Finding the all-rounder vehicle that is a true performer in every aspect has been my eternal struggle ever since I moved on from my first S2000.
That’s what the daily and weekender arrangement is there for, but what if you’re living metro, with limited parking and trying to spread your time and resources across various pursuits?
I should’ve purchased a second car when I deliberated selling my first Honda. I was on Carsales looking for CL9s on the daily, but never bit the bullet. Since then I’ve been umming and erring on each vehicle that has subsequently taken place in my garage.
So to find an answer, I borrowed Go Garage’s FD2R for the weekend – thank you Jerry – and set off doing as many different, realistic things as I could in forty-eight hours, encompassing what I consider to be the baselines of my regular routine.
Rather than describing the violence of VTEC x LSD, the amazing gear shift or run amok on adjectives about chassis dynamics, I can summarise my parameters for the “one-and-only car” being met in moments.
Placing my sunglasses case, two water bottles, a key fob, house keys, mints and hand sanitiser all in separate, secure and organised locations around the cockpit.
Not hearing a comment about cramped space from the parents after getting out of the car for yum cha on Saturday afternoon.
Having a man presumably in his late twenties at a coffee shop with his partner glance at the car at the lights, shuffle across to check the front grill, then eyeing out the factory brakes before telling his obviously-interested girlfriend (…) that across from them was the greatest Civic of all time.
Banging out deep house at 6AM on the M2 with the missus, wide awake and laughing with open road and no traffic ahead.
Heading back east on the same piece of highway later that day, piano playlist selected with my partner reclined in her chair sleeping.
Having a giggle when the car scrambled for grip upon acceleration, pulling the car out one of the “35KM/H” corners on Old Pac, and prior to that making all kinds of orgasmic facial expressions when heel-toeing from fourth to third.
Advising Peter to keep all my football equipment in the boot during our photoshoot on Sunday morning.
Chatting post-football game with my teammate in ice-cool air con, stuck in city traffic.
Filling up the Civic before I gave it back to Go Garage, and calculating that I had managed just over 10L/100KM in consumption, including my 100KM Old Pac run.
The Civic isn’t incredibly different a common vehicle that warrants it as a strict weekend car. However, its thrill-per-minute dynamics don’t lend itself well to being the daily driver in a two-car arrangement. You’d find too many reasons to use it over the weekend tool.
It’s special in its design and context, but a bespoke offering that requires specific attention, care and conscious decision making on where, how and when to drive it is not.
Products of this Jekyll and Hyde nature have always existed, even my E46 has been described as that. The FD2R does it with a little more in each category, with an unmatched, carefree experience as a Honda creation.
To me, it’s the car you’d own if you enjoy motoring but require something versatile to enable the rest of your lifestyle. For the common person (myself included), budget management is a very real life skill, and having a grip on your hobbies and disposable expenditure can be a challenge.
Unfortunately a lot of the time making the sensible decision when it comes to cars involves an element of sacrifice. Where this Civic is different though, is that the sacrifices and compromises actually make it a more complete, fulfilling option.
Yeah, the FD2R is what I’ve been looking for.