Jun 26, 2017

2017 Honda Civic

There may seem to be few mysteries to uncover under the practical Honda Civic. But Honda isn’t immune to spicing things up every once in a while, and unlike other car companies, they don’t feel the need to broadcast it from sea to shining sea. The 10th generation of these cars (2016) has been redesigned, and Honda apparently wanted to have a little fun with their customers by putting an Easter egg into the center console. This little gem is all about celebrating the history of the car company.

The Hidden Meaning

The designers were behind this little addition to the car, not some flashy PR or marketing stunt to score more sales. The Honda PR team didn’t even know about the Easter egg, which is probably a good thing when it comes to keeping secrets. When you ask people what they think of when they think of Honda, they might say they’re a reputable company that makes long-lasting cars. But if you asked people 50 years ago what Honda was known for, they might have their fast motorcycles and race cars capabilities. The Easter egg embraces both the past and the future of Honda.

Finding the Treasure

It isn’t available in every car, but it can be found in any 2016 or 2017 year in an EX trim or higher. The egg is actually the rubber mat at the bottom of the center console that protects the compartment from spills and scrapes.

You have to take the rubber mat out, and turn it over. You’ll find a picture that shows many of Honda’s older accomplishments that have managed to break the old racing and engineering standards of the day. They must be particularly fond of their first private plane, as it’s present in each one of their designs.

First Design: RA106 F1, S800, RC213V, HondaJet

When it comes to motorsports, this design covers it all. In 2006, Jenson Button raced the RA106. At the time, Honda hadn’t appeared in an F1 event since 1968. The S800 won the GT-1 class in the endurance race in Japan in 1968,and their RC213V motorcycle was driven by champion Marc Márquez at MotoGP.

Second Design: RC166, McLaren Honda MP4/4, HondaJet

Motorcycle legend Ayrton Senna sits in the seat of the Honda MP4/4 race car. The RC166 is manned by Jim Redman, who won 6 times at the Grand Prix.

Third Design: NS800, Asimo, HondaJet

No cars in this one, but rather a celebration of Honda’s humanoid robot Asimo.The NS500 motorcycle was ridden by Freddie Spencer in 1983 when he won the world championship at the Grand Prix.

Fourth Design: Curtiss Special, RA272 Race Car, HondaJet

In 1920, these racing cars were brand new, and came about long before Honda was even a company name. Soichiro Honda (founder of Honda) was the riding mechanic for the Curtiss Special during the Fifth Japan Motorcar Championship in 1924. The other race car was raced in 1965, and was Honda’s first F1 race win.