They’re talking about the Acura Integra, which is a popular Honda-family compact car. People like it because it’s fun to drive and has a big enthusiast community.
VTEC is Honda’s tech that changes how the engine breathes at different speeds. “Non-VTEC” means that engine doesn’t have that feature, so it usually doesn’t feel as sharp at high RPM.
“High-revving” means the engine is designed to spin fast (at higher RPM). Some engines make power by revving higher instead of relying on big displacement.
They’re saying the Honda S 2000 isn’t just a random sports car—it’s like a nod to Honda’s earlier history. Some people only think of the S 2000 when they hear “S,” but the name has older connections.
The Honda S500 is an older, small sports car made by Honda. It was built to be light and fun to drive. People mention it because it helped show Honda’s early direction for sports cars.
The Honda CRX was a small Honda that was built to feel quick and rev freely. It’s a car people remember because it was light and sporty, not heavy and slow.
“EF” is the name enthusiasts use for a particular generation of the Honda Civic. It’s a period people talk about because those cars became a big part of Honda’s performance reputation.
The Honda CRX is a small sporty car, usually a hatchback. Some versions were made to be faster and more exciting to drive. The mention of VTEC is about engine technology that helps it perform better.
Single overhead cam (SOHC) means the engine uses one camshaft to control the valves. It’s just a different engine design, and it can affect how the engine feels at higher RPMs.
Concept
lift the spirits of drivers
They’re talking about how tech can make driving feel better. When a car suddenly feels stronger when you rev it, it makes drivers more excited.
“Golden era” is basically them saying that a certain time period was the best for car culture. They mean the late 80s/90s were when a lot of exciting, enthusiast-friendly cars showed up.
The Nissan Skyline is a car line that includes sporty versions. It’s known for performance, and some generations are especially famous. In this discussion, it’s mentioned because it leads into the R32, which is a well-known Skyline model.
The Honda NSX is a famous Honda supercar. It was built to be fast and handle well, and it used a high-revving engine without turbocharging. People often compared it to expensive Italian supercars because it could compete on track.
Naturally aspirated engines don’t use turbochargers. Instead, they rely on airflow and engine design to make power, which is why they can rev high and feel responsive.
“Ferrari killer” is a hype phrase meaning “a car that can take on Ferraris.” They’re saying the Honda NSX was good enough to compete with cars people usually associate with Ferrari.
The Acura NSX is a sports car made for fast, exciting driving. It’s known for its special engineering and a rear-engine design. People bring it up because it’s a famous, high-end performance car.
They mention “Senna,” referring to Ayrton Senna, one of the most famous Formula 1 drivers ever. The hosts are using his name to explain why Honda’s NSX story feels connected to top-level racing.
They’re talking about building the car’s body mostly out of aluminum instead of steel. Aluminum is lighter, so the car can feel quicker and more agile.
The Integra Type R is a Honda built specifically for performance. It’s the kind of car enthusiasts chase because it’s more track-minded and feels lighter and more fun than bigger, heavier sports cars.
A race program is when a company uses racing to test ideas and improve their cars. The point is that what works on track can influence what ends up in regular enthusiast cars.
The Honda Prelude is a Honda coupe that was made to feel more sporty than a regular commuter car. People remember it because it was part of Honda’s “we can build performance” era in the 1990s.
Term
H22
H22 is the name of an engine Honda used in some Preludes. It’s known for revving freely and feeling “sporty,” which is why people talk about it.
The Honda Del Sol is a fun Honda from the 1990s with a roof design that can open up the cabin. The hosts mention it as one of the cars that made Honda’s lineup feel exciting back then.
Car
Honda RSX
The RSX is basically the Integra for the U.S. market. Same general era, but Honda used a different name depending on where you lived.
Honda used different engine families over the years. The “B-series” is an older Honda engine type, and the newer Integra generation switched away from it, which changes how the car feels.
Term
K20
The K20 is Honda’s later four-cylinder engine family used in the DC5-era Integra and related models. The transcript notes “they got the K20 in it,” highlighting that the engine swap is a key part of why the newer Integra feels different from the earlier B-series cars.
