2016 Honda Civic Si Coupe

Honda ’s newly refreshed 2014 Civic Coupe Si is now set to roll out of dealer showrooms, and with the added tech, upgraded powertrain and revised looks, Honda hopes the Si will push the car past its already impressive sales numbers for 2013.

While the Civic Si has been topping the list of cheap car thrills for more than two decades now, there have been complaints about the car lacking ‘spice.’ Thankfully, it seems Honda has spiced up the recipe to bring new life into the car, especially in the Si trim.

Added power, a re-tuned sport suspension, an upgraded interior and a new exterior look are among the changes for 2014. Outside, the Civic Si sports a reshaped front bumper and grille with a more aggressive appearance. Reshaped front finders carry the aggression rearward toward a revamped rear fascia that includes an air diffuser and a mildly boy-racer wing.

Things are still familiar inside the Civic with minor changes only recognizable by Civic fans. The Si trim gets a new unique seat fabric with contrasting red bottoms and black bolsters and the dash gets a faux carbon-fiber surround for the center stack.

The best changes are relegated under hood, as the 2.4-liter I-4 now produces four more horsepower and four pound-feet of torque to total 205 and 174, respectively. The Civic’s six-speed manual returns unaltered and as the Si’s only transmission choice. Despite the slight increase in power, the 2.4-liter still returns the same 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.

Honda Civic Si built from Forza Motorsport gamer's design, 2016 Chicago Auto Show

The crossover between video games and real life has become something we in the car world know and respect--most notably through Gran Turismo and the Nissan GT Academy. Now, it's Forza Motorsport and Honda that are helping bridge the digital divide with a custom Civic Si designed by one lucky gamer.

Honda is building the car for display at the Chicago Auto Show. Chosen from 170 entries, the winning design comes from Forza gamer Tiffany Labedz. Labedz's design was chosen by the Forza Motorsport community's 17,000 gamers.

"At Honda, we love meeting our customers where their passion lies, and the  racing and custom car design in Forza Motorsport is definitely a passion for so many Honda and Civic enthusiasts," said Tom Peyton, assistant vice president of advertising for American Honda. "Taking an immersive gaming experience like Forza and bringing it to life here at the Chicago Auto Show will make for an exciting exhibition and a real-life demonstration of how cars and gaming are increasingly intertwined."

"Seeing cars like the design contest-winning Honda Civic come to life on stage at the Chicago Auto Show is a testament to the power of the Forza Motorsport franchise to fuel creative expression among car lovers and videogame fans," said Alan Hartman, studio manager for Turn 10 Studios, the makers of the Forza Motorsport series.

The 2014 Honda Civic Si is now available in-game in Forza Motorsport 5 as part of the Honda Legends Car Pack.Visit our hub page for more of the cars at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show.

Honda HPD Supercharged CR-Z Concept 2016

If anyone ever had any doubt that the HondA CR-Z is an incredible vehicle, despite its hybrid powertrain, then they should be checked into the hospital. The CR-z drives and feels like any other sports car on the market, maybe even better, but for those that are doubtful, check out the new CR-Z introduced by HondAPerformance Development at the 2012 SEMA Auto Show.

The Honda HPD Supercharged CR-Z Concept continues with the improvements introduced last year, but is even better with a few enhancements to improve acceleration, handling, and stopping. For starters, the CR-Z’s IMA hybrid system gets bumped up from 124 HP and 131 lb-ft of torque to a total of 185 HP and 169 lb-ft of torque. In addition to this bump in power, the CR-Z also gets a new sport exhaust and a new sport suspension. The concept sits on a new set of wheels wrapped in high performance tires combined with sport brakes. Then there’s that incredible red exterior paint finish that just screams, "Look at me!"

It may only be a concept, but there’s always hope for production when it comes to cars like this......

Newly Signed Proton and Honda Partnership Could Return Honda to the Sports Car Realm

There had been some reports floating around that DRB-Hicom was seeking a strategic partnership from a Japanese automaker lately, and we just received word that a deal is now in place. Proton will be teaming up with Honda to develop technology enhancements and a new product lineup, as well as share platforms and facilities.

For the most part, Proton builds cheap econoboxes for the UK market, so the direct team up is really not too inspiring. However, peeling back the skin a little bit, you reveal that this deal will likely include its subsidiary, Lotus. While Lotus would benefit greatly from having the technology that Honda has to offer and some financial relief by building certain components together, we are mostly interested in what this deal could potentially bring Honda.

Honda really doesn’t need Proton, as its econobox lineup is stout, but it is lacking a sports car, ever since the S2000 fizzled out in a fit of torque-lacking rage. With Lotus’ expertise being in the lightweight sports car realm and both Honda and Lotus looking for ways to build sports cars without taking on 100 percent of the risk, a team up between the two would be equally beneficial.

We all heard rumors about the S3000 a few years ago, and Lotus has the perfect line of 3.5-liter, V-6 engines sitting in its Evora lineup. So why not team up on a shared model?

According to reports, DRB-Hicom will be laying out Proton’s business plan next month, which will likely include Lotus updates, so we will keep an eye out for this new business plan, and how Honda and Lotus are involved.

Honda Civic Si 2012

Cheap Sports Cars for 2012

0. 2012 Honda Civic Si - $22,205

Believe it or not the Honda Civic Si goes way back to the mid 1980’s.  But the 2012 Honda Civic Si is light years ahead of the old models of yesterday.  Honda has continued to stick with what has worked over the years; a small lightweight chassis with a high revving 4 cylinder engine.  The 2012 Honda Civic Si has a base price of $22,205.  The Civic Si engine is a 2.4L 4-cylinder DOHC motor featuring Honda’s famous i-VTECH system.  Power checks in at 201 HP and 170 lb-ft of torque.  0-60 MPH should be in the high 6 second range.  What makes the Si so enjoyable as a cheap sports car is the fact that you can take the car all the way to the 7000 RPM redline.  The sound of the screaming VTECH and the ability to throw the gears on a 6-speed transmission is enough to keep the driver smiling.  The 2012 Honda Civic Si comes packed with some goodies that include a limited-slip differential, multi-link suspension, and cool 17-inch alloy rims.  Fuel economy for the Civic Si is 22 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway.  The 2012 Civic Si might be the most fun you can have for around $22k.