A simple question, why are most civic race cars hatches? Are they lighter than coupes? stiffer?

It would seem like a coupe would be more aerodynamic, any advantages to a coupe over a hatch?

 

lighter, easier to find, less expensive (just guessing since I found one for $500), there are a bunch of other reasons too...

 

lighter - yes
easier to find - depends on the generation. 5th gen coupes seem more plentiful than 'hatches.

 

one thing to consider when you see japanese honda civics in race trim, they dont HAVE civic coupes in japan, designed only for america. i think its kinda why the integra existed in japan, a sportier coupe, they shared pretty much the same engines at times - ZC and B16, but integra ended up getting the B18 tho.

 

there were coupes in japan
http://www.honda.co.jp/HOT/ModelData...601/index.html

Brian

 

I'm sure he was referring to the US 92-95 bodystyle.

 

http://www.honda.co.jp/HOT/ModelData...302/index.html

Brian
-bored on a Friday night

 

hey brian, remember this post from a LOOOOONG time ago on clubsi.com? where we talked about civic coupes? heheheeee

 

I can take it if I am mispoken, but those pages only agree that coupes were not readily available in Japan market. If you read the translation, it speaks of "American styling coupe" and its description is "HONDA of America(n) ". More proof to me that coupes were not made for Japan.

to counter that argument, then why does one picture show japanese DOT turn signal lights? i dunno, maybe just a special edition. but i still stand on the statement that coupes were made for america.

 

there were coupes in available for sale in the "eg" 92-95 years in japan for a time. it was the ej1. just about everypicture i have seen of one is basically an automatic sohc vtec. so basically an automatic american ex 93-95 coupe.

true they are classified as "honda of america ej1" and they are built to japanese safety spec standards. they have the japanese plastic lights and tidbits that people in america pay way too much for and everything like that. also rhd.

they didnt sell to well but then again, performance wise, honda is not at the top of a kids performance car build up dream list in japan either. u see many other brands of cars on circuits and at events in japan before u see hondas. here u see kids into hondas and less into toy/niss/sub/maz but in japan its the opposite.

so its probably the popularity issue, civic coupes let alone civics arent prime choices over there,

but.. i have heard things such as a coupe built for the circuit is more stable due to its weight distribution etc etc.

keep in mind guys a 93 DX coupe weighs 2224 with p/s ac and all that other crap. much less then a 93 Civic Si Hatch. they get a bad rap about "weight" but its really just generalized crap people throw around the internet. i my coupe.

damn maybe i can find this huge japanese car site. it had the 93+ up coupe and the 96+ also which i didnt know existed


[Modified by JaeOne3345, 1:30 AM 10/12/2002]

 

Gotta have somewhere to put the tires

 

thats why i bought a hatch
-spenc

 

Ok, I am wrong about coupes not making an appearance in Japan. Still tho, you said it yourself, they were only automatics, and only came in SOHC and VTEC-E HX trim. Not really race car worthy. True that Honda is not what the import "race" scene in america in japan is, but still, Honda pulls a lot of weight with the civic cup series held at Hondas track twinring motegi, but probably more treated like a Geo Metro spec class ive heard of in some regions. According to the page, coupes were made in america and thus imported to Japan. anyway, im wrong, but i still think im right in a sense.

 

Come November 2nd I walk into a Honda Verno dealer in the Kanagawa prefecture. I'll ask if they sold the coupes. Then they'll look at me and say "hen na gaijin!" which means "strange foriegner."