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things-about-cars-in-posts · 11 days

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Do you have anything to say about my baby, the Honda CR-Z?

(Please excuse the low resolution, I wanted to introduce it with a pic from my collection and this was the only stock one I had)

Oh, the CR-Z... Pepperidge Farm here remembers obsessively following its debut on Top Gear Magazine! Pepperidge Farm and not many others, it seems, as in present day the CR-Z seems to be as relevant in today's car world as basket weaving. Wait, no, less.

In fact, coming up with an answer to this question was the most I thought about the CR-Z in almost a decade.

But thought I have, so here's your answer:

I don't get it.

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like it! I am on record as a serial Honda liker -hell, to those who think it counts I own one- and I see no reason this one should buck the trend (although I've always felt it would look better with something between the headlights to stop it looking so big-snooty, as the bumper below does a good enough job of exemplifying that I won't bother rendering something better).

It's just that... I don't know what the point of it was. And looking at its sales that seems to be the experience of most vertebrates.

(To be fair, U.S. sales started in August 2010 and production ended in 2016 with the following years's sales just being stock clearing - but still, pretty bleak picture.)

It's not like we don't know what Honda were going for, they told us plainly: it's a sporty hybrid car, light on the wallet but heavy on the fun. And Honda would know of sporty compacts - what were they producing as the CR-Z rolled out?

Oh. It's the most hated of all six Civic Type R generations. Hm.

It's a joke, "most hated Civic Type R generation" is a bit like saying "most normal Kia Soul commercial".

If that car looks unfamiliar to you yankees, however, that's because y'all got different looking Civics for a while, such that your sporty Civic was this, the Si - seen here in the bewinged Mugen trim.

The Si is meant to sit below the Type R, but, since America wasn't getting the Type R, the yankee Si and non-yankee Type R were free to get the same 200hp from the same venerable engine (one day I'll go over all that makes the K20 so great) and the usual great handling, courtesy among plenty things of a limited slip differential. Wait, why is that not a link? Ah, right, I've never explained differentials... well, for now you can just trust that it's a cool type of differential that helps maintain grip when you're giving it the beans. Wait. Is it "giving it the beans" because you're stomping the gas pedal? Surely not. What is it from? Let me google this... Okay, sources seem scarce and shaky but apparently the idea was that if you fed horses beans they wou- wait this post is about the CR-Z. How did we get here? I swear this NEVER happens.

In short, Honda knew, and has always known, how to make proper sporty cars and give them great engines, whatever their size. So can it possibly have been a surprise when this thing came out and, forget motoring journalists, even the more talkative stray cats were meowing that the CR-Z did not have the engine grunt to back up its sporty pitch?

And look, if anyone here will say a car with as little as 120-130hp cannot be worth bothering with, it won't be a diehard of the Mazda Miata, which sold well over half a million units no more powerful than that. But that's a car that focused on open top enjoyment and getting a lot out of a little, just like the 60s European spiders it threw back to. What did the CR-Z throw back to?

Well that'll be the CR-X.

Introduced in 1983, the CR-X was a coupe version of the Civic of the time (hence its 1987 update corresponding with the Civic's). And just like the Civic in question, it is most fondly remembered for its sporty, proper-fun Si guise (pronounced "ass eye", because eye me dat ass) and the even sportier SiR that yankees never got. Which makes perfect sense, considering its main appeal against the Civic was the sportier looks.

Sure, since the CR-X left us North America got a Civic coupe in its stead, but am I going to pretend this thing looked half as good as the CR-Z that was about to join the lineup?

Not for free I'm not.

So now, imagine the stellar engine and manual transmission from a Civic Si/Type R, but now with electric assistance for even more power AND fuel efficiency, all in a car hundreds of kilos lighter, significantly shorter -thus more agile- and with the sleek CR-Z looks.

Then keep imagining.

The CR-Z never got an Si or Type R version, it was just left to sit there with its 122hp (later begrudgingly upped to 130) that, forget the contemporary sporty Civics, compared unfavorably to its 30 year old predecessor.

The CR-X was the sportier Civic. If its successor gets walked not just by the Civic but even by the CR-X itself, what's the point of the resurrection?

However, I concede there's an objection to this argument: this graph.

