Thing Of Beauty

Above and below: engine of a Honda S-2000 with the cam cover removed.  My 2009 Civic
Si shares the smaller, 2.0 liter, F 20 C version of this engine.

As the saying goes, "form follows function."  I was recently reminded that this engine produced the highest specific power out of any normally aspirated gasoline engine for a decade or more until it was recently surpassed by the 4.5 liter V-8 in the Ferrari 458 Italia.  The engine in my Civic Si is butter-smooth and an absolute joy to drive.