Mugen (M-TEC) is Honda’s well-known aftermarket and motorsport partner, famous for producing performance parts and limited-edition variants. The hosts mention a “Mugen edition” Civic Si/Si-adjacent car and say those are “worth a ton of money now,” highlighting how special editions can become collectible. This is relevant because it connects factory-backed performance branding with collector value.
The Honda Fit EV is a small Honda Fit that runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It’s made to be practical for everyday driving, just like the regular Fit. People talk about it because it’s an EV that keeps the Fit’s compact size.
The Honda Integra is another Honda model name that’s coming back. In this discussion, they connect it to the Civic Type R idea and talk about how Honda might position it in the lineup.
They’re describing the S2000 as a rear-wheel-drive open-top car. Rear-wheel drive usually feels more “involved,” and a convertible has extra engineering to keep the car rigid.
They mean the driving feel is heavily controlled by computers. Instead of everything being purely mechanical, electronics help decide how the car responds.
This phrase describes the basic job of VTEC: it changes valve timing and valve lift. Instead of the engine using one fixed valve setup all the time, it can adjust for better performance.
Tōge (mountain pass) street driving is a Japanese enthusiast culture where drivers push cars on winding roads for handling and driving feel. The hosts connect Honda to this culture, describing it as part of an underground scene that persists even today.
The hosts describe Honda’s presence in an Osaka-based underground scene—less mainstream, more community-driven, and focused on street-racing culture. This is presented as a continuing subculture that shapes how people view Honda even today.
In car talk, “underdog mentality” means people root for a brand that doesn’t get as much respect as the flashy, high-power options. They feel like they have to prove themselves by building and driving their cars hard.
Formula 1 is the highest level of car racing with huge budgets and advanced technology. When a brand like Honda shows up and competes at the top, it’s a sign they can build serious performance hardware.
“Driver skill oriented” describes a design goal where the car’s behavior rewards technique—smooth inputs, predictable grip, and responsive steering—rather than relying on brute-force power. The hosts link this to handling, rigid bodies, and lightweight construction.
Gran Turismo is a long-running racing video game series known for detailed car handling and tuning. The hosts suggest the game helped popularize certain Honda-era cars by making their handling and lightweight feel “real” to players, even if power wasn’t the main story.
A turbo kit is an upgrade that adds a turbo to make the engine produce more power. It’s not just bolt-on speed—your car usually needs proper tuning and supporting parts so it runs safely.
Term
single-camp slam
This sounds like they’re talking about lowering the car to change how it sits (“slam” is slang for a very low stance). Lowering can make a car look cooler and feel different, but it can also make bumps and tire rubbing more likely.
Some engine parts need oil, and that oil has to drain back out. If the drain line isn’t there or isn’t connected right, oil can leak and get hot—sometimes dangerously so.
Term
intake breather
It’s a hose/connection that helps manage airflow and fumes going into the intake system. If you use the wrong hose or routing, it can melt or cause problems.
A vacuum hose is a small tube that helps the engine control different systems. If it melts or comes loose, the car can run poorly—or in extreme cases, create a safety problem.
A cold air intake is an aftermarket intake setup that tries to bring in cooler air to the engine. It often makes the engine sound louder, especially under acceleration.
Homologation is when a race series requires a car to be sold to the public (in limited numbers) so it’s allowed to race. It’s basically the rule that connects street cars to race cars.
Car
NSX-R
The Honda NSX-R is a more track-focused version of the NSX. People love it because it feels sharp and planted in corners, not because it’s just making huge turbo power.
Company
LMGT fours
“LMGT fours” appears to be a reference to a specific wheel model/style associated with motorsport (LMGT). People often choose these wheels to match the look of endurance/race-inspired setups while also selecting appropriate tire sizes for grip.
Wheels aren’t just for style—they can change how the car grips the road. The hosts are saying you can upgrade them, but these cars already handle well even before you touch anything.
A better exhaust can make the car sound different and sometimes help it breathe more freely. The hosts are basically saying it’s a popular modification, but the car is already good to begin with.
Boost is how much extra “push” the turbo gives the engine. More boost usually means more power, but it’s also something you should only do if the car and setup are meant for it.
The hosts ask listeners to comment on what they think is the best Honda ever, and whether they’re choosing based on fan preference versus “potential.” This sets up the episode’s theme: debating which Hondas deserve the most love and why.
They’re talking about the Honda Fit, which some people call the “Jazz.” It’s a small Honda that’s popular because it’s roomy inside for its size and easy to drive around town.
LIVE
Hey, and welcome back to the next episode of the right hand drive guys podcast the podcast for guys who like right hand drives
I'm Bobby. This is Aaron. You know and here we are
You know, we were like we're hey dude like all right. We're back. Yeah. We're back, you know, like okay now
Let's serve up some proper content, you know, so
Get some good episodes rolling. So, you know, we did the interview now
We're like, okay, we I want we want to get back to a few knowledge-based episodes, right?
Like just not not that we have all the knowledge
But like just throwing stuff out there and of course what we know and what we've learned. So, yeah, I
Was like dude, you know
We need to show Honda a little love
I mean Honda is definitely at the roots of you know, my whole
Career in the culture, you know when I got into it like it was Honda's for sure
And you know, I know your niece almost kind of like that for you, but we covered niece on every single
I got a confession to make what what my first car. Yeah
Was a D. A. Integra
Damn, so you're low key on the boy. Yeah, I mean maybe even high key
I don't know dude, but yeah, and you know, it lives onto this day in my you know fit
So it's like. Oh, yeah, duh. You're definitely a Honda boy. Yeah, so when it comes to this is fitting, dude
But yeah, so my my roots start Wow
With a Honda with a 1.8 liter. Yeah, non-VTEC
Fought it crashed in like yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like Honda, you know, of course so a
lot of people
You say Honda right and they picture a slammed hatchback
You know like it banging gears like almost almost annoying, right with it with the exit
So it but like Honda's deep, you know, Honda is is so deep and you know
We don't need to go until hit whole history. You can just look up the history, you know, but like a lot of people know
Honda was originally a motorcycle. It was motorcycles, right? Yeah, so
They I believe are the only company to start with like a
Motorcycle pedigree, you know, and and if you really look at it, right? It makes sense because
Honda what are like what are Honda's known for like small engines, right efficiency
High-revving high-revving. Yeah, so that that like motorcycle
Style almost, you know, like fuel efficient high-revving small engines. Yes, exactly
So you can really see that when you start looking at, you know, the roots and
You know Honda started putting out cars in the mid sixties, you know, that was their thing and they had
They had their s series of cars, you know, I honestly I don't know
S s 200 s4, you know, whatever, but I know that that is, you know, what they had and they were just like
They you know, they were high-revving low horsepower
Motors, I know they were revving something almost 10k with only 72 horsepower
Right, right. They were small. They were small cars, too. And they were a lot of more convertibles, right? Yeah, I believe
Those early models. Yeah, I don't know dude. Yeah, that's that's super early
But yeah, my Honda knowledge starts in the late 80s like that early stuff
But like, you know respect to it. It was
It was clearly their first stab and you'll see like the that that first civic that box like hatchback type
Deal, you know, and you're like, wow, okay, like right that's different, you know, that looked like a 70s car
I guess you could say yeah. Yeah for sure. And I don't know I mean
You can it when you do look at the the s the s 500 600 and all that like you can see
You can see where they were going with the s 2000. Yeah, I
I mean for us and probably a lot of other people when they were in the Hondas
You know, they see the s 2000 they think that's it. Yeah, but I don't really understand that like that's almost paying homage to
Right those that original car way back in the day. Yeah, like 40 years of
That type of thing, right, you know
For a oh from from 2000. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, like that that that s right G
You know what I mean and then
You know, you get like let's let's get through the 70s like the 80s, you know when the CRX was born
Yeah, and then later on when the the first like first of the new generation of civic hatchbacks and EF's and those came along
That I feel like, you know, they're breaking into, you know, a whole new line of what they plan to do
Yeah, and the 80s, dude, I
Dude, they were bumping. There's so many different models, especially that that we didn't get in the States
But like dude, they had so many models that look like a civic
Yeah, like, you know what? I mean, they have like the like the city turbo and like oh, yeah
These other just random cars that you you come across nowadays, and you're like, what the hell even is that?
