Honda has revealed a more extreme take on its latest Civic Type R hot hatch called the Mugen concept. Mugen is an engine tuner and parts manufacturer which has a long history of modifying Hondas.
Racing car looks
Though Honda’s latest hot hatch was already a potent and aggressive-looking car, the Civic Type R Mugen concept adds an even sportier body kit complete with a larger front splitter and wider rear wheel arches.
The rear wing has been changed for a larger, more imposing design, the wheels have been redesigned and instead of quad exhaust pipes the Mugen concept has just the one. Overall, the Civic Type R Mugen looks more reminiscent of the touring car version which has competed recently in both the World and British Touring Car Championships.
Potential engine updates
At the moment, the changes made for the Civic Type R Mugen are purely cosmetic, with the engine and other internal components remaining the same.
If this car does reach the production stage, Mugen will probably upgrade the Civic Type R’s 2.0-litre VTEC petrol engine, but the exact performance figure is a mystery for now. The standard Type R produces 306bhp, which is enough for a 0-62mph sprint time of just 5.7 seconds.
It is likely that Mugen would get the engine to produce an output closer to the new Ford Focus RS, which offers 345bhp. With such a boost from Mugen, the Civic Type R could potentially trim down its 0-62mph time to just below five seconds.
While details on a launch date and pricing have not yet been confirmed, Honda has in the past released Mugen versions of previous Civic Type R hot hatches to the UK market. Expect such a hot hatch to be a rare sight in Britain, when you consider that only 20 units of the previous Civic Type R Mugen reached these shores.