---
title: "Watch This 500 HP Honda Civic Destroy Itself On the Dyno"
description: "VTEC kicked in just a little too hard."
date: "2017-05-23"
modified: "2017-05-23"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/10582/watch-this-500-hp-honda-civic-destroy-itself-on-the-dyno"
categories:
  - "Honda News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Civic"
  - "compact"
  - "dyno"
  - "Fail"
  - "honda"
  - "Honda Civic"
  - "sedan"
  - "Turbo"
---

# Watch This 500 HP Honda Civic Destroy Itself On the Dyno

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/05/civic-explode.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

There are three ingredients required for a [successful dyno run.](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/10022/watch-this-6-second-nissan-gt-r-max-out-a-dyno-with-2700-horsepower>) You need a powerful, well-secured car, properly-calibrated hardware and software, and a big old fan to give the engine the airflow it needs to function at the absolute limit. Take away the last one and things will go south in a hurry, as one unfortunate EG Civic owner discovered recently.

The internet is littered with examples of turbocharged Civic [builds gone awry](<https://youtu.be/a6UFRcBL-7s?t=53s>)—just add this red hatchback to the list. The original four-cylinder engine had been boosted to around 530 horsepower, and the aftermarket lights, wheels, and suspension indicate a fair amount of time and money probably went into creating this little monster.

Unfortunately, all the money in the world still can't buy common sense. A large fan can actually be seen in the background at the start of the run as the camera pans around, yet strangely the shop opted to place what looks like a [vintage drag car](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/9901/watch-the-rear-axle-implode-on-this-plymouth-belvedere-drag-car>) in front of the Civic instead. The run starts off normal enough, but a thin haze of smoke begins to fill the screen at 0:16. Seconds later, it all comes apart in spectacular fashion.

The lack of airflow combined with 11 pounds of boost caused the engine to blow a coolant hose and crack a cylinder sleeve, as the video description indicates. Pour one out for this dearly-departed Civic—may it rest in pieces.

https://youtube.com/embed/HjmJI2q2cSg

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)