In the past, I've compared the Civic Si to a BMW M3. The unfiltered connection between the Si and the road, the immediacy of the car's responses (be they to steering, throttle or brakes), the racy, ultra-supportive seats and the way the car feels as solid as a rock all remind me of an M3. More like the previous, simpler generation M3 (the '95 to '99) than the current one.
In styling, however, the Civic Si reminds me of the previous generation M coupe. That's the breadbox shaped coupe that was spun off the Z3 roadster and was made from '99 to '02. No, I haven't lost it -- it's not that the Civic Si and a '99 M coupe actually look similar. It's that I didn't like the looks of that Bimmer at all (awkwardly tall greenhouse, wagon-like rear end)...until I drove it and discovered how entertaining it was. Somehow, that changed things and now I find myself admiring some aspects of that M coupe's design, such as the view from directly behind that shows off the aggressively flared rear quarters.
The point is, sometimes a car can be so good, so much fun to drive, that it can make you accept its somewhat unattractive styling. Now, I still think the Civic is oddly proportioned, with its stubby hood and massive windshield giving the front end all the sporty pizzazz of a minivan. But like that M coupe, when I'm behind the wheel winding out the VTEC while dancing through a twisty road, she's a beauty indeed.
BTW, like some other drivers, I've noticed that the reflash has lessened the rev-hanging problem somewhat, but hasn't eliminated it entirely.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 19,326
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