First Drive: HPD/Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si

MotorTrend

We drive the HPD/Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si at Willow Springs.

Transcript

00:00 [ENGINE REVVING]

00:03 This black, white, red, and extraordinarily loud number

00:19 93 Civic is the product of Honda Performance Development

00:22 and Compass 360 Racing.

00:24 It's built off the 2012 Honda Civic Si street car

00:27 and is set to compete in the SCCA World Challenge Series.

00:31 After its initial round of testing,

00:33 the C360R team has brought the race car

00:35 to Willow Springs Raceway for us to give it a go.

00:38 The gap between street car and race car

00:40 never ceases to surprise.

00:42 The Civic's interior has little more

00:44 than a dash, roll cage, racing seat, safety netting,

00:47 and a five-point harness.

00:49 A stock shifter on the naked white floor

00:51 is connected to a stock six-speed transmission.

00:54 Other stock components dictated by touring car class rules

00:57 include body panels, OEM-style suspension components,

01:00 and engines.

01:01 The racing Civic's engine uses the same 2.4 liter

01:04 mil as the one in the new Si.

01:06 But for World Challenge duties, it's

01:08 been balanced and blueprinted, giving it

01:10 230 horsepower, an extra 29 horsepower over the stock Si.

01:15 With some help, I tightly strap myself into the racing seat

01:18 and fire up the engine.

01:21 Exiting onto the front straight from the pits,

01:23 it feels like straddling a small Cessna engine.

01:26 The shift lights climb quickly as the 2.4 liter

01:28 kisses the rev limiter.

01:32 The acceleration is modest for a race car,

01:34 but the real treat lies in the way the Civic handles.

01:37 It is staggering.

01:39 There is so much grip in these tires.

01:42 They're total race slicks, and I feel

01:44 like I can just push them way harder than the stock car.

01:48 Credit can be given to Pirelli racing slicks

01:50 that wrap the 17 inch wheels, which are an inch wider

01:53 than the standard car.

01:55 The negative camber on the rear tires

01:56 gives the Civic a lively character.

01:58 It wiggles left and right under braking

02:01 as the weight transfers forward.

02:02 Barely, you lose.

02:04 Whoa.

02:05 A lot of sliding action.

02:08 It's not unnerving, though.

02:09 It builds trust.

02:10 Race cars are not like street cars.

02:14 Race cars scare you, but they make

02:16 you do things that you would never think you could do.

02:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]

02:22 The C360 R crew will champion this Civic in the 2012 World

02:28 Challenge Series, which should start sometime in March.

02:32 Prospective race teams looking for a similar setup

02:34 need only contact Honda Performance Development.

02:37 Forking over $3,500 gets you a bare chassis pulled straight

02:40 off the assembly line.

02:41 And available parts kits include bushings, suspension

02:44 components, a limited-slip differential,

02:46 and brake assemblies.

02:47 But nowhere can you buy sound deadening.

02:50 [ENGINE REVVING]

02:51 Oh!

02:52 Racing cars!

02:53 [TIRES SCREECHING]

02:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]

03:01 (whooshing)

Category

Transcript

Recommended