These are the US sales figures for the second generation CRX (which I think dropped the dash?), and, if you were to be able to parse it, you'd notice that the sporty Si version made up about a third of the sales - meaning most buyers forewent the sportiness in favor of the lower cost of the standard DX model or the High F-iciency of the even slower HF model. So if those versions sold well, why shouldn't the CR-Z have?

Well, if you ask me: image is more than looks.

This blog -and other affiliated entities- touched on the concept of race wins on Sunday bringing sales on Monday, and the same phenomenon happens with cool sport versions. Today's Corolla is a much cooler car in the eyes of the people who see in it the underlying foundation of its extraordinary GR version, and this phenomenon is most amplified the smaller the gap -or perceived gap, at least- between the version you're admiring and the more modest version you could realistically be interested in. I strongly believe that many people bought the dog slow CRX HF because the CRX Si ingrained within them the idea that they were buying something cool.

And Honda, as we touched on, had the perfect engine to dump into the CR-Z to make a wicked sport version. Hell, they could even have just given its regular engine forced induction - and we know it because the CR-Z Mugen RZ did just that!

Here at last was a perfectly respectable sport version that, while still underneath the Civic's best power-wise, was more than good enough to make car enthusiasts give a damn about the CR-Z. And what did Honda do with it? They limited the production to 300 units and only sold them in Japan. Take a fucking drink.

I cannot fathom why they would do that. It's not that they couldn't homologate the power additions or whatever, because a. that doesn't justify the limited production run and b. the supercharger (or at least a supercharger, not sure if it's the same) was made available in the US in the form of a dealer-fitted optional extra. Not by selling a supercharged special version altogether, no no, that may cause the public to -gasp- notice and care.

What was the point? Were they deliberately trying to keep the CR-Z's image one of an efficiency-focused... sleek hatch-coupe with minimal backseats?

Wait what?

Dear God, yankees, what have you done to Honda to get done so comically dirty?

Is it just that they thought y'all too big to fit back there?

That makes it even crazier!

Why in tarnation would they think people would care about a sleek, three-door, two seat, manual... efficiency-oriented hybrid?

Oh, right. Because they made the first generation Honda Insight. Which I myself love.

This was even sleeker and more hardcore than the CR-X: it was as light as the lightest ones despite the electric powertrain, it did without backseats entirely, it was the most aerodynamic production car that had ever been built... but all this wasn't about performance at all. It was about milking every drop of your hard-earned fuel for every single fucking inch of forward movement it was worth.

And it sold very well! I mean, look at the yearly sales figures!

Look how much America loved it! In a year of production that started from December it sold around a third the units the CRX sold in a full year!

So imagine what the production numbers were like for the year 2000!

huh?

Oh you mean these are the total sales. Like, all the first generation Insights ever sold in its entire six years and change of production. Oh. And it totals to like 17.000. Which is around how many CRX Si they sold in a year in North America alone. Hm.

Yeah, it suddenly makes a lot more sense how the second generation Insight was a Prius wannabe.

In fact, now that I look at it... that back looks familiar, doesn't it?

Wait...

Wait!

Well, now suddenly the car makes a lot more sense. And actually, come think of it, let me check the sales figures for the Mk2 Insight...

Considering, again, the CR-Z's US debut happened in August 2010, they match up pretty well, and it would be a pretty reasonable sales split if we were to consider them the 5 and 3 door versions of the same car.

Now, this may make it seem like it wasn't such a failure after all, and it did well in the segment it was actually intended to compete in. But let's give some context on how good those Insight sales figures are.

Yeah. Yeah no. The second Insight just wasn't a hit either.

But at least, now I can say I get the car. The Insight was pretty big and... uncool, so the CR-Z was a good way to offer that same hybrid efficiency to people who wanted a more compact, sleeker package - though perhaps not as extreme as the first gen Insight. Unless you're a yankee, I assume.

The name still doesn't make sense.

I mean, it would if I could see Honda seeing CR-X as just... a body style, and its resurrection of it akin to resurrecting, say, the Civic Shuttle.

(It was the only side picture I had saved.)

And Honda's press material made another point to this end, that I wasn't aware of.

So sure. Point taken. The CR-X was shaped by the quest for efficiency, so it follows that its successor would be efficiency focused as well.

But that's not how the CR-X is remembered. In everyone's minds, the CR-X is cemented as the sporty version (that Honda sold, mind - this is not like with the Supra, whose reputation was defined by modders). And the weirdest thing is, they don't just know that, they bring it up.

And indeed, they call the CR-Z's role "quite different from the original Insight coupe's" - they want this car to "change the current perception of hybrids" by blending hybrid efficiency and sportiness. They rightly sell its looks as sporty, take great pride in the manual transmission and explicitly state it's for driver engagement, over and over talk about 'enthusiastic' owners and 'enthusiastic' driving and 'enthusiastic' engine note etc etc. They brag about how much of a difference their Sport mode makes. They call attention to the valves per cylinder. They constantly remind of how (unlike the Insight) it has the legendary V-TEC. (If this is the first you hear of it, ask about it in the tags).

This is the press release for a sports hatch.

But when time came to give it a sports hatch's power? Japan got 300 units, North America got a dealer-fitted kit with a numbered plaque two years before the car's nixing, and we had to hope to never have a flat tire because Europe didn't get jack.

Was it to avoid stepping on the toes of the sporty Civics, because if the sporty CR-Z's potential buyers will otherwise just get a sporty Civic then why make two models to get the same amount of buyers? If so, I'll tell you why: because that was the only chance of moving regular CR-Zs, which surely must have been a worthwhile pursuit if you made the damn thing.

Was it the fear of a power-focused engine resulting in fuel economy so underwhelming it would undermine the model's eco premise? If so, heyo, you have electric assistance, which means you can either get more speed out of the same engine marking a win for the hotboys or get the same speed out of a more efficient package - and in both cases you're showing a hybrid powertrain bringing something to the table, which is how you actually "change the perception of hybrids" in the minds of people who consider them synonymous with boring.

I'm not saying my counters are bulletproof or that there is no argument against a hot CR-Z. I'm just saying that if there is, it's an argument against the regular CR-Z also. Because if the CR-Z was never to be something worth considering over anything that could be called sporty, then they should never have bothered to begin with - at least, if they were going to aim it so squarely at "the enthusiastic drivers".

In short,

Honda sought to make a sportscar - be it to sell the car itself or to sell a concept like "we're committed to preserving driving enjoyment even into electrification" or "hybrids are cool, so buy a hybrid, and please don't whine if we ever need to make a hybrid Type R or whatever thanks". And I'm always down for Honda building a sportscar. It was Honda that wasn't, for whatever reason. And so there the CR-Z stood, waiting until its passing for a sportier engine that would show the world how cool it was. But it never came. And it bugs me. Because I find it a shame. Because I remember reading of the Mugen prototype and waiting with bated breath for the production version that we ultimately never got. Because I still would love to see them about more than I do. Because I wish the second generation that apparently was in the works got to see the light of day.

Because, even after all these days of thinking about Honda's strategy and learning all we went over, and perhaps because of it,

I still don't get it.

Links in blue are posts of mine about the topic in question: if you liked this post, you might like those - or the blog’s Discord server, linked in the pinned post!

#because yes the things i act surprised by i genuinely found out / recalled as i was looking stuff up for this post #i'll now watch a couple of reviews i saved myself for after writing this to avoid parroting someone else's thoughts #so i will update this if i get some other insight #or rather some other cr-z hahahahahahaha #ok i'll go to sleep #honda cr-z #honda civic #honda civic type r #honda civic si #honda cr-x #honda crx #honda insight

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vividracing · 3 months

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New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/top-5-best-honda-civic-si-9th-gen-mods-for-under-3000/

Top 5 Best Honda Civic SI (9th Gen) Mods For Under $3000

Welcome to our guide on the top 5 best modifications for the Honda Civic SI 9th Generation that won’t break the bank! If you’re a proud owner of this iconic vehicle and want to enhance its performance, style, and overall driving experience without spending a fortune, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll explore five affordable mods that can transform your Civic SI into a true standout on the road, all for under $3000. Let’s dive in and unleash the full potential of your Honda Civic SI!

