http://scca.com/_FileLibrary/File/ImprovedTouring.pdf
The lightest CRX in ITA is the 1.5l @ 2000 lbs, so that is a 500# disadvantage. That car is 92 hp stock and has to add weight, not remove.
The simplest way to explain it is like this. The '90 Eclipse (135hp stock) is a lot like the NX2000 (140hp stock) @ 2525#. They both have a shitty McPhereson strut suspensions and both have 2.0l DOHC engines. The NX2000 was the Championship car this year. It’s not impossible for a competitve FWD DSM, but I am sure it will take a lot of hard work. How obtainable is the 2500# min weight, I dunno. So, on the other side of the coin is 50% more power worth only 20% more weight?
Personally I’d rather have the Honda just for tire wear and better cornering. And if I could magically wiggle my nose and trade all my Nissan stock for Honda I would. But I also went into knowing that the SE-R/NX2000 would be somewhat competitve.
Yes, there will probably always be a car that will never be a winning car, you just gotta know what is out there and what is competive before you start a build.
My opinion is that if you can get it down to race weight it can vary be competitive.