View Full Version : Ek Vtir Coupe Chassis?
Hey guys
i heard that the chassis for the coupe is not so strong?
can anyone elaborate?
and also how well do these things handle? comapred to the hatch?
and lastly.. do these have sunroofs? i thought or vtir badged hondas had a sun roof..
thanks guys
Im not entirely too sure.
Ive been told the chasis was welded together in teh USA as coupes didnt come out in Japan.
And have heard of squeeking issues.
They are also a bit heavier compared to the ek4 hatch and dont handle as well in a corner stock to stock.
coupes have an option of a sunroof, it isnt standard.
J-MuN
07-01-2005, 08:37 PM
ek vtir coupe is called an EM1.. they were released and built in USA, i believe.. they dont handle quite as well as the hatch.. slightly heavier too... the sunroof aint an option for VTi-R but it is for the VTi coupe which is equipped with the D16Y where opposed to the B16A2 in the VTi-R's...
Muckafutha
07-01-2005, 10:40 PM
Im pretty sure the sunroof was an option on the em1s
I thought the sunroofs were an option. ..hmmm
ah okies thanks guys
so em1 not recommended for use as track car? over the hatch?
also all suspension components are interchangeable between hatch and coupe?
thanks
Taxi-R
09-01-2005, 03:37 PM
from my memory, the EM1 is abt 1114kg whereas the EK4 is at 1131kg. i remember comparing this between HOnda pamphlets.
i would imagine the hatch to b better handling as it is not as long.
sunroof is not a Honda factory option but a dealer/third party option.
CTR Coupe
09-01-2005, 04:11 PM
Do the coupe and hatch have the same wheelbase? I know the interior floor pan is the same?
Taxi-R
09-01-2005, 10:23 PM
i would imagine the coupe and hatch have the same wheelbase since cat back zorsts fit both models - just the tip of the muffler needing to be a tad longer for the coupe
CTR Coupe
09-01-2005, 10:43 PM
If the wheelbase is the same I doubt that there’s any advantage between the two. The weight and weight placement/balance would be the only things that come into play. There are some people that believe the hatch is better simply because it’s made in Japan. I don’t see how where its made would have any bearing on how it performs.
Taxi-R
10-01-2005, 12:08 AM
assuming they are the same wheelbase, the coupe has a larger rear shell right from prob abt half way from the rear side window onwards. then u have a bigger boot. hence the rear portion of the chassis may allow for slightly more flex - maybe even in mid chassis. furthermore, u have diff weight distribution on the coupe with the rear end.
now i'm not any mechanic nor am i a hardcore car fan and i am just going by logic :D
think abt this too: the EM1 (made in the US) is abt 17kg LIGHTER than the EK4 (made in JP) but the EM1 is a "larger" car...how is that?
yep the hatch and coupe have the same wheel base ;)
CTR Coupe
10-01-2005, 10:58 AM
EK4 comes standard with sunroof. That would probably be the extra weight and that weight is right where you don't want it, up high.
I think these needs to be addressed at the next track day.
I want to see standard EK4 Vs. standard EM1 lap times.
As for the flex issue, if the wheelbase is the same there’s the same area between the wheels on both cars therefore the cars will both flex the same. If the ek4 was fitted standard with the rear bar like the Civic type R then there would be a difference. The fact that there is a solid rear parcel shelf in the coupe rather than the hatch cover means the rear end may be even stiffer, but that’s me speculating
VTEC16
10-01-2005, 11:36 AM
the coupe seems to have larger rear overhang....
how much does a sunroof weigh?
Civic Type R
10-01-2005, 11:42 AM
I weighed my car - EK4 with all fluids and just over half a tank of fuel, stereo, speakers, no spare tire, no jack, no floor mats and i got 1124kg (= about 20kg fluids)
On my insurance rego papers it says my tare is 1105kg. I also have a full bodykit
On my website, i record it as 1105kg as i do not believe the Honda literature to be entirely correct. I got my source from many other online Honda sources.
