It's been 20 years since the first Honda Civic Si arrived in the U.S. for the 1984 model year, and Honda says that the 2006 Civic Si will be the fastest and most powerful production Civic ever. A 200-horsepower, 16-valve, dual-overhead cam, inline four-cylinder engine with an 8,000 rpm redline boasts the latest generation of i-VTEC technology to produce optimum power, optimum efficiency, and optimum levels of emissions.

A close-ratio six-speed manual transmission delivers power to the front wheels, and the engine breathes through a sport-tuned exhaust system that sounds terrific. Honda recorded a production Civic Si making a run through the gears and played it during the concept's introduction to reporters. It sounded more powerful, and more exotic, than a four-cylinder ought to. Keeping that power flowing to the ground is a standard helical-type limited slip front differential.

Large 18-inch alloy wheels wearing 225/40 performance tires filled the wheel wells on the Honda Civic Si Concept, fronting four-wheel-disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors and Brembo four-piston calipers. But these rotors and calipers are just for show, like the glossy black-painted hood, giant rear decklid wing, and the air diffuser with center-mounted exhaust mounted under the back bumper.

What will translate to showrooms is the Honda Civic Si Concept's swept roofline and ultra-fast windshield rake, which present a gentle arc that stretches from front to rear. There's plenty of Acura in the Civic Si Concept's face, which results in a more aggressive appearance, but the flanks are plain despite better elegance and flow than a Scion tC. Don't expect the full aero kit on the Honda Civic Si Concept to be standard when the car goes on sale early in 2006.

Mendel calls the Honda Civic Si concept, "Fast, fun, and full of what makes a Civic, a Civic." Let's hope Honda was smart enough to get the car programmed for inclusion in the next iteration of every driving enthusiast's favorite video game, Gran Turismo 4.

Photos courtesy of American Honda