It looks like a bootleg EF Civic or something. Yeah, for sure
But no, it's just another one of their cars and like they they kept it true
They kept it small engine, you know, yeah drive for sure high high revving nimble
Lightweight, you know, that's that's the big thing and so yeah, dude
When they came out with the the CRX and then the CRX SI, you know
And they start putting VTEC in these cars VTEC, dude
They start putting VTEC in the cars
That is when they start getting attention from Americans like VTEC. Oh, oh, yeah
Dude, yeah for your first VTEC
Yeah
Wow
Yeah, no, I I remember my first VTEC because it was it was a single overhead cam
It wasn't like that it wasn't much to speak of of course you could kind of hear it
But like single overhead cam just not, you know
But I do remember my first B series and like when you hit that B series
Yeah, and it is just screaming at you and you're just like oh man
Yeah, so them premiering, you know VTEC and in
Kind of starting to lift the spirits of drivers because you're now getting just a little bit more, right?
It's kind of a big thing and then of course in Japan
They were throwing B series in these things left and right and like, you know, it's a it's a whole thing, right?
So then they they get you also with the
The si, you know early 90s the Honda Civic si, you know, and it starts becoming like
Honda starts really coming with the si are really do the as if in Japan. Yeah, for sure
Yeah, the si are for sure. That was that was the big thing. So
You know, I think
the late 80s
was
really really prepping us for
The golden era the golden era, you know of
What we now consider the the culture right and just of course
They're them and many other manufacturers like right eye point, you know what I mean when they made
the best cars on the planet
The 90s right the 90s were that was
That was where all of our cars like dude 90s, dude, what happened what happened in 89
Dude when December 31st o'clock struck 12 dude, and it was now 1990. What happened in
Japan with all these manufacturers, dude, they all lost their marbles. Yes, like they open the floodgates
they did and they like
They all got into a competition just making all these crazy cars and not even with themselves like even with you know
European manufacturers and like
Started to do things like Le Mans and Formula 1 and all this crazy stuff
Yeah, and the inception of motorsports into their programs and it became a real thing and they like you said
Dude, yes, like you said, it was like the straw the straw the clock struck
Midnight, you know January 1st dude, and they just started hammering you with and of course it was leading up to it with the R32
For sure. Yeah, yeah, you know some of these other cars
But no it was like though those 10 years were just amazing and for Honda, you know
It's especially big like for Honda, you know, everybody had their thing as we know, but Honda
drops the NSX
Right in the 90s Honda is like unstoppable. They're coming out with a lightweight
rigid-framed
Low horsepower, but low weight. Yeah, high-revving cars and they're doing all of it without a single turbo
They are beating track records
They are beating cars that they never were supposed to even be on the on the board with right, you know
And they they drop
1990 comes out dude, and they boom hit us with the the NA1 NSX bow just like
Like hey, and we got in America. Yes, and we and we got sick. Yes, we actually got that and
You know it comes with you know your your three point three point oh, you know your six cylinder engine, right?
It's it's the big thing or the three point two depending on the year and
So it's like
They're coming out swinging. It's the Ferrari killer
Yeah, yeah, not the CR
Yeah, no, but but the NSX and it looks good too in his rear engine like yeah, dude they
They must have been dude and dude conference room must have been full of smoke dude
They were just love is it and they developed it with art and Senna
Which is like if you know anything about motorsports, right? You know who that guy is like that is huge that like
Yeah, that guy he's not with us anymore obviously, but like to have him like
Personally have his input on this bless it. Yeah
Sick that is cool. Like where do you hear that nowadays? No, you definitely don't I mean, it's not really so much like that
It's more for clout and influence than like they actually like dude
Do you think Dale Earnhardt was helping design the Lumina?
