That's an interesting comment. I've heard horrendous interiors before, but uninspiring engine? Last I check, Nissan's V6 make as much HP, more TQ, and just as good mileage as Honda's brand new 3.5L V6 in w/ iVTEC and all.

 

Please consult your nearest dictionary. Uninspiring is not a synonym of good, bad, weak, strong, or bad MPG. Uninspiring means: 'Having no intellectual, emotional, or spiritual excitement; dull.' That sums up the VQ35 well.

Edit: To underscore that point, here's a story: The last time I drove a TL 6-speed, RSX Type-S and a BMW 330i I got chills down my spine winding the engine up. When I test drove the G35C 6-speed it was totally lacking that feeling. It just felt like a big, fat engine built for torque and speed...no real excitement or anticipation to it.

 

Isn't Honda only using the 3.5 in the RL anyways?

Nissan just seems to throw the VQ35 in every car they have...

 

And to some, that TQ is what make it fun. I drove the TL, the RSX-s and both of those are quite boring to me. And to me, they're both dull, so they must me uninspiring too. How in the world can you have spiritual excitement is beyond me. I think you're not making any sense when you're associating an engine w/ spiritual excitement. I have a modded GSR and the G35c, so I know the excitement of both. They're just very different, it's really hard to compare. But to compare mine GSR w/ the RSX-s, the K20 seems quite uninspiring. If you're going to say if I mod the K20, then it will be much better than the B18, and I agree. but from factory both B18C1 and K20 are uninspiring. I don't think any engine in a car under 40k can be consider as emotionally exciting. If those cars you listed make chills run down your spine, then you spine must be in electric shock when you drive a M3 then huh? None of those car cause much excitement for me.

You're associating inspiration to emotions, and what cause you to have those emotions might not what cause me to has those same emotions. I don't know what you're talking about when you're talking about intellectual. It takes alot of great engineers to design an engine that can be used in everything from a truck to a sport car.

Edit: So, would you consider the VQ32DETT making 500 HP that's being used in the JGTC Z unexciting? It's still a VQ after all. Try to find another engine design that can be found in a truck and a race car a the same time, in different state of tune of course. To me, that's one hell of a well engineered engine. It's also been on the Ward's ten best for around 10 years now.

 

Yeah, because I've driven the 500HP VQ32DETT

Well engineered engine? Yes. Trucklike and running out of gas at the top of the rev range? Yes. Top Gear did a report once on the new 350Z and found out the exact same thing. I was ecstatic that someone else actually thought so, since everyone and their mom has been dry humping this engine from day one for reasons I can't understand. Numbers and sheer speed don't excite me. It's about how you get there.

 

looks rounded like the redesigned 06 eclipse..

 

Funny that you say it's trucklike because it has better than average low and midrange torque. If that was your main argument for it being uninspired, you should have just said so, then I would say go test drive the new 300HP Z or the 298HP G35c. It has less low midrange tq so it doesn't feel "trucklike" and it keep on pulling until very near its redline of 7000RPM. It doesn't dip at the highend like the 03-04 engine, so there you go, add variable timing to the exhaust and all of sudden it's inspiring again.

I don't think you need to drive a 500HP race car to know the engine is "inspired". If you really must drive it, then maybe wait a couple til the next GT-R comes out. Mostlikely, it'll have the VQ32DETT or some variant of the TT VQ.

 

What does this all have to do with the new Civic?

 

You're right, it has nothing to do w/ the new civic. So, I'm done talking about Nissan. Now back to the Civic, I really like this new look. Just hope the Si version won't pack the weight though.

 

In regards to the 2006 Civic, I wonder has anyone mentioned what are the transmission choices besides the six-speed manual (probably close-ratio unit) used on the Si coupé?

I'm guessing five-speed regular automatic with 5th gear overdrive and six-speed manual with 5th and 6th gear overdrive for now. However, some rumors suggest that the 2006 Civic will use an automatic transmission based on the Antonov AAD design (which is lighter than normal automatics and dispenses with the power-robbing torque converter) in a six-speed version. Why this rumor? We do know that Honda licensed the Antonov AAD design a few years ago, and given the design of the Antonov AAD it could be applied on all Honda passenger-car engines from the 0.66-liter Kei motor on the smallest JDM Hondas all the way up to the very torquey i-CTDi turbodiesel and 3.5-liter V-6 engines.