VTi-R Va-room

Most Australian car enthusiasts admire the VTEC-equipped Honda Civic VTi-R. Not necessarily for its outright performance - 8.7-second 0 - 100s are pretty average these days - but more a respect for the technology and its novel approach to power.

But when Salvadore of Sydney lines you up at the lights in his dark blue VTi-R, you'd better get used to the idea of getting wasted. This VTi-R ain't no underdog - it's a 280-odd horsepower top dog!

So what the heck is responsible for more than doubling the 160-horse factory power output? Simple - a bolt-on Jackson Racing supercharger kit from the 'States.

Salvadore bought his Civic VTi-R back when it was new in 1996. "I'd owned a CRX and Civic Si before the VTi-R and I really come to appreciate Hondas," he says. Having fitted an exhaust and a couple of other bits to the CRX and Si, Salvadore wasn't exactly bowled over by the performance of the stock VTi-R. "It was pretty good for back then and it revved nicely but, really, what other hot hatch was there in the mid '90s?" he says.

The first mods were the usuals - you know, a 2 ¾-inch exhaust, a set of extractors, air intake and UniChip. These helped the go-fast cause but they didn't provide the kick in the pants Salvadore was hoping for. For that he'd have to wait a couple of years for Jackson Racing to release a blower kit to suit the EK4 Civic.

It was a painful wait, but it was well worth it.

Immediately following the public release of the kit, Salvadore put in his order and started rubbing his hands together. The kit arrived as a true bolt-on - there was the twin-screw blower, the new intake manifold along with all necessary brackets and pulleys.

Joviant Performance was responsible for installing the blower kit and it was stirred together with a Haltech E6K programmable management system. A new K&N cold air induction arrangement was also whipped up, while the existing JMAC extractors and high-flow exhaust were left in place. The high revving engine internals - including a 10.2:1 compression ratio - remain untouched.

Salvadore couldn't help but smile every time he tromped the loud pedal in his newly boosted Civic. "The kit is designed so that you get boost as soon as you put your foot down, regardless of revs," he says. And that makes for a formidably quick and flexible streeter.

But things didn't stop there.

Hungry for that wee bit more, Salvadore decided to fit a different drive pulley that would spin the blower to produce 11 psi boost. Yep, a boost increase from 6 to 11 psi was surely gonna make a difference! An AEM lightweight underdrive air conditioner pulley was also installed at this time.

That extra whack of boost really got the car hiking, but there were a couple of heat issues that came with it. Without the fitment of an intercooler, Salvadore was forced to fit an Aquamist water injection system that sprays water into the intake manifold following the supercharger. A MRT in-boot aluminium tank (complete with sight level) and careful tuning were required to avoid flooding the engine with water. The spray is presently activated at low boost by an output channel of the Haltech ECU.

There were also a couple of temperature issues relating to the fuel system. The upgrade fuel pump and new fuel pressure regulator were keeping the appropriate mixtures, but the harder working blower seemed to be overheating the nearby fuel rail. This situation was remedied with MRT fitting a heavily heat sink'd AEM rail. MRT also went the extra length with a Bakelite intake manifold insulator, which is intended to keep the intake manifold/blower assembly as cool as possible.

Driveline wise, the VTi-R has copped it sweet - the only alterations being the fitment of a ceramic clutch and a short shifter. "They run some very quick times in America using the standard gearbox," says Salvadore. This is despite the stonking increase in torque that comes with forced induction.

On the road with its 280-odd horsepower, the front-drive Civic is surprisingly stable and well mannered. "The front-end has equal length driveshafts, which helps reduce torque steer," says Salvadore. It does torque steer a little but no worse than, say, a Mazda MX-6 turbo. Anyway, wheelspin and torque steer simply add to the thrill as you blast ahead of your traffic light rival!

To help accommodate the doubling of power, Salvadore has also upgraded the brakes.

The factory ABS four-wheel disc arrangement has been improved with the fitment of DBA drilled and slotted front discs working with EBC Greenstuff pads.

Back in the early days of development, the double wishbone suspension was also enhanced. K-Mac swaybars and GAB strut bars can be found front and rear, along with 2-inch lowered springs and a camber adjustment kit.

The 2-inch lowered stance does the hatchback's aesthetics no harm, nor do the polished and clear-coated Enkei Racing 16s. These wear 205/45 Bridgestone Potenza rubbers. Aside from that, the only body mods are an aftermarket front 'bar from Hong Kong and some colour coding.

Indoors there has been little change to the comfortable and surprisingly roomy cabin. A set of white dials, an AutoMeter boost gauge and a Momo gear knob are the only non-standard items.

At present, the car hasn't recorded any quarter mile times - and there's no rush to hit the strip. Salvadore is more than happy to keep watching people's face every time he leaves 'em behind at the lights. This is a streetcar and Salvadore makes no question about it.

And it's a streetcar that demands a lot more than a quiet sense of admiration!

Contacts:

MRT Performance
+61 2 9809 2110

www.mrtrally.com.au

Joviant Performance
+61 2 9905 3399

www.joviantperformance.com

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