EF Civic Si: Writing an Analog Love Letter to the Glory Days
Amazing as it is, the new Civic Type R marks the end of a glorious era. One that this EF Civic is proud to keep alive.
For those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, facing the future is tough. Which is probably true for every generation. But for us, the days of a simple, analog driving experience trump anything the future (or present, really) has to offer. We’d rather drive something slow and devoid of fancy technology. Something like the most excellent EF-gen Honda Civic. So when we read this eloquently written love letter to a killer Civic from a different era over at Average Squad, it gave us all the feels.
It’s there that the author starts out by declaring the current Civic Type R as the “end of an era” for Honda. And as much as we love that front-wheel drive physics-defying masterpiece, it’s hard not to agree. As is true with the rest of the automotive world, Honda is embracing the many virtues of forced induction. But that doesn’t mean we have to like it.
On the flip side, the EF Civic “represents the beginning of Honda’s golden era,” a time when VTEC really came into its own. A high-revving B16A like the one in this particular car was more than capable of thrilling anyone lucky enough to get behind the wheel. And the owner of this Civic from the glory days didn’t do much to deviate from that successful formula.
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A simple factory-color respray, Tanabe Medallion exhaust, and Osaka JDM Devil rear wing help give this old ride new life. Smallish but appropriate Work Equip 40 wheels wrapped in Nitto NT05 tires are a nod to the past themselves. Heck, even the interior remains completely stock save for a Personal steering wheel and K-tuned shifter.
Which is all you need, really. Honda will inevitably continue to push the performance envelope moving forward, as they should. But for us at least, purity and simplicity will always win.
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