The Hondadel Sol is a 2-seater targa top car manufactured by Honda in the 1990s. Based on the Honda Civic platform, the del Sol was the successor to the popular Honda CR-X. It debuted in 1992 in Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Spanish name del Sol translates to of the sun, and refers to the car's opening roof. It featured a removable hardtop that stowed in the trunk and a retractable rear window. Manual and automatic “TransTop” roofs were available. The Civic Del Sol SiR received acclaim in Japan as one of the first mass production cars to output more than 100 HP per litre and the first with an electronic targa roof. During its debut on Japanese car show ‘Best Motoring’ reviewer Keiichi Tsuchiya declared the Del Sol SiR to be the most important Japanese sports car for a decade. Performance specifications for the JDM SiR give the 2-seater a 0-100 km/h time of 7 seconds and a standing quarter mile time of 14.7 as reviewed by “Option” magazine in 1992. Production and sales ended with the 1997 model in the U.S. and 1998 elsewhere.
Specification
The del Sol was first introduced to Japan, Europe, and North America in 1992 for the 1993 model year. Trim levels in the US were initially limited to the S and Si models powered by SOHC Honda D-series engines while the Japanese market received the SiR powered by a B16 SiR-II DOHC VTEC and featuring optional LSD. The base "S" model came with a 1.5 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder engine and rode on 13" steel wheels, available only at Honda Verno Japanese dealerships. The Japanese VXi/VGi versions came with a Honda D15B-VTEC engine. This was an entry level VTEC engine that produced, matching the power of the 1.6 Si version. Despite the body resemblance to a mid-engined car design, the del Sol shared a front-engined design with the contemporary Honda Civic. The "Si" model came standard with a 1.6 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder engine. The Si also came with 14" alloy wheels which were offered in an optional body color-matched paint scheme on Samba Green models, power side mirrors, cruise control, rear disc brakes, wider tires, and additional front & rear anti-sway bars. Depending on model and market, the options included a rear spoiler, custom floor mats, an automatic transmission, power steering, heated mirrors, front fog lights, traction control system, limited slip differential, and air conditioning.
Colors
The 1993-1994 USDM Del Sol came in 5 colors: Captiva Blue Pearl, Frost White, Granada Black Pearl, Milano Red, and Samba Green Pearl. For 1995, Honda replaced Captiva Blue Pearl and Samba Green Pearl with Isle Green Pearl and Paradise Blue-Green Pearl, and made Frost White available on the Si. For 1996-1997, Honda removed the Paradise Blue-Green Pearl color, replaced Isle Green Pearl with Cypress Green Pearl, and added Vogue Silver Metallic.
TransTop
An option available in Japan and Europe was the TransTop, an electric mechanism which retracted the targa top into the trunk via a push of a button. The roof is operated by flicking two catches above the windows, then holding down a button. The trunk lid raises vertically and two arms extend into the targa top. After locking the lid to the arms, the arms pull the targa into the trunk lid, which lowers back down with the roof inside. The open process is reversed for the closure and return of the targa top.
Model updates
Autumn 1992 :
CR-X del Sol launched in Japan with two trim levels - VXi and SiR
Civic del Sol launched in USA with two trim levels - S and Si
CR-X del Sol launched in Europe with two trim levels- ESi and VTi
USDM Changes for 1994:
Added VTEC trim level, with B16A3 engine , 9000 rpm tachometer, and improved suspension
S trim level receives front sway bar
Dual SRS airbags standard
Changes for 1995:
Civic tag dropped from US del Sol name. Model now called del Sol
VXi was only available in Japan as a 1.5 SOHC VTEC. VGi, which was the Japanese version of the European ESi 1.6 SOHC VTEC, replaced the VXi.
Redesigned targa top seals to help prevent leakage
The base del Sol S receives the 106 hp 1.6-liter engine, a four-hp increase over previous years' 1.5-liter.
The del Sol Si receives the 1996 127 hp D16Y8 Civic engine, as well as the suspension, larger front and rear stabilizer bars, and steering of the VTEC.
