The internet is full of the question: What does CR-X stand for? While "CR" is has been mostly explained as "Civic Renaissance", the "X" is still open to intepretation, eXperimental, eXperience, Model X... and the list goes on.

When Honda debuted the CR-Z in 2010, they made sure people remember it for being the spiritual successor to the CR-X. A sporty three-door coupe based on a family hatchback, the CR-Z is based on the Insight, and shares the suspension and hybrid propulsion drivetrain. But why market the CR-Z as the spiritual CR-X successor? Simple. The Civicbased CR-X is unarguably a cult car.

World-wide, this car is sought after by collectors and performance tuners, a fair number of weathered and battered survivors are still in service as daily drivers. We have a look at JDM Legends SG admin, Alvin and his 1989 CR-X. Why the CR-X gained a cult appeal is relatively simple. It offers great performance, it is nimble, fuel efficient, and practical enough to be a daily.

However, it is the second-generation model which is still sought after today, because it has: Desireble engines an an all-round doublewishbone suspension configuration: An arrangement which is still used today in modern supercars. For Alvin, this car was a dream come true when he first saw it go up for sale on the second hand market. It was in relatively good condition, but there were some changes he made to pip up the CR-X performance a notch higher. First thing he did was to install a more modern entertainment system – since the original headunit and speakers were busted.

Secondly, the wheels. While it came with nice 16-inch hoops, the 15-inch Enkei SC14’s were the next thing on to match the classic status of the CR-X. The interior, apart from the steering wheel, remains largely untouched. Cloth seats, coin compartment, big chunky switches – truly the way of the old school. Enthusiasts love the CR-X for another reason too, the interchangeability of parts with other models in the Honda stable. For example, other performance upgrades Alvin had sourced for this car include a room bar from a DB8 (Honda Integra 4-door), Tein coilovers for the DC2 (Honda Integra), rear lower control arms from an EG (92-95 Civic) and finally, Prelude front brakes with upgraded 282mm rotors from an EK9 (97-00 Civic Type-R).

It was quite a parts hunt for Alvin to look around the region but he scored an original sunroof to replace the old, leaking sunroof. He also shared about the closeknit group of CR-X owners in Singapore, one whom owns two CR-X’es, one being street-legal and the other a full-on track machine! With a COE which is good for another five years, there little worry that this legend will be destroyed by paper rather than rust. With our short time with it, there was barely a squeak, or even a speck of rust to be found. Still, when the time comes, Alvin has hopes that it will be financially viable for him to continue keeping this legend alive and well. We hope so too, as the CR-X isn’t just a car... it’s the car which helped to define the affordable sports car.