Honda’s FF machines are pretty much all-rounders. Despite not costing a bomb, they multi-task themselves, carving the circuit at one point or even turn into a rocket on a straight line. And on our recent trip down south, we hooked up with one of the quickest dragsters in town which surprisingly took the form of a Honda CR-X Del Sol.
This front-engined, two-seater looks more like a little mouse which one could describe as being a lot of things, such as a poser roadster, rather than being intimidating. But the guys from Torque Racing have managed to turn this compact JDM into a straight line shooter that should not be underestimated.
Set on turning it into a full-on dragster, the Del Sol was stripped of all its unnecessary items. The trims, dashboard, door panels, carpet, air cond – you name it. The passenger doors were cut to the bare minimum. It was then fitted with a bucket seat plus race harness, a roll cage, gauges, and a simple yet functional tachometer framed within a mock throttle body. That is all a dragster really needs.
Then the attention was turned to the most important part, the engine. It obviously would not be galloping on 160hp from the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. This Del Sol now rockets to the finish line by the power of 600 horses. Basic ingredients consist of a basic B-series engine that has been enlarged, balanced and ported. Running through the cylinders are CP pistons’ 85mm forged units and stroking them are Oliver’s billet con rods. ARP components bolt the explosive head in place.
Crowner’s wild Stage 2 VTEC cams feed the mill with a copious dose of burn mixture. Super-hot charged air is chilled via a custom-made water-to-air intercooler that travels through Super90’s gigantic billet aluminium throttle body. No serious dragsters run on stock ECUs so torque Racing’s “Drag Sol” has the engine firing on a Microtech LT10 ECU, working with Apexi’s AVCR to keep the boost in check. Dragging on a set of Weld drag wheels, massive 26” x 10.5 Mickey Thompson tyres, they have so far managed to do their job well, with a speedy 11.20 seconds recorded as their best time in a quarter-mile run.
But what’s probably the most eye-catching part of this Del Sol, aside from its unique teal blue finish and the camo wrap, are the two protruding exhaust pipes from the hood. Although this Del Sol has been around for quite a while now, it is still making its mark in numerous drag events in Malaysia such as the Sepang Drag Battle and the Johor Sprint Challenge. We definitely need to set a date to experience the sheer power of this rocket as it bullets across the finish line in what can only be a giant spectacle.
