Honda CR-Z gets a K-series swap it was meant to have

[Dinesh]

For all the noble intentions housed by the boffins at Honda by creating the CR-Z as a spiritual successor to the nippy CR-X, sometimes the thought alone just won’t cut it. While the CR-Z does possess a respectable amount of handling to back up the less-than-stellar performance, by far it has fallen quite a distance from the goal.

The decent handling was already there, all it needed now was the go to match its show. So it was only a matter of time before the hybrid drivetrain was binned in favour of a more potent lump that would hark back to the glory days of the big ‘H’.

Enter LHT Performance and their demo CR-Z that now sports a potent K20A under the hood. That’s right folks, this CR-Z packs a huge can of VTEC whoop-ass with none of the hybrid shenanigans to get in the way of tackling turns.

The crew swiped out all the hybrid drivetrain bits and replaced it with the honest-to-goodness K20A for a roaring VTEC growl. They were also the first to pull a similar conversion on a first-gen Insight when it debuted.

They claim it’s the first successful K-series swap into a CR-Z and they’re probably right. In fact, they’ve even managed to maintain all the vehicle systems in perfect operating conditions, such as the power steering, air-conditioning, cruise control, stability control and the ABS.

As for now, there’s only a short video of the car sans roaring VTEC runs. Nonetheless, we’re informed that more pictures are on the way of this proper CR-X successor.

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Source: Youtube via Autoblog

 

[jun_ng_1208]

Awesomeness XD Recently only got a news on the CRZ R from Paultan.org and now it became reality :D

 

[skazareth]

this is what ppl actually want... done with this tree-hugging thing in the racing breeds please.. i mean.. not saying i'm lack of awareness on green-thingy, but..come on... this is CR-Z... a breed of a speed.. putting hybrid in them was like forcing a cheetahs to eat grass that meant for cows. so let these guys be non-hybrid..stuff them with k20a or whatever..make them faster... super fast... make us enjoy the sound of VTEC growlings and ignites the rush of adrenalines...

hybrid is good...i like the idea of it...fuel saving...efficient...less carbon footprint..etc etc... but if it can achieve what VTEC has now in term of power output..no one object to stuff that H engine inside these cars. But for now..it still in sort of R&D or Trial & Error...so put it in the Trial & Error cars like... i dunno.. City maybe? or...Freed..or..HR-V..or..MDV..or..whatever.. but not to this nice lightweight CR-Z super yummy body... remember the glorious time of CR-X ? are we going to let the same thing happened to RX-7 when RX-8 replaced it? Please don't..at least not in my life please...i might sound selfish..hehe...sorry for that..

long live VTEC..long live K20A.. hehehe..

lots of peaces..
chiao.:wavey:

 

[Munmax]

its the emission control that is killing the K20

 

[g4i8y0t]

honda should upgrade the K20A rather than retire it. come on people, do a petition or something.. we should enjoy driving internal combustion engine until the oil runs dry. the next generation must have developed something else by then to replace petrol & diesel as main energy source for vehicles.