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Honda CRX - Almost British

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Created on August 29, 2024

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

31

Archiv

7

Bruno von Rotz

31

Archiv

7

Abrupt end: The CRX has no rear end in the true sense of the word. It simply stops abruptly behind the rear wheels

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In a nutshell: the wheelbase is 20 cm shorter than that of the Civic. The whole car is 18.5 cm shorter and 8 cm lower

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First lady's hand: The BBS wheels have been retrofitted, but otherwise this CRX is remarkably original

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As an estate coupé with a large tailgate, the CRX even offers a certain utility value. Only the high loading sill is not ideal

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Too daring? Via the detour of the Rover SD1, a stylistic relationship to the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 can even be deduced

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Models with the 1.6-liter twin cam can be recognized by the bump in the hood

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The secret of its cornering ability: the track is just 85 cm narrower than the wheelbase is long

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The window below the spoiler is almost opaque from the outside

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Probably the most boring way to drive a CRX: straight ahead

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Honda CRX (1991) - visual proximity to the Civic sedan

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Interior with three-spoke steering wheel and superbly shaped sports seats. The switch for the standard sunroof to the right of the coin drawer

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Caution is the mother of ruckus: To be on the safe side, the red zone of the rev counter starts just above 7000. In fact, the end of the scale can be reached safely

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The cockpit is typical for Japanese cars of its time: clear, well-organized, functional - but also a little dull

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The center panels of the seats at least add a bit of color to the gray-black interior

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Precision landing: The windshield below the rear spoiler helps with maneuvering, but not much more

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The passenger grab handle is indispensable in a CRX that is being moved as intended

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The 1.6-liter four-valve engine looks good even without the plastic cover. In the Swiss version, it delivers 120 hp at 6800 rpm

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Although very long-stroke at 75 mm x 90 mm, the four-cylinder easily revs up to 8000

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Classic: Valve cover in shrink lacquer with raised, bright-milled lettering

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Streamlined: flat front without radiator grille and flush-mounted headlights

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Seal of motorsport quality: Honda engines dominated Formula 1 at the end of the 1980s

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1.6i-16: If the simple number after the engine capacity is too cryptic, it is written out again above the spoiler

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Mini model update: From 1990, the CRX only had one reversing light. The left-hand one was replaced by the rear fog light

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The rear lights are reminiscent of those on the VW Scirocco II, but even the 16V with more power was inferior to the CRX

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Honda CRX HF (1987) - model specially designed for the US market with reduced equipment and 59 hp ("High Fuel")

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Honda CRX (1987) - since 1986 with flush-mounted headlights, here the US model with 77 hp

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Honda CRX Si (1987) - sports model for the US market with 92 hp and 14-inch alloy wheels

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Honda CRX (1992) - For its last half model year, it was given the rear wing of the Japanese version and a single, oval exhaust tailpipe

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Honda CRX 1.6 VTEC Mugen (1992) - special model limited to 30 units for Switzerland with Mugen body kit, suspension and 16-inch alloy wheels. Available in red and black

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Honda CRX 1.6 VTEC Mugen (1992) - In Japan with a hyphen: Although the Swiss special model was given the Mugen CR-X Pro.2 trim kit, it had a different rear wing - and certainly not the 155 hp engine

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Honda CRX 1.6 VTEC Mugen (1992) - Compared to the standard model, the special edition model has a much more muscular appearance - with unchanged engine power

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Honda CRX (1991) - for a trip into the countryside?

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Honda CRX (1991) - short overhangs

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Honda CRX (1991) - the lower part of the tailgate is transparent

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Honda CRX (1991) - Room for two

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Honda CRX (1991) - lots of plastic, but beautifully designed instruments

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Honda CRX (1991) - unorthodoxly placed handle for the front passenger

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The Mini has already proven that a transverse engine and front-wheel drive need not be at all unsporting

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Summary

What nonsense to compare a Japanese sports car from the eighties with an English roadster from the sixties! Or is it? In fact, they differ in nothing so much as their engine characteristics - and of course the fact that the Japanese car has a fixed roof. This article introduces the Honda CRX and explains why, as a small, agile fun maker, it can certainly be considered the successor to British sports car culture.

This article contains the following chapters

Bigger and heavier, but still small and light
A reason to celebrate
Too inspiring for its own good

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Simple large-scale production technology, short wheelbase, low center of gravity - after the traditional sports car from Great Britain had died out, the Japanese took it upon themselves to supply the world with fun-to-drive vehicles based on this classic formula. Today, the Mazda MX-5 is regarded as the big bang of the roadster comeback. And stylistically, that may well be true. In terms of design, however, the Nippon engineers followed the English patent recipe of omission far earlier, even if it is not immediately recognizable due to the fixed sheet metal roof. Five and a half years before the MX-5, Honda had cut 18 centimeters out of the floor panel of the compact Civic, replaced the rear seats with a makeshift flatbed and boosted the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine from 85 to 100 hp with electronic fuel injection instead of carburetion. Subsequently, a group of exclusively under-30-year-old stylists were allowed to design a new, five-centimeter-lower coupé body to suit the tastes of the young target group. The model is said to have been the Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato.

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