"Drift cars are very beautiful at circuit, but not many clean grip cars," he tells us."And, really I just wanted to have a nice grip car." Though it looks like a dedicated track car, that's only a portion of this fifth-generation Civic's workload. Beyond the adventures that take place on the circuit, it's also street driven regularly and, on occasion will make its way to a meet or car show for display.
This Civic serves as a step up in size for Yanagi, who previously owned and modified a Suzuki Alto Works kei car. His SiR II model left the Honda assembly line with a B16A engine, but he opted to move over to the more hyperactive B16B found in the EK9 Civic Type R. Before planting the engine in place with Hasport mounts, the short block was reworked by NAPREC with a fresh hone, Toda high compression pistons, and a precision balance.
NAPREC then milled, ported, and polished the 1.6-liter head before Toda Spec B cams, their adjustable cogs, and header were added along with a Skunk2 Ultra Street intake manifold. The engine was set in place and laced with aplug-and-play engine harness, while cooling was address with a tucked Speedfactory radiator and custom -16AN lines.
Before the hood is ever fussed with, it's the Civic's exterior that has drawn so much attention both in person and on social media. The once white body is covered in an Idemitsu-heavy livery with other brand mentions scattered about. Under the colorful vinyl treatment is a Sergeant EK-style front bumper fitted with a Mode Parfume lip with matching EK-style side skirts, Spoon Sports mirrors, Osaka JDM hatch wing, and a trimmed rear bumper.
Just beyond the IRP shifter is an A'PEXi Power FC anchored with a Checkerd Sports ECU mount, and all associated wiring and fluid lines that run through the cabin are nicely routed and secured. The original analog SiR gauges remain but the panel reserved for creature comfort controls has been removed and replaced by a single carbon fiber panel that holds the FC Commander, a wideband gauge, and an emergency cut off switch.