Watch: Honda Civic Type R sets swansong lap record at The Bend

The FK8 Honda Civic Type R might have gone from Australia but that hasn't stopped it leaving without writing one last chapter in its local legacy.

Launched last year as the final iteration of the fifth-generation Civic Type R, the Limited Edition was put through its paces at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, setting a new front-wheel-drive production car lap record around the 4.95 kilometre International Circuit.

With 2019 TCR Australia runner-up and Supercars co-driver Tony D'Alberto behind the wheel, the benchmark time of 2:13.251 set earlier in the day aboard a standard Type R was beaten by just under a second, as the new record stands at 2:12.260.

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The time was also a full two seconds faster than the existing record of 2:13.251, set by James Moffat in a Renault Megane RS Trophy in late 2019 – repeating Honda's breaking of Renault lap records after a similar feat was achieved at Suzuka two year ago.

Limited to 20 units, all of which were painted in Sunlight Yellow, the Limited Edition arrived in the middle of last year, selling out before the first examples turned up on local shores at around $70,000 before on-road costs.

Despite the 2.0-litre turbo four-pot remaining unchanged with 228kW/400Nm on tap, the Limited Edition went on a diet – scoring 20-inch lightweight BBS wheels shod in Michelin Cup 2 tyres, a deletion of its rear wiper, parcel shelf and sound deadening, attributing to a total loss of 17kg, now down to 1376kg.

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Regarded as one of the best hot hatches on sale when it launched in 2018, the FK8 won two MOTOR Bang for Your Bucks titles in a row, beating out stiff competition from its European and Asian rivals.

However, the FK8 Type R is set to be replaced, making way for the high-performance variant of the 11th-generation Honda Civic, currently undergoing testing at Japan's Suzuka Circuit with many expecting the existing Type R's engine and drivetrain to carry across.