Thought you guys might enjoy seeing some del Sol on-track pictures...

http://www.g-speed.com/eg2/lotus-th-0502/

Couple of them I like a bit:

 

pics look good frank... i'll be hitting you up pretty soon for the SKUNK2 front camber kit.

B

 

just added pix when we took the 02 Civic Si on track too:

 

Niice pix, Frank. How was the SI on the track? My buddy at Eibach isn`t much of a Honda fan, but he seems to like it once the "stance" is lowered a bit.

Ryan

 

wow, the SI loos like he is going 200 mph!

 

 

nice pictures

 

It was good. here's roger's review, and then mine. 02 Civic Si, bone stock, except we threw on some 225/50/15 Toyo T1S on some GAB 15x7's.

Roger Foo was able to get a brand new 02 Civic Si out to Thunderhill so we can give it a little track evaluation. Here's what Roger wrote on Honda-Tech's Competition forum:

OK! If anyone is looking for a 02 Civic Si call Mark Musso of Dublin Honda (925)828-9040. Mention my name and he will take care of you! He will put you in contact with a salesperson that is easy to deal with.
My opinion of the 02 Si is very clear. The car is unlike any Civic before. It has a look as the earlier Civic hatchbacks- it needs to grown on you! This is the same thing I thought when the 88's came out and then when the 92's came I was heading for the hills. It really does take some time to appreciate the styling of most new cars today. That said, I will get into the drive.

The power is also unlike any of its predecessors. It delivers smooth seamless acceleration with the iVTEC compared to the normal VTEC burst. The addition of .4 liters also help make the sprint away from lights and other cars effortless. The jump from 1.6l to 2.0l is a welcome addition. It is so smooth and quiet, you almost forget how fast you are traveling. Before you know its past 80 then 90. Way too easy on the race track! The tachometer takes some getting used to. It red lines at an unusually low 6800rpm compared to the 7800 or 8200 or 9000 we are so used to. Heck my 1.6 was spinning toward oblivion at 9400rpm. Enough to keep spitting distributor rotors!

The beauty of the lower rpm is less fatigue on parts. It has great power and torque that is so seamless it almost seems slow.

Shifts were a simple effortless -"drop your right hand off the spoke of the steering wheel and your on the shifter routine". This has to be the most ergonomic position for a shift lever! It was so natural! The transmission was smooth and precise, not notchy or otherwise difficult. As the engine revved through the rpm range every gear selection seemed perfectly acceptable. Not once did it seem like there was too much of an rpm drop between gears. This combination lets you just keep feeling the acceleration all the way up the speedo.

When you initially look at the car it appears tall in comparison to its predecessors. The handling appears to be unaffected by the stature of the vehicle. Handling the road course was done with confidence, very nimble and excellent feedback through the steering wheel. Not once did the car put up a fuss when driven spiritedly. Very little body lean, at least less than I was expecting. It has the somewhat typical FWD understeer feel which I think it is actually less noticeable than the previous generation. Driving into the turn was effortless with only a hint of understeer and very little body roll. I was impressed with the overall attitude and composure the vehicle had over bumps and undulations in the road. Very taut feel, but, never overly harsh, even over the concrete expansion joints.

I am truly impressed with the refinements Honda has made with the new Si. The solid build quality is unrivaled by previous versions. The cabin is so air tight, I caught myself almost leaving the door ajar at times. The suspension refinements are impressive as well. I was kind of set back at the move to struts away from the ever so publicized double-wishbone, but, it is very well behaved and composed at the limits.

Overall the car does exceed expectation. It has great fit and finish, excellent power delivery, super handling and the best ergonomics I've had the pleasure of seeing from Honda.

The shortcomings I see are few. The lack of larger wheels and tires and maybe the ability to accessorize from Honda Accessories and Optional Equipment.

To ease your minds. This car was not pushed through the paces at 10 tenths or 11 tenths. I was just trying to get an impression of the characteristics and capabilities since no one seemed to be giving it a fair shake. During the time this interview was conducted the car was not abused in any way, no animals were harmed and everyone came away with a better understanding of the capacity of this vehicle.

If you are seriously interested in a demonstration or purchase of this new 02 Si, call Mark Musso at (925)828-9040 and mention my name. They are not adding to the sticker, and who knows you may even get a better deal than that! I have an autographed Roger Foo Design edition!

If you are interested in more details just ask! I did not want to go too in depth at this point.

Take care guys, remember keep the speeding on the track and off public highways!
This message brought to you by the Ministry of Transport. Who?


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Here's my view:

Here's a view from a weekend warrior/track junkie's view on 02 Civic Si.
Steering feel - excellent
Road feed back - excellent
Body roll - actually quite a bit present when viewed from out side, but does not feel like it on the inside
Ride quality - very comfy, firm (towards the soft side)
Gear box - very good, easy to shift, butter smooth, light clutch, very easy to double clutch and rev match
Engine - 2.0 liter = good torque, power band feels nice and flat. VTEC not pronounced... i-VTEC working well I guess.
Build quality - very good
Seats - looks great, but not as supportive as it looks. seems to be built for big wide people/frames.
The biggest draw back IMO is the heavy weight. 2744 lbs... ack. If it were 300 lbs lighter it'll be a much better performer. But you do get a nice strong solid body, the car is quiet.
Brakes - good, we didn't use it hard. Like 95% of the road cars it is not truly track worthy. But a performance pad will take care of that.

As it is, bone stock, all it needs is some good pads and tires to be a really fun track car. Light understeer when pushed a bit.

I drove a bone stock RSX Type-S @ Laguna Seca the week before and basically had the same impression. In terms of fun @ track, all the RSX-S needed was brakes and tires. They perform at least as well as their predecessor, but with much better refinement and built quality, at the expense of weight.





[Modified by frank@b16a.com, 6:23 PM 5/16/2002]

 

in that pic the si almost looks like a toy.

nice pics of yor car

 

or a soccer mom late for soccer practice

 

Yes it does kinda look like an Odessey minivan...