This is one serious case of an identity crisis.

The Honda Civic is a product that was introduced across the globe as a sensible family car with the promises of comfort, low costs, and reliability. For a few select enthusiasts, however, the Civic is seen as a blank canvas for any modification that may come to mind. The latest example of this is a 1996 Honda Civic SiR Ferio that has been completely redesigned to look like an XE20 Lexus IS.

We're not too sure why this conversion was even done but according to SCW Performance, there may just be a market for this particular transformation. The company specializes in importing cars from Japan into the USA and confirms that this rather peculiar custom build will be heading to the USA this March. We're not entirely sure that this is something to be celebrated.

Very few details are provided but what we can see from the pair of images is that pretty much every panel on the car has been replaced. The head- and taillights of the IS are mounted in a way that calls into question the appeal of such a build while a series of over-the-top custom body parts give it an aggressive Tokyo Drift-inspired appearance.

At the front, you'll find an aggressive front bumper with a series of mesh wire air intakes which is complemented by a hood boasting two enormous air scoops. The side is kitted out with custom skirting while the rear boasts a unique bumper and trunk which, interestingly, doesn't have any space for a license tag. To ensure that the element of performance is translated at the rear, a prominent spoiler and large quad exhaust tailpipes are integrated into the design.

To make things even more distinctive, the body kit is finished in blue pearlescent paint with custom alloy wheels that don't fit too snuggly in the wheel arches. The glaring panel gaps found throughout the car further raise a wind of doubt as to whether this entire project adheres to general manufacturing standards.

Under the bonnet sits Honda's highly acclaimed naturally aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder B16A VTEC powertrain which, when new, delivered 170 horsepower at 7,400 rpm and 116 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 pm. Adding to its appeal is its ability to redline at 8,200 pm. But even with a legendary engine under the hood, we'd either steer clear of this for fear of eye damage or steer into it to do the world a favor.

After earning a degree in media and writing, Nikesh went to work in the traditional world of print for CAR magazine. After seven years, he decided to make the jump to the digital world and join the CarBuzz team specialising in longform car reviews. Outside of this, he has spent the past two decades exploring the oddities of the car world which includes attempting to daily drive a 1974 Austin Mini, expanding his Hot Wheels collection to a level that would make any child green with envy, and obsessing over how much he can maximize the mpg figure on his 2007 Honda Fit.