Getting Up to Speed on the Honda Civic
Donut Media celebrates their 50th Episode of Up To Speed by talking about the Honda Civic.
It’s almost crazy to think how Donut Media went though 49 episodes without talking about the Honda Civic. There has been an episode about the Civic Type R, but not on the Civic, the base car that was the canvas on which the CTR was built upon. Just as host James Pumphrey mentioned, you probably know someone who owns a Civic or even own on yourself. With the 10th generation on sale today, Pumphrey takes us on a trip down memory lane to the Civic’s modest beginnings.
In the late 1960’s, Honda were selling the N600 and Z600 in America, but they weren’t selling like hotcakes. Being powered by two cylinder motorcycle engines, they weren’t exactly attracting a lot of customers. Luckily, Honda engineers were already planning for a new model with a brand new transversely mounted 4-cylinder engine. Thus the Civic was born and introduced in 1973. It wasn’t exactly a smashing hit right from the get go, but it was a step in the right direction.
With each generation, the Civic continued to improve inside and out and proved driving something Japanese, non-V8, and small wasn’t all that bad. In 1975, Honda with their CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine proved that a catalytic converter wasn’t needed to pass emotions. In 1984, the Civic Si was born. Offering buyers with a sportier trim while introducing fuel injection. However, the US didn’t see the Si until 1985 with the debut of the CRX Si.
ALSO SEE: Honda-tech Reviews the All-new Honda Civic Si
Most would say that the EF Civic was the generation to start the tuning scene among the Honda world. However, it wasn’t until the EG Civic dropped that really got Honda enthusiasts excited about doing all sorts of things like engine swaps. The EK was the first Civic that received the Type R badge. The 7th gen Civic was sort of a hit or miss with tuners. The 8th gen was kind of a return to form while the 9th gen was rather forgettable.
The 10th gen Civic seems like the culmination of all the past generations of its predecessors. With so many different trim levels, there is a Civic for everyone. From the bare bones, yet athletic Civic Sport to the Nurburgring record-setting Type R, it’s no wonder why Honda have sold over 18 million units since its inception.
To non-Honda owners, the Civic is just another car. Like Pumphrey said, the Civic deserves to be labeled as a heavy hitter in the automotive world. It’s not the price tag, it’s the difference it’s made over the past 45 years. What did you think about Up to Speed’s 50th episode? And who’s cutting onions towards the end of the video?
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