Honda Del Sol Engine Diagram

When you think of the '90s, your attention is instantly diverted towards a stunning Targa-top model. However, there are only but a few cars that come to mind when you think of Targa-top twin-seater cars. And the Honda Del Sol is one of them. It is one of the many special cars that Honda has produced over the years. The Del Sol was not quite like the Lamborghinis or Mercedes twin seaters, but it was an absolute ace in a league of sports cars that were trying to establish themselves in the early 90s. Based on the Honda Civic platform, the Del Sol made its debut in 1992 (in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the USA).

The name Del Sol is the Spanish term for "of the Sun" - a reference to the removable hardtop and retractable windows that stood out on road-monster. The Del Sol SiR version was loved throughout Japan and found appreciation overseas too. Here's a detailed look back at the Honda Del Sol.

History

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The Honda Del Sol was a special car for a number of reasons. To begin with, it was considered as the first naturally aspirated mass-production car to create an output of more than 100PS per liter. It was also the first Japanese car with an electronic Targa roof. Such was the craze of the Del Sol that when it made its debut on the Japanese Car show "Best Motoring", Keiichi Tsuchiya, the expert reviewer declared the Del Sol as the most important Japanese Sports Car of the decade.

When the Honda Del Sol was first introduced in 1992, the trim levels made available in the US were initially limited to the S and Si models only. These models were powered by the SOHC Honda D-Series engines. The Japanese markets, on the other hand, received the top of the line, SiR model, too. This special model was powered by a 170 PS B16 SIR-II DOHC VTEC. The base "S" model came was powered by a 1.5 L SOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. Furthermore, the base model boasted 13-inch steel wheels, which were exclusively available at Honda Verno Japanese Dealerships.

The VXi version came with a Honda D15B-VTEC engine that generated 128 bhp of power, thereby matching the output of the 1.6 Si version. Despite its uncanny body resemblance to a mid-engine car design, the Del Sol shared its front-engine design looks majorly with the contemporary Honda Civic's design. The Si model, on the other hand, came standard with a 1.6 liter SOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. It also featured 14-inch alloy wheels which boasted a color-matched paint scheme. Other top features included power side mirrors, cruise control mode, rear disc brakes, wider tires, and anti-sway bars. Buyers across various markets had options to upgrade their features to add rear spoilers, customized floor mats, automatic transmission, power steering, heated mirrors, front fog lights, traction control system, limited-slip differential, and a lot more.

A Honda Special

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The Del Sol was known for being one of the better-looking, stylish, and affordable sports cars to ever come out of Asia. Designed by Yoshikazu Kigoshi in 1989, this little Honda beauty was assembled at Suzuka, Mie, Japan. The compact car boasted a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. The sports-car draws inspiration from the Honda CR-X, thereby earning it the popular title of CR-X Del Sol. Transmission variants were limited to 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual options.

The Honda Del Sol boasted a light curb weight of approximately 2500 lbs - a figure that aided this roadster's pick-up performance and speed outputs. Performance specifics of the JDM SiR model showcased that this Honda twin-seater averaged a 0 to 60 miles per hour time of just over 8 seconds; and a standing quarter-mile time of 14.7 seconds, as reviewed by Option magazine in 1992. Its impressive performance features propelled the Honda Del Sol to a top speed of 130+ miles per hour. All in all, the Honda Del Sol was as perfect as a twin-seater you'd find back in the '90s.

The Special Trans-Top Version

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The 1993-94 version of the Honda Del Sol sported a wide range of spectacular color variants, including unique shades such as the Captiva Blue Pearl, Frost White, Milano Red, Samba Green Pearl, and the most preferred Granada Black Pearl. The following year, the company introduced newer color schemes such as the Isle Green Pearl and Paradise Blue-Green Pearl as options. Further additions over the years included the Cypress Green Pearl and Vogue Silver Metallic color schemes. However, despite the addition of the aforementioned color schemes, what stood out the most was a special Del Sol model that was made available in Japan and Europe. Dubbed as the TransTop version of the Del Sol, it sported an electric mechanism to retract the Targa top into the trunk via the push of a button. This technology was impeccably followed and appreciated across Asia, and the car eventually went on to make a number of silver screen appearances in the coming years.

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