Yeah, he may maybe approve the graphics. Yeah, so it's like dude. They hit us with the NSX
They they're they're even going as far as being the first mass produced all aluminum body. They're like
Doing it, you know and in riding in an NSX is
Especially a high-performance NSX is an amazing experience. They're sweet cars
But then they're like
They're like, okay. Well, that was cool. But you know, dude, we should drop it's it's late 95
We should probably just go ahead and drop the Integra type R. Yeah, we're tired of all of these GTR cars those things heavy boats
We have an Integra type R the Kanzai killers the Kanzai killers and you know what dude sales floor is looking empty
Let's just go ahead and drop this Civic type R
Dude, so let's have a 1.8 liter
Track car basically in the in the DC2 and then let's let's just throw in a little brother at a 1.6 a little bit lighter
EK9 like
Dude walking in no
Walking into and it's the same thing as the Nissan dealership walking into in
1996 okay walking into a Honda dealership in Chiba is
Instant hard on dude. There is no way you could walk in there and not just be drooling everywhere and just they got the full
Spread they got the white NSX
Yes, TR. Oh my god. I TR. Yes, and in but motor compo. Yes motor compo, but hold on
The big dog the big dog Honda dealerships. Yeah, dude. They had the NSXR white, right?
ITR like they even had the NSXR like that dude
96 is the pinnacle is the pinnacle of
Honda
engineering development
Race program like the whole thing like they have now like they figured it out. Yeah. Yeah, so it's like
Yeah, dude the 90s for Honda like having these they're they're getting picked up dude now
You got you got Kanzai racers, dude. Just you got Osaka just humming dude screaming. Oh
Dude racing is is coming up is becoming a thing. Yeah, dude
Those late 90s dude amazing and of course
It that wasn't really it dude
Yeah, no, no the prelude they had so much other stuff and yeah
The preludes another one right dude with the H 22 of the CD seven a core dude
They came out with like dude. I'm just saying like they were doing it. Yeah, you know, they they were for sure doing it
That's that's the the Euro R car or whatever. It's like they were at least
They were putting their best foot forward in everything that they were doing
Very like for for sure. So it's like
to have that many like sports cars on your lineup is is
Dude, it's wild. It's it's a lot one does that today. You're right like it. It's a lot and then
You you know at that point
Where do you even go? You know in the 90s? You also had the Del Sol. So you had the third gen CRX you dude like
I
Honda was sick. Yeah, dude, like I mean all of them were yeah, all of them were that's why everybody here everybody watching listening
Yeah, that's why you're all obsessed with 90s cars, dude, like everybody was dude
I don't know what it was about what was going on in those boardrooms or what but like they were like
We're gonna be the best. Yeah, you know and and you know, so it's like
With that it's it's like dude
The cult followings that followed like did these cars coming out was insane like
the Integra type are
For a long time and even still to this day
But you know through the the late 90s mid 2000s was
The car like you heard about that. Everybody wanted that. Yeah, of course
They dropped it here in the USD inversion and it became like an icon. Yeah, it like the Integra type are I think without that car
Yeah, the NSX is sick, right the
CTR is sick, but the ITR has this following behind it. That is just
Insane so it's like yeah, I think that that was like the anchor, you know because
It wasn't the lowest model. It wasn't the Civic, right? But it obviously was not an NSXR. It was obtainable like race car. So
You know, it's tough because in you know early 2000 2001 whatever that the Integra turns into the
for us the RSX
But for into the Integra still they're DC5, but it's no longer a B-series, right?
No, no that changes everything and and you know people still love the DC5 like I love I love a good nice DC5
But like is it a DC2?
It's in my opinion. It's not it's it's just it's a different car and it's got its place in its suite
But right it's not it's not that but
They do keep it alive at least, you know for those years of the DC5, you know
And they got the K20 in it and but then it kind of falls out, you know and
same with like I
Mean the Civic Type R, you know, everybody's got mixed emotions on
The transformation that that took on after the EK9, you know, it
Like love you Tiger, but like it's the EP3 is just and as we've discussed, you know the EP3 up until you get to the FD2 is just
They were European built cars. They were European designed European built. They look like it
Whatever you get to the FD2, you know, you're getting into the in the upper 2000s you're they got back to it
You know that the FD2 is like a a beautiful Civic, you know, and it's and it's an awesome car
And it's all we really had, you know, yeah, there of course the new NSX comes out later
But the NSX is gone the Integra Type R is gone. Yeah, all we have is the Civic
The Civic Type R. Yeah, and and so we're getting shafted with the other ones, you know
But we continue to wait until we get to the FD2 and that's now
I don't remember which motor that the FD2 FD2 has in it, but it's the last
Good Civic without a turbo. Yeah, it's a K20. Yeah, it's like that. It's the one
You know, it's it's just like the I
Don't know, you know, it's yeah, no, I get it. I'm there too. It's like the last it's it's new enough to have some nice features
but not
Completely neutered, I guess you still have some feel. Yeah, and we got the SI in the States
Which is I don't I don't know the difference between necessarily the SI and the Type R of that
Generation but I mean the SI's were cool. Yeah, that we got here. Yeah, that was cool
Yeah, I still think they're cool cars. I got plenty of aftermarket support and yeah, there was like a Mugen edition
Yeah, that was super sick. Yeah, those are cool and worth a ton of money now
Yeah, and I remember dude, I remember I worked at Honda at the time
On the showroom floor
There was a Honda fit
Really?
Wow, okay next to the fit though was the Mugen
Civic SI
Next to that was the black
S2000 CR
Those were sick. Yeah, 2000 CRs. Yeah, I mean
Because of course in 2000 we got the S2000. Yeah, so yes, like when we're talking
That's a whole different thing. But like yeah, we skipped a generation. Yeah. Yeah, like, you know, you get popped in my head
The Civic Type R and then there's no Integra. There's no NSX. You do get blessed with the S2000
Right, right, which had a good a long good run. I you know it
It was an amazing car. So they kind of redeemed themselves
It was different because your rear wheel drive convertible. Yeah, something really different. Yeah
but
Great cars, you know, and and it's like of course, you know, there there have been some good cars. I think
Just to round out the Civics the FK8, you know, it comes in it's got aggressive styling. Yeah, it's
The first turbo type R. Right. It's
Gotta kind of live up to a name. I personally am not a fan of the FK8
I think the styling is
Buns, it's just not looks like it wants to beat your ass
Yeah, and and then, you know, we get the FL-5 and I had one and it was a great car
Yeah, like you said some a lot of the feel was gone. It's all electronic. You know, which we talked about the screen
It's yeah, yeah, it's got red seats. Yeah, and it data logs, you know, cool, but
But that car to me looks way better than an FK8. I just I don't know what it is, dude
No, no, no, you're not wrong to think that that's true. Yeah
And you know that kind of rounds out we did just hear that they're dropping a new one. Yeah, I don't know what that entails
I'm not sure if that's hybrid if that's
You know just ice what it is. So yeah, you know look forward to that and then of course, you know
We got the Integra back as a model. Yeah, and I think they're cool, but it's still it's not yet
It's the it's the Civic type R with a little longer. You know, it's a sedan, right? So and I you know, it's like
Some people were thinking, okay, this cues the type R to come back, you know
But I don't think you would see a Civic type R and a and an Integra type R in the States because they're the same car
Right, like you it wouldn't it would make sense. I mean back back in the day. It was just
Yeah, I don't know. It was very close to the same car. Yeah, but it wasn't but it wasn't yeah
It was but it wasn't they would need to have like a two-point whatever. Yeah in the Integra type R to make it
Superior so it makes sense because they have the same motor. So it's like what's you know, so
That's that's Honda today, but dude Honda contributed to this culture in such a
massive way like
You know, like kids today say the lower, you know the Honda lower like the
How it even became popular, you know, like dude VTEC alone
Has been used in slang and memes and you know, all of these different things for as long as I can remember since I was in
High school, dude, like VTEC, you know, like VV tech just kicked in yo
Yeah, yeah, like just like these things like become just pop culture and like right in
just a
Literal variable valve timing electronic lift control becomes this four-letter thing that just like yeah, you know
It just it's crazy dude to think about and people don't even know what it is
Yes, and they don't know
Yes, they're just like oh, dude, just think of VTEC like
Yeah, for sure, it's like no, dude, no, you know
But but it's cool, right and like, you know, dude, of course Honda's legendary
Legendary for
Street racing and like toge and of course Osaka and no good racing and all these different teams and you know, it's
Into this day. It's still like
Honda especially in Osaka. Yeah is like this underground thing, right?
Like it's not so much like, you know, and even to this day, they've kept it like that as much as they can
Right, which is is crazy. You know that whole little subculture there, right?
