Video: Spoon Civic Revs to the Moon

With a normally-aspirated engine, there are two ways to increase power. Either one increases the displacement, or they raise the revs significantly, and the bright minds at Spoon opted for the latter route. By building upon a B16 and improving the valvetrain, the engine note at fill-tilt sounds like a proper racing car. More importantly, the engine revs with a smoothness and a response the factory car desperately needed.

http://www.ek9.org/index.php?attachments/img_3207-jpg.247/

The distinctive black-and-yellow paint scheme of the Spoon EK9 will excite Inital D fans everywhere.

Where the modified mill shows some room for improvement is, ironically, in the highest revs, somewhere above 9500 rpm, where it runs out of steam. Running on stock camshafts, the top end is still untapped territory. In the configuration seen in this video, the 1.6-liter motor made an impressive 200 horsepower. As seen in later installments of this series, the engine was fitted with a proper set of camshafts and capacity increased, netting an incredible 260 horsepower from 1.8 liters.

One added benefit of the extended redline is that it allows for the driver to remain consistently within the VTEC powerband without changing the gear ratios. Whereas the stock car falls below the VTEC crossover point when grabbing another gear, the Spoon car stays well above the 5800-rpm transition point.

This accelerative advantage is best demonstrated on the front straight where the Spoon machine outpaces a well-driven Civic Type R. Despite a fantastic start, the Type R begins to fall behind as soon as its driver reaches for second, and the Spoon car sails by effortlessly, unhampered by the need for a gearchange, while emitting a glorious bark.

 

About the author

Tommy Parry

Tommy Parry has been racing and writing about racing cars for the past seven years. As an automotive enthusiast from a young age, he worked jobs revolving around cars throughout high school, and tried his hand on the race track on his 20th birthday. After winning his first outdoor kart race, Tommy began working as an apprentice mechanic to amateur racers in the Bay Area to sharpen his mechanical understanding. He has worked as a track day instructor and automotive writer since 2012, and continues to race karts, formula cars, sedans, and rally cars in the San Francisco region.
Read My Articles

Classis Street Rods in your Inbox.
Daily, Weekly... Your Choice.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Speednik.com, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
Speednik NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Speednik.com

We'll send you the most interesting Speednik articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

Speednik.com

Speednik NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Speednik.com

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


Street Muscle Magazine
Hot Rods & Muscle Cars
Diesel Army
Diesel Army
Engine Labs
Engine Tech

Speednik.com

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • Streetmuscle Hot Rods & Muscle Cars
  • Diesel Army Diesel Army
  • Engine Labs Engine Tech

Speednik.com

Speednik

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Speednik.com

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading