2015 Honda CR-Z HPD equipped coupe surprises

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When is a $5,000 + option justifiably invested in a $20,000 economy-hybrid-sports coupe?

Say what you will. Honda’s much panned and undersold 2-place gasoline electric hybrid may be the maker’s sweetest pocket-rocket. Honda Performance Development (HPD) supercharged equipped CR-Z surprises. Parks McCants drives one in San Marcos, California.

Granted; 9 a.m. in a sleepy residential neighborhood is not the best time to push the CR-Z Honda Performance race prepared hybrid to its redline. As the saying goes, bad on me! Nonetheless, There she sat in the Honda Dream Garage lineup, cute as hell with a sinister grin on its grill, just itching to go for a romp.

Well, we asked, and they said yes. The only other time Honda-Torque News had witnessed the road performance capabilities of an HPD prepared CR-Z, was in Sonoma, California while it performed lead-car warm up duties for Indycar. At that time, we pondered supercharged CR-Z’s ability to pace Indycar without looking feeble.

Of course we knew that this car, or one like it ran 2014 and 2015 Pikes Peak, not winning but in good company, just the same.

The drive

You know, pretty damn decent. As first reported by Honda-Torque News here, CR-Z’s driving environment is surprisingly roomy and butt-comfortable, controls work very well, steering feel is good and traction, much better than expected. Although a 2-place vehicle, CR-Z is much larger than one might anticipate, offering decent headroom and the added access utility and good looks of a low-body coupe hatchback.

Although more than a bit of torque steer is experienced while performing an aggressive launch, in normal driving CR-Z presents a comfortable, controlled ride with sport tendencies.

Power-performance, does it have any?

Yes, weighing in at under 3,000 lbs, this 180 + horsepower pocket rocket is a blast to drive. While no one is saying why CR-Z showed up at the #HondaDreamGarage event, we believe that it may be just a bit of a tease as to things to come in the near future Honda lineup.

Afteral, Honda is cranking out the all new turbocharged 1.5 liter i-VTEC 4 cylinder gasoline engine in Anna, Ohio as we release this article. North America is ready for a small displacement, light and agile 2 passenger pocket-rocket. Perhaps Honda will deliver it.