6 Pocket Rockets

Just because your car is small, doesn't mean thatbeen a fan favorite for over thirty years. Its
it has to be slow. In fact, some of the fastestteeny 1.8L engine pushes out an impressive 140
cars on the road today are subcompacts. Howhorses. The new Civic is a far cry from the
so? Because their owners have modified them to"pregnant roller" skate look of the first Civics.
the point where they can squeeze out additionalOwners are grateful.
horsepower and acceleration. Let's take a look atScion tC - Unlike its two boxy brethren, the tC is
six cars that qualify as genuine "pocket rockets."sleek looking and has a rocket demeanor. With a
For the sake of argument, here are some ground2.3L under its hood, the tC has the second largest
rules for a pocket rocket:engine of any car in this class. You net 160 horses
The car must be a compact or smaller.with the Scion.
The engine must be normally aspirated; no turboSubaru Impreza - The biggest car in this class has
charged cars - four cylinders only.the most powerful engine, a 2.5L boxter engine
New versions of the car must all retail for lessproducing 173 horses. Very competitive with
than $20,000.larger and more powerful cars, but a favorite
The following six cars all qualify as pocket rocketsamong "pocket rocket" fans nevertheless.
when each of the above stipulations has beenVW Golf - A 2.0L 115hp drives the Golf, but the
met:car's light weight allows for it to buzz down the
Dodge Neon; Ford Focus; Honda Civic; Scion tC;highway at a fairly good clip.
Subaru Impreza; and Volkswagen Golf.Favorite ways of squeezing out additional power
Unfortunately, the Mitsubishi Eclipse retails for justfor pocket rocket owners include installing the
above $20,000 so it does not qualify. Besides, itfollowing hot selling aftermarket parts:
looks too much like a sports car; we are onlyReusable air filters; top providers include: K&N
examining those vehicles that are somewhat plainand Green.
before being transformed by aftermarket parts.Cold air intake systems; favorites include:
Dodge Neon - Technically, the Neon is no longer inK&N, AEM, and Airaid.
production as 2005 was its last model year. Still,Cat-back exhaust systems; leading manufacturers
with a 2.0L 132hp engine, the Neon remains aninclude: Magnaflow and Vibrant.
affordable favorite of the youth set who enjoyPerformance chips; Hypertech and Jet Chips lead
customizing their vehiclesthe way.
Ford Focus - A lemon no more! Earlier models ofPerformance level increases are measured in
the Focus were problem plagued, but the car hashorsepower, thrust, and acceleration. Depending
made significant strides in the past few years andon the parts installed and model selected,
has received Consumer Report's recommendedimprovements can range from slight to significant.
buy label too. The stubby ZX3 produces 136Regardless, all six models have the potential of
horses with its 2.0L engine.becoming true pocket rockets and that is part of
Honda Civic - Redesigned for 2006, the Civic hasthe thrill in owning one.