Modifications and The Enthusiast Community
Despite being a front-wheel-drive economy car, the Civic is popular as a platform for modification and customization by an enthusiast community. Starting with the fourth generation and continuing through the 2000 model year, Civics had front double wishbone suspension and rear semi-trailing arm suspension. Because of parts interchangeability, many Civics which were originally equipped with lower-power engines can later be equipped with a newer Honda engine (a process called engine swap), or many other upgrades. The most common swaps are B16A(Civic SI), B18C(Acura Integra GSR), or the new powerful K20(02-present Civic SI, 02-06 RSX Type-S).
Most recent seventh and eighth generations, now rated as compacts rather than subcompacts, are still competitive as tuner projects. However, they have succumbed to added weight (mostly due to U.S. government safety mandates, such as airbags, ABS, etc.), and higher centers of gravity which has significantly reduce their appeal amongst passionate drivers. Particularly unwelcome among the tuner community was the replacement of the front double-wishbone suspension with MacPherson struts, which provide inferior handling and do not allow dynamic camber angle control.
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“Long by the loved Enthusiast wooed,
Himself in some diviner mood,”
—William Collins (1721–1759)
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—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)