Trust-Me
10-01-2005, 11:05 PM
em1 is better handling from wat i have read on various forums. suspension is harder than the hatch backs. also em1 has a rear sway bar too...i dunno if the hatch come with them.
sunroof wasnt a standard options..honda only offered aftermarket sunroof, where the buttons is on the roof not the oem place..
as for the weight, ive read most places that the em1 is slightly ligher than the ek4 but other places states the em1 is heavier...so i dunno the true weight
VTEC16
11-01-2005, 10:12 AM
Sorry mate - im finding it hard to 'Trust-you' ;)
....most forums iv read state the hatch is lighter and handles better :thumbsup:
BlitZ
11-01-2005, 12:39 PM
thoguht the opposite....
and exhaust on an hatch wont fit a coupe..
coupe has the same wheel base as the sedan doesnt it
yep the hatch and coupe have the same wheel base ;)
BlitZ
11-01-2005, 12:42 PM
i dont believe the coupe would handle better...
dont think its a weight issue..
its the fact that there is more weight behind the rear wheels.......
the weight on paper states the coupe is only 14kg heavier... i dont believe it..
Trust-Me
11-01-2005, 12:49 PM
like i said it was from different forums...im not stating i said it...so i dunno...
but i can tell ya this for a fact, the hatch cat back wont fit a coupe....i bought a trust pe II made for a hatch and doesnt fit the rear of the car...had to extend bout 20 cms to fit the muffler on.
and i thought the coupe had the same wheel base as the sedans... the length is exactly the same from honda cat..
Civic Type R
11-01-2005, 01:07 PM
....most forums iv read state the hatch is lighter and handles better :thumbsup:Totally agree !
and that is why the Type R Civic is a HATCH ;) :thumbsup:
J-MuN
11-01-2005, 01:14 PM
Totally agree !
and that is why the Type R Civic is a HATCH ;) :thumbsup:
not necessarily... :p the coupe came from USA remember?! it didnt come out in Japan... so technically, the Type R could only be a hatch cos the sedan would jus not work... but if the coupe was released in Japan, then u'll neva know ;) :thumbsup:
Civic Type R
11-01-2005, 02:50 PM
J-Mun, if the Honda Corporation wanted a Type R coupe or sedan i dont think their Million dollar Type R project would really care what factory the chassis came from.
BlitZ
11-01-2005, 03:01 PM
im sure u can make a civic coupe handle as well as a type r integra
wassup
13-01-2005, 10:56 AM
HHmm i think we could all argue this till we each go black and blue in the face.
I personally think there wouldnt be much difference in the two. having said this i do know that the hatch has a stiffer body than the Sedan. I read this from a Honda press release on the EK series when it was released. So how much more than the Coupe... might be alittle huh?
Motor or Wheels also did an article a few years back titled Hot Four under 40 with cars like the ITR, Celica, SSS, Proton, VTiR Coupe etc (11 cars in all) and the ITR DC2 and Civic came 1st / 2nd respctively. The ITR lapped the circuit something like 8secs faster than any other car and did something like 11kmph faster down the straight than the Celica.
The civic lapped 2secs faster than the next car if i recall correctly.
Either way the VTiR is a fast car. Just depends on how deep your pockets get as to how much faster, not to mention how talented the driver is.
Also, the Coupe would never have been made into a Type R regardless of it possibly handling better than the Hatch simply cos Honda knows the Coupe is not a volume seller like the Hatch... Seems only the Americans have the appetite for the coupe in such a volume that makes it worth making.
my thoughts anyway.
Taxi-R
13-01-2005, 06:28 PM
J-Mun, if the Honda Corporation wanted a Type R coupe or sedan i dont think their Million dollar Type R project would really care what factory the chassis came from.hmmm :o empirical evidence suggests that the manufacturing country has a role to play in terms of quality and/or workmanship. y do ppl ask (esp with electronic equipment) "where is it made?" and when there is a choice of between Japan or Taiwan, Japan is ALWAYS the choice without fail. Honda USA is different to Honda Japan. Honda USA have their own standards (which may be very very similar to their colleagues in jp) as opposed to Honda JP. When i was reading reviews and articles on the Coupe before i purchased it new, one article read "Although Honda Japan still had alot of say on the manufacturing of the vehicle". Hence this statement alone says they are different.
btw, are any of the DC5s or DC5Rs made in the US? or all from JP?
dunno about handling but logically, the hatch chassis would be a tad stiffer as the body section of the hatch's chassis is smaller and smaller is stronger. try bending a piece of plastic that's 10cm long as opposed to 5cm. You notice a difference in the strength of the whole object right?? :rolleyes:
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