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February 10, 2005
Yee-haa! Honda's New Civic Si Concept Debut is a Doozy
This car is so hot it has already been named the official vehicle of the 2005 SEMA show, where Honda is the lead manufacturer.
Honda's new Civic Si concept had a coming out party at the Chicago Auto Show today, and there's nothing coy about this baby.
If the specs on the Si concept are even close to what the production model is going to be like, it's a major step forward for Honda -- the engine is a 200-hp screamer with an 8,000 rpm red line, and sports 18-inch wheels and all-around disc brakes.
The current production Si, by contrast, has a 160-hp engine with 16-inch wheels -- that's a 40% boost in power, folks!
John Mendel, Honda's American Senior VP, said the concept car is, "90 percent of what you'll see when the production models debut later this year," and couldn't help but boast just a little.
Saying the 200-hp engine is, "the most powerful motor we've ever put in a U.S. model Civic," Mendel egged the crowd on, "not the kind of engine note that you expect to hear from a 4 cylinder Civic... huh?"
Mendel said Honda pulled out all the stops with this concept, as a means to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Si in America. The car was designed at Honda's Los Angeles R&D Design Center and is the sixth generation Si for the American market.
Mendel also reminded the crowd that the Civic essentially invented the small-car performance and tuner movement in America, which is why Honda is taking the lead as the official manufacturer of the 2005 SEMA show.
The sponsorship is a first for any Japanese manufacturer, and Honda is putting the new Civic Si center stage, as official vehicle of the show.
The actual Civic Si production model will debut at the SEMA show in November, Mendel said, and Honda is also bringing out new 2006 versions of the 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe and a more fuel efficient Civic hybrid, all due in the fall.
Posted by Frank at February 10, 2005 4:10 PM | Filed under Auto News
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