First Drive: HPD/Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si
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)