1999 Honda Civic Vortech Supercharged

Increasing the amount of air that is combusted in the cylinders requires additional fuel. The fuel system of the Civic received an additional inline fuel pump, along with a Vortech fuel rail and fuel pressure optimizer. To help ignite the fuel, the ignition system now has support from a Crane ignition coil that creates sparks through the Moroso plug wires.

All exiting gasses are led to a Comptech Sport stainless-steel, 4-2-1 header that relieves itself of backpressure through the APEXi N1 stainless-steel exhaust. The exhaust provides a rich and throaty rumble that serves as an audible warning to would be competitors.

Safety In Numbers
While all may look and sound dandy, the true test of any performance modification comes from its raw numbers. We've all seen the crazy set-ups that look like they can do 9s, but run a little slower than stock. These mechanical mishaps are often the result of mismatched components, improper tuning or maybe even bad luck, but not in this case. With the supercharger dialed in at 10 psi, this "little Civic that could" churned out an impressive 272 hp, backed by an equally impressive 181 lb-ft of torque. The data was gathered from a run on a Dynojet dyno.

While the numbers are a direct reflection of the craftsmanship put into the kit, an interesting thing to remember is that Vortech Engineering has deep roots in the business of supercharging. The company, which opened in 1990, is the only supercharging company to ever receive the "Best Engineered New Product" from SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association). It supplies air bypass valves with its supercharger kits. Basically, Vortech doesn't play around.

Footwork
Helping transfer power to the floor is an ACT heavy-duty pressure plate and street disc, coupled with a Kaaz limited-slip differential. From there, the 18x7.5-inch Racing Hart CP10s find themselves relaying the message to a set of 215/35-18 Toyo Proxes tires. The tires help hold things together, as they collaborate with the Koni/Neuspeed adjustable shocks and Neuspeed Sport springs. Additional suspension mods include a Comptech upper strut tower bar along with a Neuspeed rear sway bar, to help stiffen the chassis.

Baer Essentials
To bring things to a quick stop, the folks at Baer Racing replaced the brake system with the Baer "Track" brake system. The Track system, which is Baer's most popular line, includes 13-inch cross-drilled/slotted rotors, along with a PBR two-piston caliper. The moderate price and exceptional performance of this kit make it the perfect upgrade for those who want increased performance; it's ideal for the track or street.

To complete the package, Vinyl Mayhem wrapped the Vortech Engineering Civic in a simple, yet sporty graphic. The graphics add promotional flavor to the coupe while the carbon fiber hood gives the car an edge. With the company-owned car ready and done, you can be sure that this Civic will continue to turn heads.