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600-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School

I have this wild dream that one day I'll be able to buy an island for myself and my fellow petrolhead friends. And on that island, I'd like to build one or maybe a few different racetracks. I would need to have a fleet of cars we could take out and have fun with. The Honda Civic EG6 would certainly make the list, as it's one of the most exciting cars I've ever driven. But would I build one for drag racing?
650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School 12 photos
Photo: Hoonigan
650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School650-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School
Well, it depends. I've seen Civics in the 8-second range at the drag strip, but that doesn't mean they're all going to be fast going down a straight line. Building an FWD car just doesn't make sense beyond a certain point, especially if you still plan on having fun on your local touge.

So if you do go overboard with your Honda, don't be shocked if it's not going to be all that efficient when it comes to laying down the power. Doing pulls from 100 mph might sound like a lot of fun, but what's going to happen if someone challenges you from a dig?

The 1992 Honda Civic that's lining up today is powered by a turbocharged, stroked B18 engine, that's rated for roughly 600 horsepower. To make things even more exciting, this thing only weighs in at 2,000 lbs (907 kg).

But then you notice that it's running a 5-speed manual gearbox and that the front axle has to deal with all that power by itself. This is the kind of car you'd expect to see on the cover of a magazine, but will it be able to hold its own going up against an LS-swapped Subaru BRZ?

650\-HP Honda Civic Drag Races LS\-Swapped Subaru BRZ, Gets Sent Back to School
Photo: Hoonigan
Reportedly, the owner of this car has gone through two different engines before ending up with the current LSR V8. Today, he's got the advantage when it comes to raw horsepower, but his car is about 1,150 lbs (521 kg) heavier than the Honda.

Still, with RWD and the right set of tires, chances are that this head-to-head battle is going to be over quite fast. Surprisingly enough, the predictions of Hoonigan members that are watching the race live are in favor of the FWD contender. We'll see about that.

This is not your regular drag strip, so the run is slightly shorter than usual. The finish line is exactly 1,000 feet (304 meters) away, and the best out of 3 goes home with the trophy. The BRZ driver almost jumps the start but then holds it in for a few moments before launching. Once it gets going, it doesn't look like it can lose the lead.

The Civic is struggling with poor traction levels, but at least that makes for a cool bouncing off the rev-limiter kind of soundtrack. American muscle once again leads the way, and JDM fans watching from home are probably quite upset with the outcome.

The driver of the Civic gets to set the terms for the second run as the organizers decide to switch to a roll race. Both cars will be going all out once they hit 50 mph (80 kph), but the Honda gets a 2-car lead from the beginning, hoping that this way it will even the odds. But that didn't phase the BRZ driver for a bit, as he performed calmly, crossing the finish line in 1st place once again.

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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