It Might Be Big, Blingy And Heavy, But It Rocks An A/V System Like You've Never Heard And Also Boosts On The New R18 Civic Engine.
Let us ask the question so you don't have to: why are you reading about an uber A/V install that probably weighs almost half the weight of the Civic it's installed into, thus pegging the Hot Import Nights bling meter in the red, in Honda Tuning, a magazine that usually stands against all things that look or smell like Hot Import Nights bling?
The answer: because the car looks great, has a smokin' A/V system and a Precision turbo kit, and makes no attempt to disguise itself as anything other than a slick show car.
We know most HT readers wouldn't think of turning their Civic into something as nuts as what Polk Audio has delivered and that's the point. Based in Baltimore, Polk is an established manufacturer of high-quality home and audio gear and has the money to put behind a marketing and branding exercise like this 2006 Civic coupe. Anytime a manufacturer puts some fun money behind a Honda project, we're usually interested.
Polk turned to 28-year-old auto body repair tech Ryan Shutt, also of Baltimore, to turn out the company's demo car. Shutt had a good line in with Honda already. Honda reps saw a '97 Civic at the 2004 SEMA show that he'd built and asked if he'd like to build something out of a new '06.
Shutt didn't know what he was getting into. Logistically, Honda was stretched to the wire trying to deliver new Civics to project builders in time for the 2005 SEMA show. The new cars simply weren't going to make it from Japan with enough time to really dig into a project.
Shutt took delivery of the coupe a mere six weeks before SEMA and left it in the care of Dietrich Auto Body in Baltimore. The Dietrich crew painted over the factory silver with a two-tone, black and orange coat of BASF. A custom body kit, carbon-fiber roof, hood, trunk and wing came courtesy of Audio Originals.
The monster A/V system came together in three weeks, with Polk Audio's Thom Voisinet and Josh Claar handling the install at Polk's HQ. Polk knows Alpine and Honda always go well together (it's no well-kept secret that Alpine builds many Honda factory audio/nav systems) and chose an Alpine video head unit, mated to Alpine EQ and crossovers, to generate the audio signal.
The signal then runs to four Polk amps, which distribute signal and over 1,600 watts of power to a pair of component speakers in the A-pillars, two midrange woofers in the doors, and dual 12-inch subwoofers in the trunk. The video signal is also run to two Alpine monitors in the trunk.
To beef up the sound and eliminate the buzz, rattle and pop of most novice (and/or cheap-ass) installs, the audio build also includes a full lathering of Dynamat Extreme sound deadening sheets, laid on while the car was stripped clean.
Even if fiberglass isn't your thing, it's hard to argue with the craftsmanship of the 'glass and carbon fiber-accented trim inside the car. In the doors, dash and trunk, Duraglass and Rage Gold body filler is used extensively for curves, cuts and angles of the 'glass trim panels.
But our attention is drawn most to the turbocharger attached to the new Civic R18 engine underhood, which is given additional help by two Nitrous Express bottles mounted in the rear seat area. Shutt has never strapped the car to a dyno, and that's a shame because we'd really like to know what this motor can do under boost.
Any numbers that we'd get however would be tempered by the unsprung weight and rolling stock, in this case, big 19x8.5 Davin Speed S2 wheels wrapped in Dunlop SP9000 tires.
Shutt admits the Civic is a true show car, but he doesn't baby it. He drives it to some events and photo shoots. He says it's fast and handles like a sports car.
Fast being a relative term, we still believe this car is capable of quickness, given its Precision Turbo ball-bearing charger, Vibrant piping and intercooler, Top Fuel exhaust system and engine management, Turbosmart boost controller and blow-off valve and the aforementioned NX squeeze.
The Civic also sits on Eibach springs with SPC alignment components and brakes with SSBC's Force 10 rotor/caliper system, so the sports car handling claim isn't hollow. Think of it as your sports car hauling around a living room worth of audio gear and a small TV.