It’s been quite the line-up hasn’t it? 2-10 were all equally impressive Hondas in their own right. There’s no doubt that these guys deserve ther recognition and I hope that this will continue to motivate their builds to be even better in the following years. For the most part everyone has been happy with the picks and where they ended up. Some were happy just to even be mentioned, which is a really cool thing, because that means this lists means something. I’m not putting these cars up here to kiss ass or to blow smoke up people’s asses. I just want the world to recognize these guys for the hardwork that they have put in all year. I saw on one of the forums that talked about the list and saw someone mentione that I take this stuff way too seriously….I mean, would you rather I not take it seriously and just throw random cars up here? It takes a lot of time to plan out and I work very hard to keep track of every Honda in the community. If I take this too seriously then maybe many others out there are the same way. I literally had phone calls today asking me who was number one. At the end of the day I just do this for fun and hopefully this thing kicks up some steam for next year so that it futher motivates people to build better and work harder. With that said, I think it’s time to present you with the number one Honda of 2009. It was definitely a hard decision to make, because in all honesty, who do you put in front of guys like Sheepey, Big Mike, etc? These guys have builds that will set the standard for the future.

There were so many quality builds this year and the top ten reflect that. Quality was just so high that I had to look beyond that. I had to look at build purpose, accomplishments, function and form, impact on the Honda community… When I added all those things together, there was just one person I could think of. One of the biggest trends of the year had to be guys/gals who were building for road racing and time attack. Many people were building “track” cars, even though the majority just had the parts and didn’t actually hit the track. Whether they will eventually or not, I don’t know…but time attack-themed Hondas were very popular this year. Popular enough where publications like Super Street held Honda-exclusive road race events and Honda Tuning began featuring more track-ready/capable Hondas. The ultimate goal for many was to build a clean car with quality parts, that functioned on a track.

With all that in mind, the number one Honda of the year was the obvious choice.

Built with purpose?

Check.

Functional?

Definitely.

Accomplishments?

More than many of us will ever see in a lifetime building Hondas.

Impact on the entire automotive community?

It made the Civic/Integra relevant among the big boys of time attack and road racing. No longer were these cars underdogs among a sea of Evos, Nissans, and WRXs…

Oh, it doesn’t look half bad either…

1. Sportcar Motion’s Acura Integra Type R and Honda Civic…

Why it made the list: Everyone thought that Loi and the Sportcar crew had their hand’s full with their Civic. It was a record breaking machine, had big wins last year, and nothing came remotely close to running with it in the Modified FF and Limited class. Little did anyone know that this DC2 R was tucked away in Loi’s shop.

It started out exactly how you see it above. Nothing crazy, Loi had just always wanted a Type R and finally found one that was in good shape out in Utah. He went and picked it up and it just sat in the back of the shop. While the Civic was still out in the beginning of the year breaking records, Loi was patiently waiting for parts to come in for his R. See, this Type R was originally meant to become the successor to the EG. The Type R was everything the EG was not. It was more refined, stronger chassis, just a better car. It was an R after all. He ditched the b-series and went with what he knew best. He made a living off building K-motors that made gobs of power, and this DC2 would have the best yet. Better than the record breaking EG…

Soon it began to take a more menancing form and made it’s official debut at Redline Time Attack. The result? First place Modified FF class. After that, it was invited to participate in the Super Street FF Battle over the summer where it dominated the competition. Driver Andy Hope was quoted as saying that “corner exit was awesome with too much power” and that “the sensation of speed was amazing”.

It hits the list at number 1 because the car came out of nowhere and it set out to do what Loi Song had planned for it and more. It’s the pinnacle of every Honda-lover’s dream: An Integra Type R that had all the parts an enthusiast could strive for, and it was put to use.

Why it made the list: It was already at the top of its game, and it just got better. How do you top yourself when you’re already at the top?

This Civic took it’s success last year and simply carried it over to 2009.It started off the year at the first Redline Time Attack event winning it’s class and breaking a record. The industry began to take notice of the Sportcar Motion EG and it was then invited to participate in the Modified Tuner Shoot-out where, as first time competitors, it faired very well against other, more powerful participants.

After that, it became the official representative for Honda Tuning Magazine at the Castrol Syntec Top Car Challenge. Sportcar rolled up to the event naturally aspirated and as the clear underdog of the competition and did so well that it earned the respect of all the other participants, including 5.0 Mustangs and Super Ford magazine, who had their representative talking shit (on this very site) the weeks leading up to the competition…

With the Integra Type R set to replace the EG, Loi had thoughts of retiring the car but it was doing so well. There was no point in having two Modified FF/Limited class Hondas in his stable so he took aim at a bigger goal; Unlimited FF. Bigger competition, less restrictions, but he would have to really go all out. Loi then pulled the Civic from competition and sent it off to Robispec to build a custom chromoly cage and gut out the entire inside of the car to reduce weight.

It’s current incarnation is ridiculous.

Custom front splitter, canards, rear wing, and a fully built K, all done in-house. It’ll definitely be a sight to see next year when everything is dialed in and ready for battle.

To sum it all up, the Sportcar Motion EG deserves the number one spot because it was the underdog that helped re-introduce Civics to the rest of the import community. It destroyed the competition, earned the respect of many outside the Honda world, and it continues to get better and better. Sure it will never have the depth, the intricate details, or the bling as a Sheepey or Big Mike but what it was able to accomplish with what it had is undeniable. This Civic’s body of work and resume for 2009 is simply incredible. The rest of the world saw it as an old Civic with a puncher’s chance. Today, along with the Sportcar Motion ITR, it’s the top Honda(s) of 2009.

See you in 2010.