SUFFERING FROM IMPROVEMENT
I just returned from the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, and, from what I saw, the Sport Compact market is alive and well. I was one of three guest speakers for American Honda to help with the unveiling of the 2006 Civic Si. The new Civic Si is a remarkable car - it’s all-new from the ground up (and thank God that it is new from the ground-up because the previous Civic Si was a huge failure to American Honda and the aftermarket as a whole.) The aftermarket is the lifeblood of our industry, and the Civic has always been the lifeblood of the aftermarket.
Some of you can remember back to the late 80’s and all through the 90’s — the Civic was THE car to drive and modify. And with the popularity of the Civic came the aftermarket manufacturers. Everyone was trying to get in on the action. The aftermarket was booming. Each year we waited for the newest model to be released only to have to pay a premium at the dealerships to buy one. This was especially true for the ‘99-’00 Civic Si — with its B16 engine and tight chassis, everyone wanted one. And the sales people at the Honda dealerships knew it and charged us appropriately. I can think of some adjectives to describe what they did to us when we were in the closer’s office, but my editor wouldn’t print them.
Along came the all new 2002 Civic Si. With a weak engine and poorly managed chassis, no wanted one. The facts spoke for themselves. The old B16 engine revved to 8000 rpm. The new K motored Civic revved to 6500 rpm. The old Civic had a “Split Wishbone” race-proven chassis. The new Civic has a McPherson strut chassis. The reality that no one wanted the new Civic meant that no one needed aftermarket parts for them. Yes, old Civics will be around for a long time and there will still be a need for aftermarket products for the older cars, but the new models are what keep the wheels of commerce turning in the aftermarket, and the wheels were starting to fall off of the aftermarket because of this new 2002 Civic Si.
Right when Honda was shooting themselves in the foot with the 2002 Civic, Ford was busy trying to get a piece of the fading Honda Civic market. Ford released the new Ford Focus in 2000, and, along with the new Focus, they got a lot of cooperation from the aftermarket to build products for the Focus. Considering the aftermarket was hoping for some miracle to bring the business back to what it was in the 90’s, they, and I, were willing to do just about anything to get our revenue streams back to normal.
Don’t get me wrong, the Focus was no barn burner. With only 130 horsepower it was the equivalent of a late 90’s Civic in the power department — a “B series” killer it was not, but the engine had lots of potential and the chassis was very impressive. So, I developed a supercharger kit for it and moved on. But the Focus was a completely new car to the aftermarket and to the consumers, so its initial sales figures were less than impressive when compared to the “old days” of the ‘99-’00 Civic Si.
That was five years ago. In the meantime, the Focus has steadily grown in popularity in the youth market place for a few very good reasons. One reason for its success is Focaljet.com. Focaljet.com is a Web site dedicated to the Focus and all things Focus and it’s very well done. Another reason for the success of the Focus is that it has retained the same chassis for the last five years. The chassis is very nimble and has huge potential. Also, there have been only two power plants since the first day it rolled off the assembly line, which makes parts availability affordable. How affordable, you ask? How about a factory Ford suspension kit from Ford Racing that includes shocks, lowering springs, and sway bars for $250. Or a brand new Focus engine without the cylinder head for $650. Speaking of cylinder heads, how about a brand new factory CNC-ported Ford Racing cylinder head, complete with oversized stainless steel racing valves, springs, and retainers for $700 without a core charge. On top of all of that, there are supercharger or turbo kits from top companies like Cosworth Racing, Roush Racing, Vortech, Jackson Racing (of course), Powerdyne, HKS, and FocusSport, all available at affordable prices.
For 2006, NASA (National Auto Sport Association) will be running a spec series for the Focus. So, now there will be a series dedicated to the Ford Focus only. With the inexpensive parts prices, it makes it extremely attractive for the budget racer.
So, what does all of this mean? Will the new Civic Si revive the aftermarket? Keep in mind that the ‘06 Civic has less horsepower than the current RSX-S and weighs more. And the current RSX-S isn’t very impressive at the drag strip. With quarter mile times in the mid to high 15’s it doesn’t impress me.
Will the Focus become the Civic of the new millennium? I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know. What I can tell you is that the Focus is a tremendous car, but the new Civic Si is also a very nice car on paper. I won’t know if it has the potential for improvement like the Civics of old until I’m allowed to drive one, and that hasn’t happened yet.
In my next installment, I’m going to do a build-up on a Ford Focus while on the dyno. We’ve seen thousands of Civic build ups, I think its time we did one right here at CAR SOUND & PERFORMANCE.
Until next time, stand on the loud pedal. It’s the first one on the right!
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