In early June, four Temple of VTEC editors flew into Atlanta to join me on a road test of the latest in sport sedan offerings from Honda and Acura. After picking three of them up at the airport in the Civic Si and successfully stuffing all of their luggage and gear into the boot, we grabbed the TL Type-S, TOV Project Civic Si, and my own S2000 and headed about an hour west to sample all of these cars (and a few more) at Talladega Grand Prix, a small road course we rented that's situated about 30 minutes east of Birmingham. Once there, we were joined by TOV member LudegarH22A7 in his 2006 Habenero Red Civic Si coupe, TOV motorsports editor Gerald Irish, who rolled up in a sweet PT Cruiser rental, and Bradley Buchanan of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. Bradley brought along the recent class victor of the 2007 One Lap of America - a turbocharged Imola Orange Honda Odyssey.

Following a fun-filled day with no major incidents, we refreshed the cars (brakepads and fluid) and our bodies in Atlanta before pointing the cars north towards Tennessee where we would drive the TL-S, Civic Si Sedan, and Project Si on one of our favorite roads, the Tail of the Dragon. Our original plans called for a completion of our "One Lap of Dixie" with a visit to the dragstrip in Montgomery, AL for some straightline testing, but unfortunately we had to scotch those plans due to timing constraints.

On the following pages are various video reports from our days at the track and the Tail of the Dragon. These will be supplemented soon with editorials and additional photography.

Tail of the Dragon Video Intro