Motoring

Friday, October 23, 2009

The ultimate Civic Type R
Posted by: Anthony Lim
Well, not the sedan version, but the UK-built three-door hatch, and in this case the top dog Type R being touted will get the Mugen treatment.

Mugen Euro has announced a very exclusive production run of 20 units of the Civic Type R Mugen, following huge interest in the concept version from the UK and overseas.

Production of the hand-built, road-legal super hatch will take place at Mugen Euro, based in Northampton, England, with customers receiving a unique, involved experience during the build process of each car.


There's only 20 ...



The Mugen mods begin outside, with a large wing adorning the back of the car; this increases downforce at speed to improve stability. Other measures to improve the car’s overall aero efficiency include replacing front and rear skirts with high-quality composite items. At the front, a new grille wearing the Mugen emblem enhances the nose.

Every Civic Type R Mugen will be painted in Honda’s famous Championship White, and to authenticate the car’s exclusivity each will wear a special badge inside on the centre console, listing the serial number of each unique model.

There's an optional Track Pack package for the absolute hardcore, which includes front Recaro seats, removal of the rear seat bench with a composite blanking panel fitted to reduce weight, water and oil temperature/pressure gauges, data recording equipment, and track-ready road-legal tyres.

The 2.0-litre i-VTEC pot on this one gets new camshafts and a modified intake system, which increase power by 20% to 240PS and boost torque by 10% throughout the rev range. A change of pistons also helps by increasing the compression ratio, and breathing is enhanced by fitting a custom stainless steel exhaust system and Mugen airbox.

Meanwhile, a bespoke Mugen map for the ECU allows the engine to take full advantage of the modifications. Oh, and there's a new exhaust system was fitted too, with the claim of improved resonance.


You'll have yours rare?



The extra power is transferred to road or track via a limited slip differential, and grip and handling are also significantly improved through a completely revised suspension set-up, with custom-made springs and dampers employed.

Improving the stopping power are bespoke four-piston mono-block racing brake calipers, which sit under high-density, lightweight forged alloy wheels. These weigh just 7.85kg each (32% less than the production wheel), contributing to a significant reduction in unsprung weight.

The 20 customers will get an unparalleled purchasing experience, which involves direct contact with Mugen engineers throughout the car’s build. This will be a package tailored to individual customers – similar to the service offered when buying a racing car. Each of the Type Rs will be built to the customer’s exact specification, including their choice of options, and even ECU mapping can be adjusted to suit specific customer tastes or driving style.

Comments

I watched the fifth gear magazine saying that the msian civic type-R is faster than this Uk specs type-r.
FWD or AWD ? Looks cool enough for 99% of the boy racers of the world. Rear wing makes it look rear heavy, though. Saw one in Istanbul, so these babies are spawned already.......get in the queue..