Jan 192010
 

The last days of the passing year 2009 have been marked by the announcement of the Honda Motor Co., Ltd of the beginning of sales of a limited series of the Civic Type R Euro to Japan where it will have to compete against the Japanese Type R. The Euro version is a premium sports model forged in England by Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd. This vehicle is known for its distinctive appeal, its sci-fi style body shapes and performance perfectly suited for European roads. Out of the total number only 2,010 units will make it to the Japanese market.

The fans don’t cease comparing the actual Type R to Type R Euro wondering whether “European made” necessarily means better. The major difference is the use of a twist-beam rear suspension on Euro Type R vs. a fully independent suspension on the Japanese made Type-R. But regardless of the individual preferences both of the modification are fine rides with a top speed of around 146 miles/hour capable of reaching 60 miles in just 6.5 seconds.

The new Civic Type R Euro comes equipped with a 2.0 L naturally aspirated engine able to put out a maximum of 201hp/ 7,800rpm that works in pair with a 6-speed manual transmission. It is the DOHC i-VTEC known for its higher compression, secondary balancer serving to reduce vibration, but most notable for high revs and high output.

And unlike some of the Japanese makes which often times got criticism for inexpressive design Type R Euro has the style to match its capabilities. It comes with a lighter drop dead gorgeous body on 18-inch wheels. And beyond any doubt Type R Euro has all the add-ons such as custom aerodynamic spoilers, smaller three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, and aluminum ball knob of a shift lever à la Ferrari.

And besides giving one unparalleled satisfaction of superior performance on the road, it also looks out for its driver and the environment. All the R Euros come equipped with ABS with electronic brake assist, TCS, and sideslip control and due to the high use of recyclable materials the overall recyclability of the vehicle is now well over 90%. So, meet the new Type R Euro!

May 212008
 
Yup it seems to be for real! Oh no it doesn’t – Thank you Bill! (see his comment) as he rightly points out ‘if it is too good to be true, it is!’. I did a bunch of other searches for ‘Surge Engineering’ and come up with report after report after report of ‘scam’, ‘doesn’t work’ etc. some of them are as follows:

  • toyotanation
  • Pennocks Fiero Forum
  • AllFordMustangs
  • SmokinVette
  • MercedesBenzWorld
  • Whew…how could I have missed all that! (sorry folks, will dig deeper next time)

    Anyway, what this ‘thing’ does (according to a few of the posts above is:

    “these are typically just resistors that trick the ecu into thinking the temps from the iat sensor are cooler than they actually are, causing the ecu to dump more fuel. it’s basically like running the car in warm up mode or with a choke on.”

    (I leave the original post below and hang my head in shame)

    Have a look at the Surge Performance Chip (available from yourhotcar.com among other places). It claims to add up to 35 Horse Power (from 7-10% gain in power from stock) and 20+ Ft Lbs of torque.

    Like all good performance chips it is fully adjustable for either Horsepower or gas mileage by using a knob (yes a knob)

    From the yourhotcar website:

    Fully ADJUSTABLE performance chip designed for your vehicle. The Surge Module will not only compete with other higher priced Jet V-Chip, but will OUTPERFORM it. The
    Surge module is designed with the finest, most precise components
    available out there today. Giving you the option to fine tune it to
    your favorite setting. Our modules are designed to be used in any
    weather condition. Doesn’t matter if you live in the east or west
    coast, the module will still perform as advertised.
    Step by step
    instructions will be included along with all necessary hardware to
    complete the installation. You don’t need to have any mechanic skills
    to complete the job. Takes no longer than 15 minutes.

    The Surge performance chip simply wires into the factory harness of the IAT sensor and just provides a new signal for your cars internal Electronic Control Unit (ECU – all modern cars have an ECU to electronically manage and monitor your vehicle’s performance, by default they are tuned to government regulations…which means that they are inefficient!) You could replace the ECU (at a cost in the $1,000′s). This performance chip negates the need to replace the ECU by giving the existing ECU an external controller.

    According to surge, it takes only 15-30 minutes to install and can easily be removed or re-installed at any time.

    I don’t know about you but this sounds like a mod for anybody!

    Pass people, pass!