This is an exceptional example of a tasteful 9th Gen Honda Civic SI featuring Enkei RAIJIN wheels, a lowered stance, and probably some goodies under the hood. Check out @fb6cujo to see more of this 9th Gen SI

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1. Enkei RAIJIN Wheel 18×8.5 5×114.3 +35mm

The RAIJIN is a light weight street wheel designed for the everyday driver but with added MAT technology performance benefits. Named after the Japanese god of thunder, the Raijin is bound to help you bolt through traffic not only with style but with better overall performance.

Having a light weight wheel helps brake more efficiently, helps accelerate quicker and can even help with fuel economy. You’d be surprised how much difference a few pounds makes.

Wheel Specifications:

Wheel Size: 18×8.5

Offset: 35

Hub Bore: 72.6

Bolt Pattern: 5×114.3

Load Rating: 700.363636363636

Finish: Bronze Paint

Notes:

Wheel Specifications:

Wheel Size: 17×8

Offset: 42

Hub Bore: 75

Bolt Pattern: 4×100

Load Rating: 530

Finish: Hyper Silver | Black | Bronze Paint

2. Skunk2 Mega Power RR Exhaust Honda Civic Si 2-Door 12-15

A properly designed exhaust system is critical to engine performance. Skunk2’s 76mm MegaPower RR Exhaust system for the 2012-2015 Civic Si coupe was developed with this in mind and is based off of more than 15 years’ worth of racing experience. Dyno-proven for maximum horsepower, MegaPower RR systems are constructed of T-304 stainless steel, are robotically TIG welded, and feature CNC mandrel bends for a precise fit. The MegaPower RR for the 2012-2015 Civic Si in conjunction with the Skunk2 Alpha Header for the 2012-2015 Civic Si has seen hp gains above 30hp.

Designed for heavily modified naturally aspirated engines as well as for turbocharged applications that require more exhaust flow than Skunk2’s 70mm MegaPower R Exhausts provide, MegaPower RR Exhausts allow engines to breathe more efficiently and produce more power thanks to larger diameter piping. MegaPower RR Exhaust systems were designed for maximum flow and power, featuring oversized tubing and mufflers, which result in a significantly louder tone when compared to other MegaPower systems.

Featuring Japanese-spec, Super N1 styling, MegaPower RR Exhaust systems generate more horsepower by optimizing engine airflow and volume through carefully selected, application-specific tubing lengths and diameters and increased wave scavenging effects for more horsepower. CNC mandrel bending allows for a constant tubing diameter throughout the bend, which results in precise fitment as well as improved exhaust gas flow. Each system is fitted with a resonator, includes stainless steel flanges, and is finished off with a straight-through, low-restriction racing muffler for uninterrupted flow. Each fully polished muffler is mated to a 110mm polished tip with its own acid-etched MegaPower badge and serialized nameplate. A Skunk2 removable silencer and all necessary hardware are also included.

Skunk2’s MegaPower Exhaust systems are based off of the same systems we custom build for our road racing and time attack vehicles. MegaPower Exhaust systems offer more performance, better build-quality, and the ultimate sound when compared to comparably priced systems.

Fitment:

Honda Civic (Si, Si) 12-15

Notes:

76mm/ 3 inch, Bolt-on system; no welding or fabrication necessary.

May be compatible with other trim levels, however, will require basic welding and fabrication.

Due to large packaging size, shipping rates are calculated based on dimensional weight.

May require modification to factory equipment to allow proper installation.

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3. Eibach Springs PRO-KIT Performance Springs (Set of 4 Springs) Acura ILX | Honda Civic 2012-2015

EIBACH High Performance Handling and Aggressive Good Looks. Lower Center of Gravity. Stop Quicker, Corner Faster and get Better MPG! Progressive Spring Design for Excellent Ride Quality. Million-Mile Warranty

Features

Add-On Part: No

Title: EIBACH PRO-KIT Performance Springs

Notes:

Front 1.2 in; Rear 1.2 in;

4. HPS Shortram Air Intake Kit Includes Heat Shield Polish Honda Civic 2012-2015

HPS Performance Air Intake Kits are designed with style and performance in mind. This HPS Performance Air Intake Kit replaces the factory intake and air filter housing with a 2.75″ custom mandrel-bent aluminum tube and heavy duty powder coated heat shield designed to maximize the performance of your vehicle. It includes a reusable high-flow cotton air filter to provide maximum airflow to increase your engine’s output by up to 3.5 horsepower and 4.7 lb-ft. of torque for power you can feel through improved throttle response and acceleration. This kit includes HPS 100% stainless steel T-bolt clamps and a silicone reducer that are engineered to withstand the toughest driving conditions. HPS Performance Air Intake Kits are designed and tested using the latest technology to ensure the best performance and fitment.

