Beastie Hatchback certainly lives up to its name. This bold EG Civic is as much an engineering exercise as some of Affinity Aerodynamic’s other projects—the Enviate being one of them. Unlike the Enviate, this front-wheel drive economy car is subject to more constraints though it’s no less extreme. Thanks to the wild imaginations of owner Aric Streeter and builder Cody Loveland, this outrageous creation ought to give Civic tuners something to aspire towards beyond the basic all-motor momentum machines.
Photo credit: Toyo Tires
A Striking Silhouette
The flared fenders and wings first catch the eye, and the trained eye might recognize some of them. The front and rear wings are the same as the Enviate Hypercar: the car which came 2nd in the Unlimited Class at Pike’s Peak two years ago. The Enviate program was extensively developed through CFD and rigorous testing, so they applied known parts to Beastie Hatchback in order to form a basis. Next, Loveland built an extensive diffuser and sub-floor system, utilizing front underway extractors and a complete second splitter under the engine. This allows for some adjustment of how the air of the underside of the front wing reacts. In addition, the front wing, which measures some 98″ across, has adjustable second elements that allow for adjustments depending on track conditions.
Though the builders aren’t able to publish the downforce numbers until they hit the wind tunnel this year, they can say that the downforce completely smashed through three inches of 700 in/lb spring at a steady state 65 mph. When coupled with a square set of 18×13″
HRE C96 wheels shod in
Toyo Proxes slicks measuring 335/710/18, the grip is astounding. Interestingly, the suspension is made up from a relatively simple set of stock-valved Koni Yellows and Eibach springs, with rates suitable to support the huge aero. In the near future, that should change to something a little more suited to a spike in power—which, considering the current output, ought to be frightening.
Funneling air behind the front wheels with a detailed underbody, this Civic’s underbody is pretty trick for a homebuilt car. Photo credit: Toyo Tires
Ditching the Four
Such grip is a useful thing when 600 horsepower at the wheels is currently available. The engine poking out of the hood is a J32A2 3.5-liter V6 plucked from an Acura TL Type-S—controlled by a Link ECU. Force-fed by a Garrett GTX3576 at 14 psi, the car makes 497 whp and 426 wtq at 6,500 rpm. They’ve since installed Supertech valve springs to be able to handle more revs, as well as a Clutchmasters FX400 clutch to allow for a little more headroom.
Why would a sporty Honda motor only rev to a mere 6,500 rpm? In order for Beastie Hatchback to maintain traction on Loveland’s Mustang MD250 dyno, they had to run their pulls in 5th gear. Wheel speed was well above 150 mph, and having no power steering on a high-torque FWD car is not something that’s easy to keep on the rollers. When power output is extrapolated to 8,200 rpm, the math suggests the motor can produce nearly 600 whp. Though some might consider that overkill with a front-wheel drive Civic, the grip available have Streeter and Loveland looking to double the output.
If you look closely, there’s a Civic attached to that front wing. Photo credit: Toyo Tires
Plans for Power and Traction
The first order of business is bumping power.
Garrett, pleased with their progress, is sending them a GTX358R to replace the aging GTX3576R, and
Cylinder Support System will provide a couple robust J35 blocks, which is the motor used in the Honda Odyssey and Pilot. They’re still searching for a provider of rods and pistons, which are the last pieces of puzzle. Once completed, the new setup should be capable of 1,000 hp at 43 psi.
Now, even with Toyo slicks as broad as the Beastie’s, that freight train thrust is hard to make much use of. Therefore, they’ve decided to continue down the path to extremes and outfit the Civic with a custom AWD system. Based upon a K-series transmission, this bespoke setup will incorporate a Ford 8.8 rear differential and other driveline components from
Baystate Dyno and Performance in conjunction with
Automotive Koncepts & Designs Inc.; as well as the rear control arms, differential subframe, and other related bits from
S1Built.
Despite the detailed exterior, the simplistic cabin even features a ziptied stock gauge cluster! Photo credit: Toyo Tires
With the new additions promising frightening acceleration and cornering speeds, some top-tier brakes are in order.
RPS Carbon is currently building a pair of 380 mm front carbon disks, as well as a set of rear disks which haven’t yet been decided. Calipers are too still undecided, though they will be endurance-oriented six-pistons. Flanking them will be a properly valved set of K-TUNED adjustable coilovers to support the required high spring rates.
It’s a stunning car we want to see driven in complete anger. With plans for Pikes Peak and more, it should inspire legions to try something other than the basic Civic recipes with their next EG build.
Photo credit: Toyo Tires
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