You know for just ripping on the highways and doing polls and like running for
You know and
With that, I feel like Honda owners and in the whole thing has always been almost this underdog mentality, right?
Because they're smaller cars because they're smaller motors because they don't always have turbo strapped to them. Yeah, it's always been like
I'm not gonna say Honda's were looked down on but the big power dudes the dudes with the
Thousand power horsepower civet super. Yeah, we're like, oh this guy in an EG hatch
Whatever, you know what I mean or whatever and so it was like a lot of especially back in the day
If you were around back in the day, you know, Honda dudes were always trying to prove that their car
Would hammer right like they're always trying to prove it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I feel like it was just that but that also
I think is what attracted to a lot of a lot of guys to that was just like dude like I
Want to build something that's doing things going faster than it was ever supposed to do. Yeah, dude
but I mean even on the flip side dude professional motorsports like
from
Manufacture being from Japan, I don't think there's another one that is, you know, competed in Formula one or
You know and been at the top of it, you know, one races and championships, right for sure Honda did that which is
Pretty freaking crazy when you look who's competing in like the amount of money that goes in and you know going back to motorcycles
You know, they had a top team in MotoGP, which is the pinnacle of that, you know, right for years and years and years
You know and even going back down to even lower things like the JGTC, they always have cars
Like the M's of stuff in America, you always see Hondas on the grid
Yeah, like dude, there's Hondas racing right everywhere like whether it's legitimate on the track winning podium like
All that or on the street in Osaka. Yeah run in a loop. Whatever a hammer in 10k. Yeah, yeah
Dude, they they really do it and they really win and it's
It's pretty awesome. It's pretty freaking cool. Like yeah, I mean seeing where they came from. Yeah, I can yes
If for sure considering that I think you know
They've done well for themselves, and I'm sure it's not all you know
Rainbows and gummy bears, but like they've continued to do it when other people have dropped out of motorsports because of the expense
Like they continue to support it, you know, like
You're right. They have cars in like so many different series and dude, they're not like, you know, this is a car
This is a manufacturer. You can go buy a car anywhere, right? You can go
Down the street to buy one at the used car dealer. You can get one on marketplace. You can go to the Honda dealer get one
You know and they're racing and beating Ferraris like in F1, you know, they're
Beating all these people that are much higher caliber. You could say or more. It's more exclusive
So it's just like that goes goes along with the underdog thing. They're
That's in it. That's in their culture like a hundred percent. I feel like yeah, so they say that Honda is the most driver
skill oriented
Brand because they're not putting high horsepower. They're putting good handling rigid bodies
light frames they're doing things that are
That give driver input, you know, like and I mean, I think we're probably mostly talking about the 90s
Right, you know when when think about it, dude in Gran Turismo
Or Turismo or Turismo that game
They dude you got an integrity part because of the handling and lightweight, you know, those were maxed out
You know, the power yeah, it wasn't but those things were right and you know, I think that game helped just like everything
But globally, you know helped
Those cars become more of a thing even though we couldn't have yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah for sure. I
I don't know. Do you do you remember working on your first Honda?
Oh
Yeah, what'd you do put a turbo kit on it that I got off the bay I used like
Yeah, it was we were doing a single-camp slam on her, you know, just like
Yeah, I remembered it was in my buddy's barn like an hour and a half south of here like in Berwick. So like yeah
Yeah
It was cool
I
Was it yeah, I mean whatever dude like we didn't have any tubing for the oil return like that didn't come with it
Yeah, we didn't have any so we use
Wasn't gonna say this on here, but we used
like the intake breather like yeah, the hoe the vacuum hose and like
It made it home
And but after that I was going to this other dude's house and the car caught on fire because that hose melted
Oh, yeah, so like we had to put that out and
Yeah, so I remember like probably most people's Honda first Honda's it was a mess. Yeah, but why what do you?
