Touring car racing in Japan may not have caught on like it did in other countries, with the Japan Touring Car Championship folding in 1998, but it did leave a lasting legacy that still inspires enthusiasts to this day. Some of the liveries that were plastered onto the small Japanese nuggets have become iconic. They remind us of a simpler time, where motor racing was less corporate and the cars far less specialised. With the right modifications, you can create a faithful replica that is sure to bring many eyeballs to your ride. This EG Civic is one of those cars and it definitely caused a stir when it showed up to a special Honda And Mugen meet at “The Box”.
Before it had the Type-R badge, the Civic went racing in it’s native homeland in the JTCC. In those days, cars were essentially taken off the production line and straight into the race workshop, where it would get a roll cage, race seats, chunkier tyres, a new suspension kit, a new exhuast system and a power boost. After that happened, the car would get a livery and then be sent out onto the track. They were not purpose built machinery, and that’s what made them soo endearing to fans. Now, this Civic here isn’t a proper race car as it has a number plate, but the livery is a very faithful recreation of the car run by Mugen in the 1993 JTCC season. The bright red (or is it orange?) shapes offset by the white base colour aren’t complicated but they’re highly effective when combined with the other decals. I do like the Japanese text.
In 1993, the JTCC was split into three classes. The JTC-1 class was for cars with engines displacing more than 2.5 litres, the JTC-2 class was for cars with engines displacing anywhere between 1.6 and 2.5 litres. The JTC-3 class was for cars with engines smaller than 1.6 litres, which is the class that the EG Civic fit into. Ok, that was a bit of a mouthful but don’t shoot the messenger… that’s really how it was organised. Anyway car 100 scored 3 wins that season, equalling the eventual champion in car 14 run by the Mooncraft team. Car 100 fell agonisingly short of the title, missing out by only 2 points.
The funny thing about this Civic are the wheels, which are all TE37s, but the colours are different from front to back. I don’t think the actual racecar had this setup, most likely because the wheel style didn’t exist then. Another thing which could be considered amusing is the HP of the racecar, whcih was only a little bit more than 230 HP. It doesn’t sound like a lot of firepower but when you only have 900KG to worry about, you’ll forget about that power figure completely. Especially when you hit VTEC and let that 1.6 litre engine sing at full volume.
Seeing this car really makes we wish that motor racing was still the sport it used to be. Supercars may be called a “touring car” championship but the cars they race are purpose built and share absolutely nothing in common with their road-going counterparts. No longer are they hero cars of the people, which in my opinion is the reason why motor racing has lost popularity in Australia. That minor gripe aside, this Civic is guaranteed to put a smile on your face – even if you aren’t a car enthusiast. Putting warpaint on a hatchback is always a source of amusement.
DevMacCars 