We miss the first-generation Honda Insight. The aluminum-bodied hybrid represented a no-holds barred quest for fuel efficiency with innovative weight saving techniques, an aerodynamic design and a tiny 1.0-liter gasoline engine. As a result, the two-door garnered an EPA-rated 70 mpg highway and 61 mpg city – a far cry from the 43 mpg highway of the much larger current car. Of course, the Insight of yore also begged to be modified, even if it wasn’t done that often. Still, some tuners simply couldn’t resist the thought of plopping a high-horsepower engine into a featherweight chassis, which is exactly what CincyStreetScene forum member Cheezoto did with his first-gen Insight.
A 210-horsepower K20A2 lifted from an Acura RSX Type S is now bolted in place of the old IMA lump and motor, and the seller promises the swap was done as cleanly as possible. There are no check engine lights, and the gauges, anti-lock brakes and cruise control all work as they should. The seller did the swap himself back in 2007, and the engine now has around 45,000 miles on it. The chassis, meanwhile, sits at a shave under 300,000 miles.
Surprisingly enough, the asking price is a reasonable $9,900. Considering that a non-modified 2000 Insight will set you back close to $9,000, we’d say this sounds like a deal. Head over to CincyStreetScene for a closer look.
