Honda Obsession In The Country You Wouldn’t Expect It – Speedhunters

Written by News One October 23, 2024

At nearly every track day around the globe, you can count on seeing a few Hondas making the rounds, thanks to their unbeatable formula of cost versus performance.

Hondas are unmatched in this respect – love or loathe them, the evidence is irrefutable. However, during my recent visit to Italy for the 2024 Tarox Magione Super Battle (MSB), the number of Hondas competing was astonishing.

As a big fan of Honda and having had the pleasure of driving several models, the EK Civic and NSX-R are among my all-time favourites. So it’s safe to say I don’t need convincing that these lightweight, low-power machines are the perfect circuit weapons. Yet, many remain sceptical of this philosophy.

As I said in my main MSB coverage, one might expect an Italian event to be dominated by Fiats, Ferraris, Alfa Romeos and other domestically manufactured icons, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The MSB draws inspiration from events like Attack Tsukuba, attracting a crowd with a deep appreciation for Japanese performance cars. And just like Tsukuba, the most popular brand here was Honda.

The Autodromo dell’Umbria paddocks buzzed with everything from Civics to S2000s – and even a Honda K-swapped Lotus Exige. It was clear that the MSB’s fastest contenders all had the H-badge in common.

While I can’t highlight every Honda present, a few deserve a deeper dive into what made them so blisteringly quick around the technical, 2.5km-long circuit. First up is a turbocharged S2000 – one of the fastest cars of the day, with all the sounds to match. Its subtle aerodynamic tweaks are reminiscent of what you see at Tsukuba and similar time attack events in Japan.

Another standout was this turbo EK Civic, which sounded so good as it thundered down the main straight.

Then there was this Rotrex-supercharged S2000, a favourite of mine for its beautiful simplicity. Retaining its stock body, it came just shy of the fastest lap time of the day.

While it may not sport an H badge outside, the clear Honda highlight of the day was this S1 Lotus Exige. With a Rotrex-supercharged Honda K-series engine replacing its factory Rover mill, it epitomises the pinnacle of both manufacturers, resulting in a record-breaking machine.

These examples merely scratch the surface of the Honda presence at MSB. The paddocks also featured Kanjo-inspired EG hatches, carbon-fibre S2000s, several CR-Xs, and a few Integra Type Rs, showcasing Italy’s diverse Honda culture.