Mugen announced plans for  260-hp version of the Honda Civic Type R powered by a 2.2 liter engine.It is basically the same 2.0 liter engine tuned for a proper send-off. The cylinder bore and stroke have been increased to create an overall capacity of 2,156cc, so the car has been christened the Honda Civic Type R MUGEN 2.2. The result of the change is a boost in engine output from 240 to 260PS, and additional torque is available throughout the rev range. Peak torque is now 240Nm at 6,000rpm. Compared to a standard Honda Civic Type R, both power and torque are up 30 per cent. It has been created as a fitting tribute to the highly successful Honda K20 [...]

Honda keeps saying the Mugen CR-Z concepts are just design studies and they will never make them. But then they keep releasing new details on them, teasing people to death! So they might become real after all. As for the specs of the Mugen CR-Z RR, it has been created with many bespoke prototype parts, several of which are created in carbon fibre, including the bonnet, passenger doors and rear tailgate. Other features unique to the car include a full length carbon-fibre underbody, a twin central-exit exhaust, vented front bumpers and race-developed suspension.  Orange 4-piston monobloc brake calipers and forged 18-inch alloy wheels both complement the vibrant Valencia Orange Pearl exterior paint work. interior features include MUGEN-branded colour-coded leather/Alcantara, a [...]

The last word springs to mind after hearing ‘hybrid’ is ‘fast’. That’s not the case with this hybrid rally-prepared Honda Insight. The car, which uses a tuned petrol-electric hybrid system to give it more power and better fuel efficiency, has been developed by the Oaktec team from Lancaster over a six-year period using the low emission Honda car as a base. It does a 100 mpg. But apparently it is too fast and make the competition unfair! So it’s been kicked out of its championship. It’s been asked to withdraw following concerns from rival competitors that it has an unfair advantage, after dominating the 2011 series with two wins and a second place from the first three rounds. The championship [...]

Honda Performance Development division has come up with a  new race car concept based on the CR-Z hybrid that tries to unleash the car’s sporting capabilities. To be features at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, the CR-Z Hybrid Racer has a tweaked version of the same powertrain that powers the road-going car but with 200 hp. It is still front wheel drive, so the ingredients are not stacking up for something groundbreaking really! HPD has developed the car to be tested in real race conditions to discover technical solutions specific to hybrids. In Europe, the CR-Z Racer is used as a pace car as part of Speed EuroSeries. Technical data of the CR-Z Racer hybrid by HPD [...]

Mugen finally dropped the first pictures of the highly anticipated CR-Z Mugen, set for debut at the next Goodwood festival of speed. The car will feature a number of upgrades including a massive body kit, uprated suspension, wheels and tires, brakes and of course engine. Mugen will tune the VTEC internal combustion engine to up to 200 ho but maintains the electric motor in its standard form. They say the car will deliver performance like the Civic Type-R hot hatch but with the same fuel economy as the standard CR-Z which has only a dismal 120 hp. Early tests with a prototype car based on a standard CR-Z and a mid-tune engine have given 0-60mph times around that of the [...]