The CR-Z debate

  I am a liilte late on this debate but I wanted to put in my two cents. Recently Honda released the CR-Z hybrid. Honda calls it a sports hybrid. When it was released it brought a sportier version of a hybrid car complete with a manual transmission. For those looking for something in a hybrid that had a little more kick to it. This was your car. But to the Honda loyalists this was a bit of a disapointment. For the honda heads they saw visions of a new CR-X. But felt let down by it being a hybrid and only coming with a 1.5 liter motor. The CR-X is a cult car in Honda land. A liteweight two seater that paired with the right motor can make a great track car or drag car. Even the show crowd loved this car. But when you think of it the CR-X and CR-Z aren't that much diffrent. The CR-X was built as a small car to help get good gas milage. It was not built to be a sports car or to be a track car. But as people began to tune their Hondas the CR-X's lightweight helped make it a popular choice. When people first bought them it was for commuting and to save gas but have a little bit of a sporty side. Is this starting to sound familar? The CR-Z is also a small car built to save gas while being a little sporty.

  I know a lot of people are griping saying the CR-Z should have came with a K series motor. But that is not what Honda wanted. I think some of the current generation of tuners have gotten a little spoiled. The fact that there are performance cars that come straigght from the factories. The whole appeal of the CR-X was when people began to swap motors or turbo their factory motors. These guys built the legened of the CR-X on the streetsand the streets and the track. They didn't get the best motor form Honda to begin with. They made due with what they had. I see wth the CR-Z this is also starting to happen. Look out there at cars from Bisimoto, HKS, Spoon and Backyard Special. They are building some of the best versions of the CR-Z. Take Bisimoto and his 500hp turboed hybrid. Yes it is still a Hybrid. There is even a CR-Z with a swapped K series motor. Much like the the tuners with the CR-X they are finding ways to build a better CR-Z. I personaly like the looks of the CR-Z. I can see where this could make a great car to tune and track.  I think when it is said and done the CR-Z will become a great tuning platform.

  For all those that hate on Honda because the didn't build the CR-Z the way you wanted them to. Well i got a little advice for you. Go out there and build it the way you want it. Don't complain about what it is not. Instead find what is good and make it better. After all if the people that first started working on their CR-X's took the same appraoch as you. Do you think it would have become the legend it is?