This has basically become a routine for us here at Super Street: every year, a month or so after the annual SEMA show occurs, we make our way down to Ontario, CA to visit our good friend Bisi Ezerioha. It’s always nice to catch up with Bisi and his interesting sense of humor, but the main reason why we head out there is to get a better look at his latest, and possibly greatest, new project. We’ve come to expect a lot from Bisi over the years because he never disappoints. If anything, he’s always surprised us and exceeded our expectations. Bisi started out as the naturally-aspirated single-cam Honda king, and then captured the attention of the entire import automotive community by building a 700-plus horsepower, turbocharged Civic Wagon. One company that took a vested interest in Bisimoto’s many accomplishments was Honda of America. They knew he had the uncanny ability to build what seemed impossible and provided him with the opportunity last year to tinker with the then-newly released hybrid Honda CR-Z. Unless you’ve been living under that proverbial rock, you’ve probably already heard of his fully-operational hybrid, turbocharged, 533hp CR-Z. If by chance you haven’t, please kindly pull up a Google search and educate yourself. The Bisimoto CR-Z garnered such critical acclaim and positive reception, that Honda once again contacted Bisi for the 2011 SEMA project. This time around, they had another unique undertaking in the form of the newly-unveiled 2012 Honda Civic Si.
This new Civic was, by all accounts, completely uncharted territory. Unlike years past, this Civic was for the US consumer. That’s right, no Japanese domestic market. On top of it being an entirely new chassis, beneath the hood sprang another surprise: the new K24A7 engine. Nobody had laid a hand on this Civic or its motor yet, but uncharted territory is what Bisi is all about. Honda provided him with a blank canvas to do as he pleased, and after seeing his reveal at the 2011 SEMA event, he didn’t fail in his efforts to blow everyone’s collective minds. Pardon our French, but he built the ever-living shit out of this Civic.
“With the 2012 Civic Si, we really wanted to take elements from drag racing, time attack, and street tuning to encompass the idea that we can create a ‘Civic for everyone’ while maintaining all the signature Bisimoto Engineering elements,” Bisi explains. “We have taken styling aspects from all three genres and devoted special attention to the aesthetics for this year’s build. Technology and efficient power-production has always been our forte, but we want the public to know that we also have style in mind. We have no fear of the unknown and we are always willing to take risks.”
In terms of visual appeal, their 2012 Civic is perhaps their best “looking” vehicle to date. The exterior is emblazoned in a full-laminated body wrap like the CR-Z and continues to wear the signature “Bisimoto blue”, but additions of Carbon Creations front and side carbon splitters make for a more menacing look. The chute finds home in the rear of the Civic again, paired up with a custom aluminum trunk-mounted rear wing. A teardrop-shaped cut-out in the hood offers a hint of what’s going on underneath. The biggest departure from his previous projects in the past is the aggressive stance of the Civic. The chassis rides low to the pavement via prototype Eibach Springs coilovers and sits on newly released 18-inch Eins Gramm wheels. The wheel, which translated from German means “one gram”, is manufactured and sold exclusively by Bisimoto Engineering.
