This was a common topic and feeling over on Vtec.net

 

VTEC yo kicked in and the site took off and never came back.

 

Hondarulez here from TOV. I was checking vtec.net on a daily basis to see if it was just a glitch or something. Sad that it's gone but at least I'm glad to hear Jeff is fine. $20k of hosting cost is no joke and I totally understand why he's no longer hosting it.

I thought the new Civic hybrid is amazing - it's nearly as big as the Camry inside but physically much smaller. It's got great performance - 0-60mph in 6.2s and 1/4 mile in the 14's. That's pretty awesome for a "regular" Civic. The 10g and 11g Civics both drive really well. The icing on the cake is that it gets 40-50mpg everywhere while being under $30k. Let's not forget the nice interior and the many features. This IMO is what Honda is about - delivering value, efficiency, performance, practicality, and fun-to-drive factor, at a price point that is affordable for a lot of people. People raved about the new Prius when it came out, and the Civic seems to be better in just about every single way. That's classic Honda for me. Add in the Type R and the Civic is just so good - especially compared to the past Civics.

 

0-60 in 6.2 is pretty great.
IIRC, my 2.0T Mercedes was barely quicker at 5.9-6.1

 

Some of you that know how to contact Jeff may can suggest or ask if he considered selling the forum?

Several of the forums I've been on over the decades were bought out by VerticalScope out of Canada. They all use Xenforo software for consistency.

 

Thanks for that, Alex!

It's a relief that it's nothing concerning; all good things come to an end.

There are a few of us old dinosaurs turning up here like bad pennies...perhaps this thread ought to be retitled 'Ghost of ToV'.

Yes, the Civic Hybrid is a genuinely excellent car - sprightly, refined and with an excellent ride/handling compromise. I suppose over there it will be dismissed as '[sheep noise] Civic' just as it is unfairly ignored over here.

 

Yup! With cars getting a lot more expensive within the past few years, I really think the Civic Hybrid is an excellent value without sacrificing much. A hatchback version would make a great replacement for my wife's 2019 RDX.

 

We only get the hatch, of course.

Really, it's not that far short of my Leg End on interior space & perceived quality - and in EV mode, the refinement is better. I'm convinced that Honda's current hybrid system is simply brilliant.

The slightly dull steering and some strut jounce, lack of a sweet-revving V6 and the sad absence of SH-AWD are the main reasons I'd not really want one. The old Leg End seems a far nicer place to sit than many cars costing vastly more.

Also, the Civic is a reasonable size externally - anything bigger round here is a complete waste of space.

 

I see that Ford is stepping way back from EV's for the foreseeable future. They really got burned by Lightning and the Mach E!
Hybrids are where it's at right now.

 

Don't say "burned" wrt BEVs!

 

Haha!

EVs are generally hated here around the East Texas Oil Field. There's always a number of "must be an EV!" comments following local news reports of a vehicle fire. So far, they've all been ICEVs. I've spoken with some of the local fire chiefs and none of them could recall responding to an EV fire. It will almost certainly happen eventually, but probably not nearly at the frequency that some people might think.

 

 

Yea, Ford doesn't have their own version of supercharger network and that seems to make a big difference.

Also it seems like in the US, the electricity cost to fuel cost difference isn't as big as where I live (it's like 10x cheaper to charge an EV for me than fueling up an equivalent sized car).

 

Fords (and Rivians) can now charge at nearly half of Tesla's existing Superchargers and all new Superchargers. Most of these require a manufacturer-provided adapter, which is in short supply. There are third-party adapters available as well.

Here in Texas, USA, the cost of electricity purchased from the grid is about one-third the cost of gasoline to travel the same distance for a similar-sized vehicle.

 

Thanks for sharing! I have been anxiously waiting for SG to review this car. It appears he likes it pretty well, but I do feel like it is a somewhat abbreviated review that doesn't get into the details like they usually do.

 

He likes Civic's pretty well. The CTR next to the Hybrid is his.

 

I dislike the new Integra-like front clip!

