But then the PlayStation gaming system exploded into living rooms, exposing the youth of America to Civic alternatives ranging from aging Nissan 240SXs to hyper Mitsubishi Evolutions. Honda responded by killing the handsome Civic Si coupe after the 1999 model year, and by dropping the Civic's popular double-wishbone suspension system with a 2001 redesign. In 2002, the Civic Si returned as a 160-horsepower version of the Europe-only hatchback, which looked like a doorstop and didn't possess the increasingly popular aggressiveness popularized by drivel such as "Too Fast, Too Furious."

At the 2005 Chicago Auto Show, Honda made it clear that it still wants its slice of the sport-compact pie by unveiling the Civic Si Concept, a barely disguised version of what will appear in showrooms for 2006. It also announced that the production model would debut at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Marketers Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas this fall, and that Honda is SEMA's official vehicle manufacturer for the show - which means scores of modified new 2006 Civics adorned with scantily clad women will litter the desert floor come November.

In the meantime, the Honda Civic Si Concept not only signals a return of America's favorite compact car to favor among aftermarketers, but it foreshadows the entire redesigned 2006 Honda Civic lineup, which includes coupes and sedans in various states of trim, the performance-oriented Si Coupe, the environmentally responsible Civic Hybrid sedan with updated Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology, and the natural-gas powered GX sedan.

John Mendel, Senior Vice President, Automobile Operations for American Honda, promised, "The new Civic will be the safest car in its class, bar none." Standard equipment on every 2006 Civic will include antilock brakes, side-impact airbags, and side-curtain airbags. More details on the redesigned 2006 Honda Civic lineup will be available at a later date.

To whet appetites, we have the Honda Civic Si Concept to ponder. It's been 20 years since the first Honda Civic Si arrived in the U.S. for the 1984 model year, and Honda says that the 2006 Civic Si will be the fastest and most powerful production Civic ever. A 200-horsepower, 16-valve, dual-overhead cam, inline four-cylinder engine with an 8,000 rpm redline boasts the latest generation of i-VTEC technology to produce optimum power, optimum efficiency, and optimum levels of emissions.

A close-ratio six-speed manual transmission delivers power to the front wheels, and the engine breathes through a sport-tuned exhaust system that sounds terrific. Honda recorded a production Civic Si making a run through the gears and played it for the assembled press. It sounded more powerful, and more exotic, than a four-cylinder ought to. Keeping that power flowing to the ground is a standard helical-type limited slip front differential. Large 18-inch alloy wheels wearing 225/40 performance tires filled the wheel wells on the Honda Civic Si Concept, fronting four-wheel-disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors and Brembo four-piston calipers. But these rotors and calipers are just for show, like the glossy black-painted hood, giant rear decklid wing, and the air diffuser with center-mounted exhaust mounted under the back bumper.

What will translate to showrooms is the Honda Civic Si Concept's swept roofline and ultra-fast windshield rake, which present a gentle arc that stretches from front to rear. There's plenty of Acura in the Civic Si Concept's face, which results in a more aggressive appearance, but the flanks are plain despite better elegance and flow than a Scion tC. Don't expect the full aero kit on the Honda Civic Si Concept to be standard when the car goes on sale early in 2006.

Mendel called the Honda Civic Si concept, "Fast, fun, and full of what makes a Civic, a Civic." Let's hope Honda was smart enough to get the car programmed for inclusion in the next iteration of every driving enthusiast's favorite video game, Gran Turismo 4.

By Christian J. Wardlaw