Civic Si was the first of its kind to run in the 12s and the 11s, with a relatively simple build and the driver mod.
The video above shows history in the making as this red Honda Civic Siwas the first from the tenth generation to run an 11-second quarter mile. Coming to us from the Ososik Media YouTube channel, this sedan doesn’t appear to be all that heavily modified shy of the front wheels-and-tires, but a great many cars would struggle to stay within a few lengths of this Civic in a quarter mile matchup.
It should be noted that this video is more than a year old and since it was published, a tenth generation Civic has gotten into the 10-second range, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that this will always be the first of its era to break into the 11s.
Record Setting Civic Si
If you pulled alongside this Honda Civic Si in traffic, you might think that it was an average production car with tinted windows, a set of mismatched front wheels and a lowering kit. If you were driving a stock muscle car that runs in the 12s, you might expect that you were about to pull down an easy win, but you would be dead wrong and that would be evident as soon as the green lights dropped.
While it doesn’t look heavily modified, this Civic Si packs a fair deal more power than it did when stock. The engine has been upgraded with a 27Won turbocharger, an Injen cold air intake, an Injen intercooler, Injencharge pipes, a PRL downpipe, a PRL front pipe and a Hondata Flashpro with a Daniel Butler custom tune for E85. It also has a performance clutch from Clutch Masters, a Hasport rear mount, a Wilwood brake kit, Eibach springs and a set of SSR 18×9.5-inch wheels.
In the grand scheme of things, that isn’t a very significant mod list, but it is enough for the driver of this Civic Si to get down the track in less than 12 seconds.
Setting the Record
The video above begins with the Civic Sidoing a quick burnout before pulling in to the staging beams. When the green lights drop, the driver dumps the clutch and the boosted Honda comes tearing out of the hole, spinning the drag radials just a bit before the car gets a good hold of the pavement.
From there, the driver pops smoothly through the gears, stopping the timers with an 11.868 at almost 118 miles per hour. While that record has been broken, this will always be the first tenth generation Civic to run in the 11s, so crank up your speakers and enjoy this footage of history in the making. As an extra bonus, the video ends with a rearview shot, showing the Si stomping a BMW.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.