Joe, it sounds like Honda is listening to your wish a little with the redesigned i-vtec engine for the 2006 Civic:

"off-the-line acceleration performance at low rpm equivalent to that of a 2.0-liter engine, and efficiency that is up to 6 percent better than the current 1.7-liter Civic engine, making it one of the world's most efficient 1.8-liter engine designs. During cruising, the new engine achieves particularly high fuel economy, on a par with that of a 1.5-liter engine".

I believe it's rated at 140 Hp. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the HCH IMA adds another 20 Hp during assist for a total of 160Hp. Add a manual transmission to that mix along with the lighter weight of the HCH (and your quicker reflexes to drop the clutch when the light goes green) and it looks like you could quite possibly smoke granny off the line, at least until her old V-8 hit passing gear...

Oh, and the new engine is also reportedly much "quieter" than the existing HCH engine...