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You have to feel for the personnel at Mugen, Honda’s performance tuning arm.
No S2000 to play with anymore, no forthcoming NSX. They must be awfully bored, with little to do in the line of dynamic tuning of Honda’s product portfolio.
Fortunately the Civic Type R is still kicking (or is that screaming?) around.
Last year, Mugen gave the Japanese-spec Civic Type R sedan a serious going over, resulting in a phenomenally naughty C-segment performance four-door called the Mugen RR. Honda sold out all 300 domestic units in only six minutes…
Flush with such strong demand for Mugen fettled Type Rs, Honda though it should perhaps offer the three-door Type R on sale with a similar kit.
Such an offering would be an easy sell in the one market where customers are willing to pay truly premium prices for a discerning hot hatch – the United Kingdom.
So, if you would like to pay £38 599 for a 2l naturally aspirated three-door hot hatch without rear seats, you had better act quickly as Honda will only be assembling 20 units. Expect residuals to essentially be depreciation-proof…
Mugen power
For your money you get a pretty trick version of Honda's already rather mental 2l i-VTEC engine.
Running reprofiled Mugen camshafts and breathing through a modified intake system the power gain is 20% and rotational force is up by 10%.
The amended Mugen Civic Type R hatch output numbers are 175kW at 8 000r/min with 216Nm tapering off just after 7 000r/min.
Sporting 175kW at 8 000r/min the Mugen tuned 2l i-VTEC engine continues in the best of Honda tradition...
Type R - but a touch better everywhere
With such high engine speed characteristics you can expect to be rowing along the six-speed manual transmission quite often, which should hardly pose a problem considering the tactile quality of Honda’s shifters.
A custom 4-3-1 exhaust system gas exchanges via generously sized exhausts ends, which should ensure manic acoustics.
The Mugen Type R’s power is transferred to the front wheels and controlled by a slippy diff. At each corner revised springs and dampers ensure quick witted turn-in responses.
Deceleration is managed by Brembo four-piston calipers actuating grooved rotors of Mugen’s own design.
Beyond the mechanical running changes styling trinkets which should differentiate the Mugen Type R from its lesser siblings are those composite front/rear skits and a neatened grille design adorned with Mugen’s insignia.
The vented aluminium bonnet which added significantly to the Mugen Type R sedan’s styling presence has not been carried over to the three-door package…
Track Pack - got to have it...
There is a "Track Pack" available too, which is a fait accompli of sorts - you're hardly going to order a limited edition car and not specify the optional "Track Pack" now are you?
Carbon fibre-shelled Recaro seats, removal of the rear seat bench, road-legal track tyres, water/oil gauges and data recording equipment are all part of the "Track Pack" deal.
Megane R26.R and Focus RS owners might have to be scanning their rear-view mirrors at trackdays for something Oriental pretty soon.
Although with only 20 Mugen Type R hatches being built, many owners might consider them far too valuable to drive with reckless abandon.
Even more tantalising for South African Type R fans is the right-hand drive configuration of these British market Mugen models, which means that if you have a sweet connection in the UK, well...
No S2000 to play with anymore, no forthcoming NSX. They must be awfully bored, with little to do in the line of dynamic tuning of Honda’s product portfolio.
Fortunately the Civic Type R is still kicking (or is that screaming?) around.
Last year, Mugen gave the Japanese-spec Civic Type R sedan a serious going over, resulting in a phenomenally naughty C-segment performance four-door called the Mugen RR. Honda sold out all 300 domestic units in only six minutes…
Flush with such strong demand for Mugen fettled Type Rs, Honda though it should perhaps offer the three-door Type R on sale with a similar kit.
Such an offering would be an easy sell in the one market where customers are willing to pay truly premium prices for a discerning hot hatch – the United Kingdom.
So, if you would like to pay £38 599 for a 2l naturally aspirated three-door hot hatch without rear seats, you had better act quickly as Honda will only be assembling 20 units. Expect residuals to essentially be depreciation-proof…
Mugen power
For your money you get a pretty trick version of Honda's already rather mental 2l i-VTEC engine.
Running reprofiled Mugen camshafts and breathing through a modified intake system the power gain is 20% and rotational force is up by 10%.
The amended Mugen Civic Type R hatch output numbers are 175kW at 8 000r/min with 216Nm tapering off just after 7 000r/min.
Sporting 175kW at 8 000r/min the Mugen tuned 2l i-VTEC engine continues in the best of Honda tradition...
Type R - but a touch better everywhere
With such high engine speed characteristics you can expect to be rowing along the six-speed manual transmission quite often, which should hardly pose a problem considering the tactile quality of Honda’s shifters.
A custom 4-3-1 exhaust system gas exchanges via generously sized exhausts ends, which should ensure manic acoustics.
The Mugen Type R’s power is transferred to the front wheels and controlled by a slippy diff. At each corner revised springs and dampers ensure quick witted turn-in responses.
Deceleration is managed by Brembo four-piston calipers actuating grooved rotors of Mugen’s own design.
Beyond the mechanical running changes styling trinkets which should differentiate the Mugen Type R from its lesser siblings are those composite front/rear skits and a neatened grille design adorned with Mugen’s insignia.
The vented aluminium bonnet which added significantly to the Mugen Type R sedan’s styling presence has not been carried over to the three-door package…
Track Pack - got to have it...
There is a "Track Pack" available too, which is a fait accompli of sorts - you're hardly going to order a limited edition car and not specify the optional "Track Pack" now are you?
Carbon fibre-shelled Recaro seats, removal of the rear seat bench, road-legal track tyres, water/oil gauges and data recording equipment are all part of the "Track Pack" deal.
Megane R26.R and Focus RS owners might have to be scanning their rear-view mirrors at trackdays for something Oriental pretty soon.
Although with only 20 Mugen Type R hatches being built, many owners might consider them far too valuable to drive with reckless abandon.
Even more tantalising for South African Type R fans is the right-hand drive configuration of these British market Mugen models, which means that if you have a sweet connection in the UK, well...
