Having a 300-hp Honda Jazz (Fit) as a track car is all well and good, but something slightly more practical is in order when it comes to the daily commute. At least that’s the conclusion that Rob Barber from Dublin, Ireland, came to. But as the owner of ICETronix, one of Ireland’s premier Honda tuning facilities, it had to be something special. It is, and he can thank his dad for that.
“Two years ago we imported one of the first Euro R Accords into the country for my dad, when they were really rare,” Rob says. “Of course, I drove it and it was great; it was reasonably quick, comfortable, and looked absolutely gorgeous in the Arctic Blue. It caused a lot of attention wherever we went.” As you might expect, Rob elected to get his own. The CL7 Accord is anything but similar to the raced-out hatchbacks Rob’s accustomed to—he admits as much. “It comes with the K20 engine, which I love—perhaps it’s a sign of growing up,” he says.
Rob’s ’04 Accord arrived from Japan in early 2008 and cost him the equivalent of $35K. “It came fitted with pieces from the genuine Mugen body kit,” Rob says. “It also had TEIN coilovers, which are fantastic and very comfortable.” As you’d expect, Rob’s made improvements of his own—everyone knows that making something good even better is almost always possible....Pick up a copy of the February/March, 2009 issue of Honda Tuning for more.