Yeah, I put a cold air intake on that Integra. I was talking about dude. That's cool
Yeah, I was sick. I put it on dude and went and drove it unregistered around the neighborhood
Super fucking cool stockings. Also. It was like all intake noise. It was like
Right, dude, and I you know I would hit the one to two and the motor mounts wore out and every once in a while I would do the
Yeah
Yeah, dude, I was yeah, I was so far in it my girlfriend at the time's Hyundai blew the transmission
Parents want to buy her new car. I like beg them to buy her an EG hatch like this like metallic green
Yeah, yeah, yeah, did the same thing put an intake on it immediately to hear the wall
Yeah, so it's like
All right, dude, so if you could own and build one Honda
What would it be own and build?
hmm
Own and build dude
The
Vugan RR. Oh, that's sick the FDT would even need to do anything. Yeah, no, that's dope
That's super limited that we didn't even touch on that. Yeah, the other special editions
I had to say it. Yeah, the the Mugen RR is definitely a low-production
Yeah, like excellent car out remember why they made it at the time. I don't think it was a homologation thing
I think it was just like a flex. Yeah, I mean it was it was around something. I don't remember
Maybe someone in the comments can say but something was going along with one of the designers at Honda at that time
They were retiring or they came back because that was the deal with the the CR and the Mugen SI
Oh
someone
Did the design on those was retiring or something like it was something like paying homage, right?
Right, maybe that was what it had do the same thing. That's cool. It is a Mugen. Yeah, I mean
Dang and I'm gonna have to look that up. Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't know homework
But sick car. Yeah, somebody in the comments. Let us know
Me personally NSXR when I was you know, whatever in middle school or yeah, like it was like
They came out with the option videos of that car and it just like blew me away
How it could handle, you know the corners and like come out of them so fast without a turbo and just like yeah
Yeah, so that was that car stuck with me forever the white NSXR just like stuck with me forever and
Definitely was an influence and in me wanting to you know continue to be in the cars
I yeah, I would just put dude. I do. I mean, I'd be fine with it how it was. Yeah, but
Some wheels if I had to like if I had to but like I'd put some LMGT fours on it and just
Wait
I'm kidding. I'm kidding. But do that's the thing about about those types of cars that they make like that is it?
You don't need to do anything. It's already. Yeah, it's already our race like them
You're gonna are in the NSXR and like yeah, there is it's done. Yeah, I mean even the FL five civic type are
I mean you lower it a little bit and like the wheels are good like the the car is good the ground everything is good
Yeah, like yes, of course you can always do stuff because we're all freaks and have to do stuff
But like the cars are good like give it a better exhaust and turn up the boost. Let's run it
You know not on the old cars, but
Guys all right hit us up in the comments whatever like what is the best Honda ever?
Are we just fanboys and in picking like the the awesome cars instead of the cars with the most potential like dude?
Hit us up like send us some pics of the Hondas dude like we'd love to see him
I yeah, I've had a few civic type EK 9s. I love EK 9s like send us
I love Honda fits send it send him the fits the jazz beats whatever just send it send it to him
Do you love to see the jazz beats?
But yeah, no, we appreciate you guys listening for sure you can always find us everywhere at our HD GUIS
But for the Honda VTAC episode, I'm Bobby. This is Aaron. See ya peace
About this episode
Bobby and Aaron take a Honda deep-dive, tracing the brand’s roots from motorcycle engineering and high-revving small engines to the late-80s/90s “golden era” that shaped the culture. They hit key milestones like VTEC’s breakthrough, the CRX and Civic Si/Type R lineage, and the NSX’s impact (including its all-aluminum, NA performance). They also debate the post-90s gaps in the US lineup, then compare modern Type R eras (FK8 vs FL5) and talk about Honda’s underdog, driver-skill identity in motorsports and street culture.
In this episode of the Right Hand Drive Guys Podcast, we go all-in on Honda — breaking down the brand’s rise from economy car roots to becoming one of the most influential names in performance and JDM culture.
We take a chronological journey through Honda’s most iconic performance models, from early legends like the Civic and CRX, to the high-revving magic of the Integra Type R and S2000, all the way to modern icons like the NSX and Civic Type R. Along the way, we highlight the stats, engineering breakthroughs, and racing pedigree that made Honda a global force.
We dive into the culture and lore that surrounds Honda. From VTEC hype and track dominance to the community that built the scene, we talk about why Honda continues to hold a special place in the JDM world.
🎙️ High revs, lightweight legends, and a legacy that refuses to slow down — this is Honda.
