Do you remember making fun of Geo Metros? How about AMC Gremlins? Maybe you were the guy who picked on the kid who drove a Mopar to school way back when because that was just a little bit weird. Whatever the case, at some point there is that one ride out there that for whatever reason, you just hate it. It doesn’t even have to be a bad car, just one that you couldn’t ever possibly see yourself driving. What we want to know from you, readers, is where is the line drawn that turns your opinion from “get this pile out of my sight” to “okay, that’s cool”?
Let’s take this Craigslist find for example. It’s a 2006 Honda Accord V6 coupe. A stock Honda Accord coupe isn’t a bad car. Having a V6 and a six-speed manual might even make the drive a little bit fun, but overall…it’s still a Honda Accord, which means that it’s the car we recommend to non-car people and nothing more. Now take this particular one…yes, it’s got the manual trans, and yes, it’s got the six-speed, but it has one small growth in the engine bay it most certainly did NOT come with from the factory: an Eaton M90 supercharger, like what you would find on a Buick Regal GS or Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. What was a nice, 244-horsepower two-door is now a shrieking demon that the seller claims is pushing 400 horsepower to the wheels.
From the ad, here’s the build’s rundown:
ENGINE:
-J32a3 block (rebuilt, timing accessories, piston rings, etc.)
-J35a8 built heads (port/polish including valve seats)
-J32a2 Manifold ported/polished
-Ported/Polished Intake Runners
-4″ intake
-80mm TB (2010 TL AWD)
-custom 3in exhaust with catalytic converter
-RV6 J pipe
-RV6 Pre cat deletes
-Torque dampener
-m90 with 3.4 pulley, 7 PSI
-FIC 525cc Injectors
-NGK heat range 7 iridium
-Water methanol injection (7 nozzles (60ml/min, 1 before throttle body, other direct injection)
-Hondata Flashpro
To recap: you have all the benefits of driving a late-model Honda Accord, but with a blower sticking through the freaking hood. Yeah, it’s sideways and yes, it’s wrong wheel drive, but imagine using this beast as a daily driver. Your boss thinks he’s hot stuff rolling in a BMW 3-series? Park an Accord next to him that looks more intimidating sitting still and could spank his cookie-cutter car and watch his eye twitch just a little bit. Any other Honda Accord and I wouldn’t have even wasted my breath, but this one…this one works for some reason.
So, where is the line in the sand that marks the difference between “love it” and “hate it”, and what is the difference? Apparently, for an Accord Coupe, it’s a sideways supercharger for me…
Oh, and if you’re a sick one like I am, this Accord is for sale:
There are very few cars that cannot be made more interesting by adding massive amounts of boost.
When it comes to hating specific brands, call on Georgie from the UK, he’s the king of the haters…
My test? Could I see myself driving it?