After decades of building a reputation as an affordable compact car with pep and styling, the Honda Civic went astray five years ago, Pafumi said. The design became conservative. The Civic Si sport version fell short on performance.
"There was an uproar," said Pafumi, a 35-year-old Duke University graduate whose first car was a used Civic. "A lot of the enthusiasts were really screaming: 'What the heck are you doing? We love your products, but you've let us down.' "
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