“Each Type R Mugen will be an exclusive, hand-built race car for the road,” said Hiroki Toyoda, vice president of Mugen Euro. “When we launched the Civic Type RR saloon in Japan, we sold out of all 300 units in just six minutes. Given the interest we have already had from car enthusiasts in the UK and abroad, we hope to repeat that achievement.”
Mugen begins with a normal Civic Type R. From there the engineers drew upon more than 20 years of experience in motorsports to rebuild the engine. Mugen replaced the stock camshafts, pistons, intake, and exhaust, and remapped the ECU to yield 20 percent more power and 10 percent more torque, bringing the figures to 240 hp and 153 lb-ft.
In addition to modifying the engine, Mugen redoes the entire suspension, installing custom-made springs and dampers to make the car handle better. Stopping power is also greatly improved by the installation of four-piston mono-block racing calipers, which can be seen underneath the lightweight forged aluminum alloy wheels. Additionally, Mugen offers an even more aggressive track pack that eliminates the rear seats, replaces the front seats with lightweight Recaro racing units, and adds water and oil temperature/pressure gauges, and street-legal track tires.
To differentiate the Mugen from the standard Type R, the tuner painted the car Honda’s Championship White and installed a large rear wing and side skirts. The skirts aren't merely ornamental pieces, but are completely functional to help the car’s aerodynamics and increase downforce.
Only 20 of these cars will be made, making it rarer than most exotic vehicles. The car also has a super-exotic price tag for a 2-door hatchback, with a list price of £38,599 ($63,895). Don’t look for this hot hatch to arrive in North America anytime soon.