This is my rant, feel free to attack it but the thought goes...

I don't know why Honda doesn't just go back the roots... Small reliable car with a nice fast engine, aka EK Civic Type R, DC2 Integra Type R, EG Civic SiR... or even the Del Sol Si !!.. it did come with a B16 you know.

Why is it that all the fast Hondas have to be expensive?? aka Civic Si.. I understand that the new Civic Si starts at around 22k, but with all the options (navi, truck straps, floor mats, whatever else is in that catalog) you can easily go beyond the 26k mark!!! or even an Accord V6 starts at 28k!!!… lets not even go there.

And not only that.. but both cars (Civic and Accord) have grow to such huge sizes that the road they sit on can barely hold their weight anymore (ok I went over board here)… I mean I have sat in 06 Civic and it has almost the same interior space & foot print as my old CB7 1991 Accord DX. I mean really come on why can’t they just make a car for the “Civic Nation” (as they call it) … A quick car with a few extras that just destroys the competition and be the Greastest FWD road car again, and sell it in the USA !!! none of that Civic Type RR sheet…

If I was Honda I would make a Fit with a K20 in it from the get go, 4 wheel disc brake, manual 6 speed, LSD, nice suspension set-up, and some extra badging. Call it a Fit Si.. or Fit Type R.. or a 10th Anniversary Fit (1st Fit was around in 2001).. I don't know!! or even market it as a limited edition Mugen.. all for about 20k !!... I mean really the K20 will pass current emissions, with the suspension they have so many engineers working for them they can update the current GE8 Fit to not understeer incredibly within a week. In fact they could grab a couple suspension engineers from the Formula One team and make A Great Handling FWD Car come back to life.. Call it a return to the USDM DC2 Type R.. Small, Quick, and proves a point!!.. Honda can make the best FWD car out there!!

I mean they could market it against the Mazdaspeed 3, Cobalt SS turbo, Caliber SRT-4… hell even The Mini Cooper S (although not in interior quality J )… But if they could shoehorn say a 09’s Civic Si’s K20 and tranny, brakes from a new 09’ Acura TSX, reinforce the body, tune the suspension, paint it some unique (tasteful) colors… I say we got a winner!!!

What do you think???

 

Those bigger DOHC engines are more expensive than the L series currently in our cars. It would bump the price up and the car wouldn't be as fuel efficient as it is now.

 

Fine, say you remove said L15 cost about $2500... makes the car $12500 no motor... and add said K20 $5000... $17500 with car...

As long as you stay off Vtec the K20 makes 29mpg in the 09 Civic Si... remove 350lbs... you don't think you can get 32mpg EASY !!!

 

The majority of those small reliable cars with a nice fast engine were made in Japan. Meanwhile all the luxuries you would want aren't profitable for a large corporation like Honda. Lastly, the cars you would hold against your uber-Fit will never be seen along the categories for "Best value," "Most sold," or "Top crash-rating" because they don't appeal to the masses.

I think the best example of what you want failing in the US market was the beloved Acura NSX. Just mod the car the way you want it to be and call it a day.

 

Because a K20 Fit would kill sales of the Si and S2k.
The Fit was brought here due gas prices building up. Small car, small engine, and somewhat cheap is all they were thinking.

 

More than that, you would have to change the mounts, the drive shafts, and maybe more because of the added power. Plus you would also probably need rear disc brakes to go along with it.

 

How can you place the NSX in the same category... not even by a long shot... A reliable super car Vs. a pocket rocket!! the price difference along make the cars incomparable.

And your missing the point of a cheap fast car, without going turbo, or needing leather seats and Bose radio.

 

I'm not saying make only K20 Fit's.. I'm saying make a limited edition car, to prove a point!!.. continue to sell the regular Fits

I just believe Honda has lost it way with the cheaper sportier segment (no offense to the S2k)... the new 09' Civic Si is too big, heavy, and expensive.

 

I agree with you... but when you factor in say 3600 uber-Fits/yr the price of all the relative material goes down. Simply put its cheaper per unit to make many than a single one off.

 

or get a $100 crx and throw a k20 in it

 

i agree with matt.... the fit is designed to be a cheap econobox.... not a race car.... it just happens to be fun to dirve

 

The sell would be horrible and Honda will end up bankrupt if they even consider doing anything close to this.

 

reeeeeeeepppppppppeeeeeeedddddd!

 

the fit currently has a 69/31 weight distribution. if you throw in a k on top of that then the ration jumps to 75/25 which really screws all ideas of handling.

Fit Si is only a though and never a reality.

 

The fit handles sharp is because of light weight doesn't have anything to do with weight distribution. MacPherson Strut and torsion beam is built for economy.

 

ummm... weight distribution has a LOT to do with handling. look at a fox mustang and a miata

 

weight distribution has alot to do with how the car handles. that is why spoon put a fuel cell in the very rear of the car to try and equal out the distribution. balance is the name of the game when building a quality race car.

 

This is very true. look here = Car handling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are many more references as well.

 

I most agree weight distribution has everything to do with handling. It is the way the weight of a car sits on all four tires. When you turn weight gets shifted from one side and added to another hence producing understeer. To much weight on the outside tire causes that tire to exceed its grip limit and produce slip, hence understeer.

Now there are plenty of "tricks" to cure understeer but nothing helps keep a car planted more then good weight distribution, regardless of which tire the power is going to.

 

great idea but it would never happen

honda has their head too far up their ass right now, that's why they killed the new s2k and nsx projects

there will be a comeback in a few years i hope