Every Turbocharged Car Should Have An Intercooler As Big As This 429-Horsepower Honda CR-X

The Honda CR-X is a serious contender for the perfect car. It was a compact little liftback with two seats and more than enough room to carry your daily needs, and it even got an Si variant that turned the little Civic-based runabout into a nice little performance car. But one thing the CR-X never got, at least from the factory, was a massive intercooler that couldn’t fit under the front bumper and required the front of the car to be cut away. That was a clear failure on Honda’s part, because look at how perfect this turbocharged CR-X from Facebook Marketplace looks. 

First, the rally lights catch your eyes. Then your focus is drawn downward, to the huge same-side intercooler, and that’s when you really start to notice the details. The fender flares, the wheels, the raised hood, the blow off valve that vents through the hood. Even more rally lights above the windshield. This is the apex of automotive design, what peak performance looks like. 

The seller claims this B16A engine, with its forged internals and Precision 6262 turbo, puts 429 wheel horsepower down on a dyno. That’s a wild amount of power to send through the front wheels of any car, let alone a CR-X that sits at a claimed 1,700 pounds — and that’s with a full interior and a fire suppression system. The drivetrain is all race spec, with a heavy clutch and four-puck disc met with a nine-pound flywheel and a 1.5-way limited-slip differential. This is streetable, if you’re really determined, but it’s not going to be a great experience. 

Still, this CR-X may just be automotive perfection. A super-light car, a massively powerful turbo engine, and all of the aggression and unrefined vigor that only comes from a tuner build. This is what cars should be, and it’s likely the most fun you can have on four wheels for $15,500.