Honda’s CRX SiR Brings Us Back to Honda’s Golden Era
Decidedly simple and effective, the CRX SiR is what made Honda’s of the ’80s the most desirable of their kind.
What a stark contrast the CRX is from Honda’s current hottest lineup. Smooth flat lines. Openings that are only as large as they need to be. Fourteen inch rims. Crank windows. And yet, with stats that look wholly unimpressive on paper (today at least), there’s no doubt the CRX SiR is an impressive machine. But, wow. It’s small, reserved, and everything that the Civic Type R isn’t. At least visually.
Mechanically, the SiR and CTR do pull off something similar; performance that punches much higher than the vehicle would suggest. HotCars found this particular example, and it really reminds us about how Honda has evolved. Honda’s prize, of course, was making an engine that could churn out a magical 100 horsepower per liter.
Displacing 1.6 liters, the B16A made – you guessed it – 160 horsepower. For what it was, it was remarkably quick. Automobile-Catalog lists this car’s sprint to 60 miles per hour in 6.9 seconds. Contrast that with Road & Track‘s test of a 1989 Corvette, which finished the same test in 6.6 seconds. The Corvette never had to worry about that, because the SiR was never a U.S. model.
But the Si did put Honda on the map for both aftermarket parts and motorsport. The B16 soon became a legend in its own right among grassroots racers. And the CRX platform is used to this day for autocross and track days nation wide. The CTR is a bit different in this regard. Despite its incredible prowess on street, we haven’t seen it scooped up for track days like we would have thought. The Type R does have a solid following on track, no doubt, but we identify the Si as the one with a motorsport pedigree. At least in the TCR category.
This SiR in particular is on Cars & Bids, and was imported to the US in 2018 from Japan. Amazingly, it escaped its home country without any modifications of any sort. In fact, seeing it basically stock showcases how humble this car is. And for whom ever becomes the next owner, will likely know that older performance Hondas are best left all-original.
Photos: Cars & Bids
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