Here's How To Make A Civic Type R Faster Than An Acura NSX Without Mods

Aug. 02, 2017 8:21 AM ET byGabe Beita Kiser /1 Comment

All it takes is a bit of practice.

This might be disappointing for anyone who's just plunked down about $35,000 for a brand new Honda Civic Type R, but this isn't an instruction manual for how to properly tune your front-wheel drive hot hatch so that it can outdo a mid-engine hybrid supercar. Instead, the video below is a lesson on good driving techniques that make a world of difference when it comes to lap times. But don't be too sad, remember that learning how to fish is better in the long run than having someone do it for you.

So as much of a newbie as Auto Express presenter James Batchelor is, he certainly doesn't emerge that way because he's going to learn how to be a better driver, all so that the lessons veteran driver Steve Sutcliffe teaches him can sneak into your ears and do you the same favor. Right off the bat it's apparent that Batchelor is not a race car driver.

He's as excited as a school boy who's had his first beer, and as much fun as that seems, it's not the quickest way to get around a race track. On the plus side, the learning curve is steep with this one. Sutcliffe begins the lesson by finding out where Batchelor makes clear errors. First up are the slower sections of the track where, as Sutcliffe points out, it's easiest to lose time given that messing up when velocity is low means more recovery time and acceleration to mitigate the loss. Getting courageous with braking zones helps Batchelor too, and by the end of the experience, he nearly ties his time in the NSX, trailing by only a tenth of a second. Take these lessons to heart but be sure to practice on an actual track.