The CAM Journal: Really Honda?

There it is, the 2012 Honda Civic Si. Does it have a bunch of horsepower to match its dumbed down looks? Nope, only 3 more than the outgoing Civic Si. And now, it is official, Honda has lost any semblance of the soul it once had.

I’m not saying the new Civic Si is boring, I can’t pass judgment on that before driving it. However, if you were to ask me if this car will not get a second glance by many enthusiasts, I would emphatically say yes! Before I talk about the soulless company that strives so hard to be Toyota, I will mention the good things about this new Civic Si. It has a 2.4L motor now that churns out a lot more torque(for a Honda). It now makes 170lb. ft. compared to the 139lb. ft. of old. Also, Honda claims it’ll get a little bit better gas mileage. And that’s all the good there is.

Remember the Acura NSX? We all have fond memories of that car. It was amazing when it came out. Then Honda just let it sit there with barely any update. Sure it eventually got a small horsepower bump and a 6-speed, but aside from body modifications it was largely the same. Remember the Honda S2000? Sure, great car! Handles well and when it arrived, was very competitive in terms of acceleration. Then Toyota stuck a 3.5L V6 in their Camry and suddenly it could dust off most budget sports cars in a straight line. What do you do? Respond! Not Honda though. The S2000 got a .2L displacement bump and some refreshed body work. Then it languished until no one really wanted it any more.
Then Honda decided it needed a shot in the arm and released the sporty hybrid CR-Z that is not sporty nor does it achieve hybrid-like mileage. Do you see my concern for this next generation Civic Si? It needed something big to compete with the GTI and Mazdaspeed 3. Instead, it will languish and we won’t ever receive the excitement brought on by the 99-00 EM1 coupe. Farewell Honda, enjoy being dull, you’re doing an excellent job!

-Trent Bray

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