The Civic Si, introduced to the US by
Honda in 1999 and continued into the 2000
model year, is a
performance-oriented version of the
venerable Honda Civic. (Please note that this car is referred to as the
Civic SiR in
Canada.)
Using a new variation of the b16a engine from the VTEC Civic Del Sol of the mid-90's, this car puts out an impressive 160 horsepower with just 1.6 litres of displacement. Torque, however, is not as impressive at only 111 foot-pounds. The 0-60 time has been reported at anywhere from 7.1 to 7.8 seconds. I think 7.0 is possible with aftermarket tires and a driver who knows how to properly launch a high-revving car. Speaking of which, the b16a's redline is a lofty 8000 rpm, with the rev limiter at about 8300. Peak power comes at 7500 or so, which means you really have to wind it up to extract the full potential of this engine.
On a personal note, I love my Civic Si. I bought a 2000 in Electron Blue Pearl and have since added a cold air intake (CAI) from AEM. More mod's will hopefully be added in 2001. Currently under consideration are underdrive pulleys and shocks/springs. I won't add cosmetic stuff because I'm not a riceboy. :-)