Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Auto Top NL
Honda’s Civic EK was popular among tuning enthusiasts in the early 2000s, and some of those cars are still fan favorites across the world. The platform has been the base for all kinds of builds, and those who sunk a small fortune into the sixth generation of Honda’s compact hatchback have obtained impressive results.
With the knowledge available at our fingertips today, someone who has a reasonable sum of money on hand can get their hands on a late 90s Honda Civic EK and then start to modify it to obtain an impressive power level.
Once the tuning starts, the vehicle becomes less and less suited for daily driving, especially if you are after extreme results. However, if you want the latter, it can be done.
For example, someone started with a B18C4-engined Honda Civic EK and decided to gain as much power as possible, while maintaining an appearance that is as close to stock as possible. The result was a vehicle that provides 360 horsepower on the low boost setting, while being capable of a claimed 475 horsepower and 500 Nm if it is set to its maximum attack mode.
To achieve this goal, the owner had to rebuild the engine with forged rods and pistons, a cylinder support system, and upgraded valve springs to help them stay closed even at stratospheric RPMs. The engine has a Tial wastegate, a Ramhorn exhaust manifold, and a Mishimoto intercooler, not to mention 1,000-cc injectors.
The intake is a Skunk 2 Pro unit with a 2.5-inch pipe from the intercooler. The definitely-not-stock sound comes from a three-inch downpipe and exhaust. There is also a turbocharger involved, and it is a GT 30 unit that was acquired from AliExpress. That means that this is a budget-oriented build, but it seems to hold up well with the right ECU tune.
The folks at Auto Top NL have driven it on a few roads in Germany, as well as on an unrestricted part of the Autobahn, and the result is impressively fast. We are referring to a 100 to 200 kph (62 to 124 mph)acceleration time that is better than an E60 M5 is, which is not something that anyone would expect from a seemingly stock-looking Civic.
Other upgrades of the vehicle include a set of BC Racing coilovers front and rear, Brembo brakes front and rear with upgraded pads, and a set of Toyo Proxes R888 R tires. The build is impressive, that is for sure, and we like the sleeper look.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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