2005 Chicago Auto Show: 2006 Honda Civic Si Photo Gallery
A sneak peek of the sixth-generation Si
By Editors of Motor Trend
Photography by the Manufacturers
Motor Trend, February 2005
Honda displayed a Civic Si concept in Chicago, calling it a “strong indication of the styling and performance direction for an all-new production Civic Si” that will make its real-world debut at SEMA in November. A sneak peek of the sixth-generation Si, the concept features the latest generation of “intelligent” I-VTEC technology, as well as a 200-horsepower, 16-valve DOHC engine mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. A helical-type limited-slip differential helps improve launch traction and cornering performance, and 18-inch cast-aluminum wheels wrapped in 225/40R18 tires and four-wheel disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors and four-piston Brembo calipers improve handling.
“The 2006 Civic Si Coupe will be the most powerful, fastest, and fun-to-drive Si we’ve ever put on the street and the Civic Si concept sets the direction in terms of its styling, package, and performance,” says John Mandel, Senior Vice President of American Honda. The 2006 Civic lineup will include a sedan and coupe, as well as fuel-efficient Hybrid and natural-gas powertrains when it comes to market in the fall.
To whet appetites, we have the Honda Civic Si Concept to ponder. It’s been 20 years since the first Honda Civic Si arrived in the U.S. for the 1984 model year, and Honda says that the 2006 Civic Si will be the fastest and most powerful production Civic ever. A 200-horsepower, 16-valve, dual-overhead cam, inline four-cylinder engine with an 8,000 rpm redline boasts the latest generation of i-VTEC technology to produce optimum power, optimum efficiency, and optimum levels of emissions.
A close-ratio six-speed manual transmission delivers power to the front wheels, and the engine breathes through a sport-tuned exhaust system that sounds terrific. Honda recorded a production Civic Si making a run through the gears and played it for the assembled press. It sounded more powerful, and more exotic, than a four-cylinder ought to. Keeping that power flowing to the ground is a standard helical-type limited slip front differential. Large 18-inch alloy wheels wearing 225/40 performance tires filled the wheel wells on the Honda Civic Si Concept, fronting four-wheel-disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors and Brembo four-piston calipers.