Make: HondaModel: Civic
Vince Knight’s modified Honda Civic EK
First impressions can be deceptive, and there’s no clearer example of that on the road than Vince Knight’s mad EK Civic.
Arriving at Vince’s house to meet him before the shoot, you’d be forgiven for thinking the car is a timid shadow of the motor that boasts one of the most viewed threads on the Civic Life forum. Bearing battle scars and looking a little rough round the edges, it got us questioning: is this worth the highly desired Fast Car cover? Moments later, we got our answer.
Climbing into the car hovering inches above the floor, body hugged by mint Bride seats and firmly held in by awesome Takata straps, as Vince started the car and clicked into first gear, it all started to make sense.
Built to provide the biggest smile from the inside out, this car was not just made to be driven hard, but driven hard regularly – and in style.
You see, this isn’t just any fast car: the ride oozes the perfect balance of a Jap street-race feel mixed with that trademark British understated look, and this hardcore daily sportscar slayer pulls it off a treat. Take the genius colour choice for example: a true one-off on any Civic in this country, yet closer inspection reveals it’s still original JDM Honda paint pulled from a hybrid.
Then there’s that amazing engine bay lurking beneath the carbon fibre bonnet. Housing the Honda K-series lump, the bay’s neat, tidy and finished in an awesome pink that contrasts so brilliantly with the rest of the car. The more you study this Civic, the more you realise Vince has got it spot on.
Even those little blemishes on the exterior start to have meaning and add to the whole package. This car shouldn’t sit on a stand looking pretty, this is about having fun while pulling the pants down of the bigger fish in the pond (Do fish wear pants? – Scary).
“I love the idea of hunting for supercars,” grins the aspiring film director and organiser of the famous Torbay Cruise – and after riding shotgun on a thrash around the British Riviera, it’s not hard to see why.
Vince has a long history with this tarmac terrorist: after six years of ownership, the car’s graced many looks and even engines. You may remember a bright green turbo’d Civic that toured the shows in 2009 for example… yes, almost unbelievably it’s the same car.
Vince has moved with the times since and his EK story looks set to continue too. “I can’t ever imagine selling it,” he says of his pride and joy, “I’d rather it was garaged than seeing someone else drive away with it.”
And why would he want to sell it? Driven hard and driven daily at a time when driving isn’t cheap at best, Vince reminds us of what it’s all about: having immense fun in style with your ride.
Arriving at Vince’s house to meet him before the shoot, you’d be forgiven for thinking the car is a timid shadow of the motor that boasts one of the most viewed threads on the Civic Life forum. Bearing battle scars and looking a little rough round the edges, it got us questioning: is this worth the highly desired Fast Car cover? Moments later, we got our answer.
Climbing into the car hovering inches above the floor, body hugged by mint Bride seats and firmly held in by awesome Takata straps, as Vince started the car and clicked into first gear, it all started to make sense.
Built to provide the biggest smile from the inside out, this car was not just made to be driven hard, but driven hard regularly – and in style.
You see, this isn’t just any fast car: the ride oozes the perfect balance of a Jap street-race feel mixed with that trademark British understated look, and this hardcore daily sportscar slayer pulls it off a treat. Take the genius colour choice for example: a true one-off on any Civic in this country, yet closer inspection reveals it’s still original JDM Honda paint pulled from a hybrid.
Then there’s that amazing engine bay lurking beneath the carbon fibre bonnet. Housing the Honda K-series lump, the bay’s neat, tidy and finished in an awesome pink that contrasts so brilliantly with the rest of the car. The more you study this Civic, the more you realise Vince has got it spot on.
Even those little blemishes on the exterior start to have meaning and add to the whole package. This car shouldn’t sit on a stand looking pretty, this is about having fun while pulling the pants down of the bigger fish in the pond (Do fish wear pants? – Scary).
“I love the idea of hunting for supercars,” grins the aspiring film director and organiser of the famous Torbay Cruise – and after riding shotgun on a thrash around the British Riviera, it’s not hard to see why.
Vince has a long history with this tarmac terrorist: after six years of ownership, the car’s graced many looks and even engines. You may remember a bright green turbo’d Civic that toured the shows in 2009 for example… yes, almost unbelievably it’s the same car.
Vince has moved with the times since and his EK story looks set to continue too. “I can’t ever imagine selling it,” he says of his pride and joy, “I’d rather it was garaged than seeing someone else drive away with it.”
And why would he want to sell it? Driven hard and driven daily at a time when driving isn’t cheap at best, Vince reminds us of what it’s all about: having immense fun in style with your ride.