My GT7 Log: Sports Civic

If you were born in the early 1990s, you might remember seeing the fifth-generation Honda Civic for the first time. It was the first Civic of the Heisei era and stood out from other cars on the road. I bet you wished you were riding in one of those instead of the Toyota Corolla or Mitsubishi Lancer.

The fifth-generation Honda Civic, known in TV commercials as the "Sports Civic", was launched in 1991. It's the first Honda Civic of the Heisei era and emerged during the bubble economy's aftermath. It was offered in three body styles: the 3-door hatchback, the 4-door Ferio saloon, and the coupe version, CBU from the USA. Depending on the body style, the fifth-generation Honda Civic is powered by choice of a 1.3L, 1.5L, 1.6L SOHC, and the speedo boy favorite; the 1.6L VTEC.

The car featured in Gran Turismo 7 is of course the 3-door hatchback in SiR-II variant powered by the 1.6 L D16Z6 VTEC I4 engine.

In the world of Initial D, the EG Civic 3-door hatchback is the preferred car of Shingo Shoji, the half of the Night Kids duo. Shingo challenged Takumi Fujiwara in a duel with one twisted handicap; having their right hands duct-taped to the steering wheel. It was a sick duel but Takumi kept his cool. In the end, Shingo crashed and Takumi won the race.

I always wanted to ride in a Honda Civic. When I finally got to drive one in Gran Turismo, I realized just how good its dynamics are. Long story short but it's no wonder why so many people want to experience the Civic magic while they can. Some abuse the privilege by making their Civics loud enough to wake the neighborhood and fast enough to get themselves killed.

Today, I went to the eastern section of Suzuka Circuit to prove just how good the first Heisei-era Civic was. Don't worry, I won't be duct-taping my hand on the steering wheel just like in Initial D. Anyway, let's roll the tape.

Small, nimble, and grippy. This is what the Civic of the early 90s feels like and how it became a standout even in modern times. Thank you, Initial D.

The fifth-generation Honda Civic rewrote the rules of what a Civic should be when it was launched in 1991. Although it has been coveted since its launch, it's still in the crosshairs of JDM fanatics worldwide today because of its appearance in the Initial D series.

Is this the kind of Civic you really want?