Will the Honduh really give that much extra? And they’re still NA so not terribly torue-y… But do sound the nuts
It does appear to be the most developed kit but my thinking is the really give the ol’ VHPD some real abuse, learn the car and get it setup to my requirements then once it finally goes “pop” look at the conversions about then
Personally I’d still be tempted by a bike engine for weight saving, a turbo’d 'busa engine has to be pretty special surely? Isn’t the honda a fair amount heavier?
Mike - I will try to make it to Mallory for the 2nd, would be good to see the Audi car out there racing. Would love to take you guys out in the Nissan some time, I will try to do a test day just for fun when the season is over.
RemarkLima - The trouble with driving the K until it goes bang is that it won’t be worth anything in little pieces. I know on paper the Honda doesn’t have a much more power than the K but I bet it has much much better drivability and spread of power. Also, I’m after something that is going to prove reliable and that is a major plus with anything made by Honda.
I’m with you there.
I’ll use the car until I really feel I have reached its limits.
I know now I can go faster with my current setup, so will use the ol’K until it can do no more.
The bike engine one is not really an option, I don’t believe a modded turbo Busa is going to last any longer than a 200BHP VHPD.
Agreed about the reliability, my first trackcar was an old NA MR2, it had 211k miles on the clock and never broke down on me and would happily hit the limiter in any gear (well except 5th where it just ran out of puff )… That’s some serious engineering!!!
Because of that the 2ZZ-GE in the new Elise and Exige should also provide that reliability.
Now I guess there’d be one other suitable jap lump, the 2.0l Nissan jobbie in the Tommi-kiara ZZ (a jap only, virtually the same as an elise, just out a year before) as that’d be the right way round IYSWIM.
But yep, I have a huge amount of respect for Japanese engineering!
Having not driven my civic for some time until this weekend, the engine completely reminded me of why I bought the car and is just the best 4pot available. I can’t see how it wouldn’t offer a signifiant performance advantage over a K series even in VHPD. The VVT makes significant torque available from 2.5k rpm (which in an engine doing 8500 is bugger all) and there’s a wealth of tuning options for the Honda K, 200 bhp at the wheels is easily achievable.
Totally They’re quite interesting really, came out a year before the Elise, same bonded ali chassis, GRP body, low weight (IIRC ~750kg again)… But with either a 2.0l 200bhp Nissan lump or a more tuned 240bhp nissan lump, a much better idea than the silly 120bhp k
So in essence the Elise isn’t so revolutionary… I think it’s just sold better in Europe due to the climate, japan doesn’t take too well to no Air Con
Having now seen both a Honda and an Audi powered car I am pretty well decided that I NEED a Honda engine. I’ve been speaking to both Maidstone and Blink today and I’ve also sourced a suitable engine. I’m going for a UK engine as, although I like the idea of an LSD, I don’t think I could cope with the ultra close ratios of the JDM for daily use. All I need to do now is make sure I get it fitted in time to do the Nordshleife at the end of June .