Features:

Features 2.75″ mandrel-bent aluminum tubing and reusable high-flow cotton cone air filter to optimize air flow for improved performance.

Heavy duty powder coated steel heat shield to keep IAT’s at bay.

Increase 3.5 horsepower and 4.7 lb-ft. of torque for faster acceleration and better throttle response.

Gives your 9th gen Honda Civic a fresh look and an improved induction tone.

Easy bolt-on installation using simple hand tools.

Specifications:

Product Type: Performance Air Intake

Series: 827 Series

Color: Polished

Vehicle Type: Sport Compact

Tubing Material: Aluminum

Air Filter Type: Cone

Replacement Air Filter SKU: HPS-4275

Includes Heat Shield

KTUNER ECU Flash with Touchscreen Device V2 Honda Civic Si 2012-2015

The KTunerFlash V2 Unit is the new All-In-One solution from KTuner for your Honda Civic Si. This tool allows you to flash your ECU to a high performance tuning map as well as revert back to stock. In addition, KTuner also allows full access to software for those that want to play with custom tuning themselves. With their dyno proven maps, easy to use flashing device, and ability to customize, the KTuner flashing tool is an amazing product for you!

What tunes will be included?

Stage 1 +16 hp | +8 ft/lbs:

Improved throttle response

Improved low-end and midrange torque

Producing a much more sporty feel and drivability

How does the KTuner Touchscreen Work?

The KTunerFlash V2 features a 5″ touchscreen display that can show essential sensor data in real-time as a digital dash display. Though it’s meant as a handheld a simple Dual-T bracket can be added to allow mounting on a variety of inexpensive Dual-T mounts. Through a simple to use touch interface you can choose between different layouts, multiple data items, and even color options on layouts that support color changes.

Via full integration with our KTuner Tuning Software you are able to load the factory tune and multiple custom tunes to the KTunerFlash V2 allowing you to switch tunes without the need for a laptop. Easily flash back to factory with the touch of the screen. If you’re making quick changes or on the dyno you can also flash through the KTunerFlash V2 without having to upload the tune first.

5 Programmable LEDs can be set to show any combination of colors (RGB) and even allow for fading between a start and end color based on your settings. Customizable intensity settings for each breakpoint allow you to fade in or out at your desired breakpoints. Warnings allow an LED to flash rapidly to easily grab your attention. This can be used for shiftlights, an overheat warning, overboost warning, and other options.

KTunerFlash V2 features On Board Logging With Programmable On/Off Parameters for recording datalogs without a laptop! We allow up to 1000 datalogs to be recorded with no limit on length, so you’ll never miss a beat. Quickly enable or disable on board logging from the menu and once your parameters are met it will record all essential data for later review.

KTunerFlash V2 has built-in bluetooth integration. With a supporting app, like TunerView for Android ($5), you are also able to add additional gauge integration for real-time data display and more. The TunerView app allows you to use your Android device as a video camera and overlay real-time data from the KTunerFlash V2.

About the KTuner Tuning Software:

The KTuner software is a tabbed layout including a drop down list of parameters. This allows easy maneuvering around parameters and tuning layouts. Free to Download Here.

Product Features:

5″ Touch Screen Display.

Real-Time data display with multiple layouts.

Easy to navigate menu system for settings.

Store multiple tunes, including factory. Flash saved tunes without the need for a laptop.

Note: Tunes are still created with the KTuner PC software.

On Board Logging, record datalogs without the need for a laptop.

5 Programmable LEDs (RGB) for shift lights, warnings, etc.

Bluetooth connectivity for peripherals and the TunerView Android app.

This unit is locked to one ECU and allows you to alter the settings in your ECU.

Return to factory at any time and unlock the unit to resell.

This allows datalogging and reflashing right over your factory OBD2 port!