Why do they always have to bugger up the original design..?

 

I agree.

 

I emailed Jeff about VerticalScope. Hard telling if I will get a response.

 

TOV was such a simple design, surprised it needed a server. Figure it could run off a MacBook.

 

Given how antiquated and convoluted the interface was to use, I assumed it was running off an Apple //e.

 

Man that's a big difference hahaha.

 

I don't think Jeff is wanting TOV to continue.

 

shame

 

Well...it wasn't what it used to be so I perfectly understand.

I wonder if the admin here would mind us starting a new Car Talk topic, 'Toilet of VTEC' where we could post shi' about things with VTEC..?

My Acuras are actually Hondas, after all...

 

Go for it.

 

Thanks, ttribe!

 

I was on TOV for almost 25 years, same user name. So sad to see it die. Despite the sucky search, FB has taken over from forums.

 

FB is going to go the same way as forums once that demographic ages (dies?) out. FB is already viewed as the “old people” platform by the younger generation

 

Another former TOV member here. Found this thread in search of just what happened to TOV. I'm glad to hear Jeff is OK, but sad to see TOV go. My activity on that site really dwindled over the past few years as I grew increasingly disappointed with Honda's direction on certain things, but I would check for news there from time to time. I did end up leaving the brand for Mazda.

Anyway, truly sad to see the demise of TOV. I learned a lot on the forums there over the years. I found the site after purchasing my first car, a 2002 Honda Civic EX. This led to my 2006 Civic Si, one of the most fun cars I've owned.

 

I still have my 2006 Si, and wouldn't mind a new Civic Hybrid, but it might seem kind of boring in comparison to the Si.

 

At least Jeff is totally gone..

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2024/10/04...vtec-vtec-net/

 

"At the very least, according to the site’s Whois data, Palmer has renewed the site’s domain until August 2025, so, as far as the domain goes, VTEC.net is not entirely gone.

The sites are a repository of knowledge and information worth keeping.

Hopefully, Palmer can find a sponsor or figure out a way to bring site operating costs down that match up with ad dollars brought in."

 

Sad to see this. I think VTEC.net provided that next level glimpse inside Honda magic that we all knew just enough about but not the details. I think it propelled many enthusiasts like us. It's an end of an era!

What I will miss most is the Soichiro Honda pictures from one the members time working at Honda US in the early days!

 

I genuinely do worry about Acurazine. When I first joined in 2014 it was bustling, now I can not log on for weeks and come back and see the same posts still at the top of a sub-forum.

 

One issue is that this forum uses outdated software that is missing the features and usability of newer and better platforms. Another issue is that more people use Facebook groups, Reddit, etc. than forums.

And, ironically, I had trouble actually posting this reply.

 

Meh, I think this forum could have a hand job feature when you log in and people still wouldn't come here (pun very intended). Unfortunately Acura killed off all their buyers when they decided the 2015 TLX was a good idea, then revived the Type-S moniker but proceeded to give us numbers that would have been ok in 2005.

 

^ Well said. The TLX-S tried to compete in value, but with uncompetitive numbers that value propositon was diminished. The Integra-S was a better effort, but crickets in that sub-forum prove most have simply moved on to other mediums.

 

Not to mention the size of the TLX with the really cramped interior space wasn't doing it any favors. The Integra-S is sweet but it's a very niche vehicle and very expensive for what it is.

 

i would have been more accepting of the TLX-S if it offered a manual. Power would be sufficient to me, my 3rd Gen TL is not a limousine interior wise, so I was ok with the space.

I second the comment about the Brand killing enthusiasm and consequently, forums.
growing up the image I had in my head was that Honda made fun cars, while Toyota made bland sensory deprivation commuters. (Yes Toyota did have the celica and mr2, so except those. I consider the Supra more of a straight line thrills than a throw it around zippy fun car even though it had the best or one of the best speeds through the slalom and lateral g force when releases).

Anyways, I’ll go grab some lunch in my Odyssey and get my blood flowing!