Honda's super sub-compact and a specialty Si sedan make waves at the 2006 Sema Show. Too bad it was in a sea of muscle-bound domestics
What a difference a year makes. A short 12 months ago, the 2005 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas was a virtual Honda lovefest. The OEM was Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show. A new Si had captured the industry's imagination, evidenced by the 20 or so FG coupe projects scattered throughout the event, part of a contingent of more than 50 Hondas. Acura even gave competitors of the RSX Challenge billing at the show, of which Honda Tuning magazine was proudly a part.
Fast forward to November 2006. It's announced that Detroit's Big Three will be sharing the title of Manufacturer of the Show. Clearly the Honda-friendly climate had changed, because visitors to the convention center were greeted by row upon row of clean hot rods, old and new, parked in front of the main hall. And hanging over them, a huge sign that read: "American Musclecar."
OK, so maybe this year it was more like your father's SEMA, but that didn't mean Honda and its followers didn't try to assert themselves. Of the 15 project and concept vehicles repping the automaker, the preferred canvas for '06 was the lovable Fit. Perhaps the most tantalizing news, though, surrounded the Si 4-door and a trim package that will likely make every JDM-loving fool do back flips.
Honda is calling it the Civic MUGEN Si sedan, and it plans to make only 1,000 of them, which pretty much guarantees vehicle demand (read more about the car in the caption). The big H also showed off concepts for the CR-V and Fit, not to mention an Element that Honda R&D Americas built to go drifting (that's no typo). Honda's SEMA announcements coincided with the on-sale date for the Si sedan, which is the first Si ever in 4-door form to be sold in North America.
Read on to see what else the show had in store for fans of the H badge.
The Honda Booth
The news that will undoubtedly go down as the biggest out of the Honda camp at SEMA was the intro of this fierce little bird, the prototype Civic MUGEN Si sedan. That's right, kids; 2 of your favorite brands have teamed to create a production-based kick in the pants 4-door with a track-tuned suspension, aero tweaks, and a performance exhaust. The trim will also offer MUGEN 18-inch forged rims wrapped in summer rubber, front and rear MUGEN badges, a serial number on the instrument panel, and a MUGEN aluminum shift knob. Planned for a very limited run of only 500 a year for just 2 years, the Si iteration probably has more to do with MUGEN's rumored plans to set up shop in North America than any sudden change of heart on Honda's part toward the JDM audience. Dropping in spring '07 and available with a full warranty, the rollout also marks the first time ever a Civic is pushing the $30,000 threshold.