Lets be honest readers…this platform has definitely received its fair share of discrepancies within the last few years, and then for obvious reasons for that matter-low power, unfamiliar hybrid engine and untraditional styling. Though the CR-Z is still a comparatively new platform, it has already fallen in to the ranks of the age-old debate of “Hot or Not”-but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no hope for the little hybrid that could. And while the majority of enthusiasts are still sitting back trying to puzzle out what Honda had in mind with this little platform, or what the hell they’re supposed to do with it, Bryan Bui of Houston, TX continues to be falling deeply in love and pushing his new daily driver into a level many people thought would never be possible.
As many individuals know (or feel), the CR-Z fell utterly short of resembling its proposed predecessor (the CRX)- yet, that doesn’t mean it’s a completely bad-looking car. Somewhat Hybrid-esque? You betcha-but that’s nothing a little bit proper aftermarket aero can’t fix, right? First things first, a full C-west body kit was installed to aid break out of the pack of econo-getters. To bump up the aggression, a staggered set of Desmond Regamaster Promadas were added along with a pair ofSuch As A Virgin
With the styling issues complete, the time had come to tackle the power plant. Again, being a relatively new, untouched platform, Bryan was left with seldom options while seeking the improvements he desired. That was, before the day he was offered a JDM Top Secret 1.5 stage turbo directly from the legendary owner of Top Secret himself, Smoky Nagata. Lucky guy, ay? Buying the kit straight out of Smoky’s trunk in a Houston car show, Brian and some friends quickly pieced together the setup while cautiously working out the minor JDM/USDM conversion tweaks. After completing the install, the car was left to Johnny Tran of JTran Studios for an entire Hondata ECU flash and turbo tune. With all said and done, the new kit and tune increased hp nearly 100% from factory-all while still maintaining a day-to-day driver friendly 33 mpg. Oh, and just in case Bryan starts flying off the wheel with his newly-found boost, a StopTech big brake kit was included with squeal the sale.
Still wanting to show the car’s true potential while keeping the JDM theme, the interior received a whole makeover flaunting a set of DC5 Recaros together with various other interior pieces being wrapped in Recaro fabric. Using the essentials, Bryan strayed into new territory once again and have become one of the first to set up an Cusco rollcage within his CR-Z. To top it all off, several extra Mugen accents and a set of Takata harnesses as well as the package is complete.
From go-getter to heavy-hitter, the CR-Z will continue to produce waves in our community-and with experimental enthusiasts venturing from the norm like Bryan Bui, we feel this platform may just have a chance.