circuit. Cyan Racing later clarified that the model used was street legal and registered in Sweden.