Daily Driver Meets Weekend Warrior: Andy's 2012 Honda Fit Sport
Since the original Honda Fit was released in the U.S. back in 2007, six years after it’s release as the Honda Jazz in Japan, the small hatchback has amassed a dedicated following among car enthusiasts and the general public alike. The small size combined with great fuel economy, cavernous cargo area and (surprisingly) fun handling was a recipe for success—one that was only improved upon in 2012 with the second generation, the GE8.
To Andy Carter, a lifelong Honda fan, professional photographer by trade and musician by hobby, the GE8 sounded like the perfect daily driver. The ability to haul all of his gear while retaining some of that classic tossable high-revving Honda fun was the ticket he’d been searching for.
Of course, as most modified car owners will tell you, the initial intention was to leave the Fit stock and run it to 100,000 miles and beyond. That being said, after joining up with TrueFitCrew and seeing just how much was being done with the chassis, that thought was quickly replaced with how car parts from Japan could fit into the budget alongside new Nikon cameras and lenses.
Aesthetic Upgrades
To begin, Andy worked on the aesthetics of the somewhat mundane “econobox” vibe the Fit has from the factory. A Honda Modulo front garnish was fitted in front, along with a JDP Engineering rear wing and diffuser. The rear window wiper was also deleted, which is easy to miss but cleans up the lines of the rear hatch incredibly well.
New Wheels and Tires
To address the dreaded top-heavy nature of the Fit, a set of T1R coilovers were installed with a Progress rear sway bar to lower and stiffen up the already fairly-rigid chassis. Next, a set of 15-inch Work CR01s wrapped in beefy Nitto NT05s were installed, filling the larger wheel wells much better than the stock pizza cutter-esque setup.
JDM Interior
Moving to the inside, the floor mats, mirror garnish, short shifter and pedals have all been replaced with genuine Mugen parts, adding to the OEM+ aesthetic.
The JDM lace seat covers and hazard light switch were next, and everything was topped off with the Circuit Hero weighted shift knob.
The feather in Andy’s cap, however, is the Asimo hanging from the rear grab handle. The plushie was a momento from Andy’s trip to the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi, Japan, a veritable Mecca for Honda fans. Days later he met up with the members of Truefitcrew Japan at Daikoku Park Area, which you can actually check out here!
Reliable but Fun
As for performance, Andy has opted to keep the car as reliable as possible, with a Spoon air filter and T1R S51 exhaust helping the small 117hp 1.5L inline four-cylinder breathe a bit better.
While some may call this setup mundane, they miss the point. In one car Andy has managed to capture the handling and fun of ‘90s Honda with the reliability and utility of the ‘00s and ‘10s Honda all in one Taffeta White package. Be it responsibly putting around central Georgia’s city streets full of photo gear or revving through the twisting roads of northern Georgia, one thing is certain: this Fit is go.
Browse the gallery below for more shots of Andy's Fit.
Tuning Menu
2012 Honda Fit Sport
| OWNER | Andy Carter |
|---|---|
| HOMETOWN | Macon, Georgia |
| ENGINE | 1.5L iVTEC; Spoon air filter; T1R S51 muffler |
| SUSPENSION | T1R B52 Coilovers; Progress rear sway bar |
| EXTERIOR | JDM Honda Modulo front garnish, Fir RS tail lights; JDP Engineering carbon rear diffuser, OEM-style rear wing; Rear wiper delete; T1R short antenna |
| INTERIOR | Mugen floor mats, mirror garnish, pedals, short shifter; Circuit Hero weighted shift knob; T1R shift boot; JDM Honda lace seat covers, hazard button |
| WHEEL AND TIRE | Work CR01 15x7 +32; Nitto NT05 205/50/15 |
