Photo 13 -- Exterior Front

On the track, the stock Civic Si’s body dove, squatted, and leaned more than a track-ready set of wheels, taxing the Michelin summer tires to some degree, but these character traits detracted not at all from the fun and aren’t discernable on real roads in the real world. And to the car’s credit, we drove it as hard as we could and experienced only a hint of brake fade on the final two laps – and then only when braking hard from near triple-digit speeds. We even checked the Michelins’ front sidewalls after the flogging, and the shoulders of the tread still looked great. Heel-and-toe shifting is easy, the shift lever falls readily to hand, and there aren’t any uncomfortable spots where the driver’s legs brace for turns. The Civic Si’s thickly bolstered seats hold the driver still, and sightlines are good even if the A-pillars are a tad thick for track work. And, the car will even rotate a bit if you trail brake into a tight corner.