The SEMA Look
It's been quite a few years since Honda unveiled a new offering in their lineup that's stirred up as much emotion as the CR-Z has. Whether it's the angry, power-hungry enthusiast, demoralized by the lack of a factory K20 powerplant, or the optimist that sees the CR-Z for what it is: a semi-sporty gas miser with a tiny hint of the so called "CR-X spirit," there's no denying that the CR-Z is making some noise. The result seems to be numerous manufacturers, both big and small, fitting and testing new parts, and mapping out production schedules.
As with most project cars, we'll get into suspension, wheels and tires, and bolt-on upgrades, but this month we start things off with the exterior. With a late delivery of our CR-Z project car, we scrambled to get some type of aero upgrade established in preparation for SEMA. Japanese aero specialists had already introduced complete body kits to their market, and some of the parts have defected to U.S. soil, but it seemed nothing could be obtained in time. On the bright side, C-West had agreed to partner with us on the CR-Z build, and test fit their new kit and wing combo, but arrival of the kit wasn't due for a few weeks, and wasn't going to happen before the ever-looming SEMA kick-off.
JDP's carbon-fiber front lip and grille cover accentuate the factory lines without going o
JDPengineering.com
With hope quickly dwindling, John of JDPengineering.com once again stepped in to make things happen. He'd already been eyeing the CR-Z, and in his head, had come up with a few ideas for a front lip and rear wing. Luckily, an acquaintance of his just so happened to have access to a CR-Z, which allowed us to continue working on our build while he did research and development on the loaner car. The name JDP should be quite familiar with Honda Tuning magazine readers, his parts have shown up on the majority of our project cars, including our Fit Sport, S2000, and TSX V6. JDP has a history of producing clean, simple, carbon-fiber pieces that accentuate rather than overpower factory body lines.
The JDP carbon-fiber rear wing sits atop the edge of the hatch and allows you to retain th
In no time at all, JDP delivered a sleek front lip, grille cover, and rear deck extension. The front lip uses factory clips in the front portion, double-sided tape on the sides, and fits just under the front bumper, outlining the sharp factory lines. Like all of JDP's offerings, ground clearance is maximized through clever design and strength and durability, a major concern with a front lip, is exceptional. The grille cover is essentially a block of carbon fiber that eliminates the "mini-blinds" that fill the front, upper grille area. Installation doesn't get any easier, as the removal of a few pieces of tape and a careful alignment are all it takes to finish the job. The lip and grille pair drastically change the front end of the CR-Z, but keep the sexy lines of the micro-hybrid. Out back, JDP created a small wing to sit atop the rear hatch, and extend outward to lengthen the car. Third brake light functionality is in no way affected, and much like the front grille cover, installation is as easy at it gets; double-sided tape. With all three pieces installed, the new look slithered right past the average bystander at SEMA, but those in the know were more than impressed by the clean, simplistic flow, and the excellent fitment. For a street car, the JDPengineering setup is absolutely perfect.
Seibon already has available three carbon-fiber hood options for the CR-Z. We chose the ve
Seibon
Finding a carbon-fiber hood for the CR-Z should have been difficult this early in the game, but luckily, Seibon is always well ahead of the curve. When we contacted them, they mentioned that they'd already come up with three hood types for the CR-Z, and they were ready to go. The hood we picked up has an engine-wide vent that allows heat to escape, a lighter weight thanks to the carbon design, and adds an aggressive flair to the front end. Fitment was spot on, as there was no adjusting of the hood latch, no shaving needed, nor was there any reason to slam the hood shut in order to secure it. We simply lined up the hood with the proper gap between the fenders and it was as good as factory.