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Honda’s latest (FN2) Civic Type R has never really gone down well with enthusiasts, with the collective opinion being that the rear suspension set up is inferior to the previous generation (EP3) due to the cost saving torsion bar. It has recently been announced that Honda have invited their tuner of choice Mugen to breath their magic on the current Type R.
The car will be built by Mugen Europe at the former Cosworth owned facility in Northampton, and is expected to be limited to just 100 examples. That wont come as much of a suprise once you find out that the anticipated cost will be £35-40,000! Ouch!
The Mugen-tuned FN2 is expected to be powered by the 240bhp version that was used in the Mugen version of the FD2 Civic Type R saloon. It is also rumoured to be a 2 seater which i would imagine will also include a roll cage to compete with the Renault Megane R26R.
The current top spec FN2 Type R
This comes as very welcome news to the UK Honda fans, but there is one thing I want to know… Why won’t Honda bring the Japanese FD2 (Saloon) Civic Type R to Europe? In Japan Mugen released (to HUGE critical acclaim) the Mugen RR spec Civic Type R which is an amazing machine, and noticably faster than the standard FD2 (Saloon) which in itself is noticably faster than the watered down European spec FN2.
What we want available from Honda
The hardcore Mugen Civic Type R will also most likely get some exclusive hardcore exterior parts such as carbon fibre and forged wheels. I am fairly sure that Honda will keep these uprated parts exclusive to the Mugen spec car as they have with the previous JDM Mugen models – with owners having to prove ownership before being able to buy spares.
At the moment this is all just rumour, but I expect Honda to make an official announcement in the next couple of months. Keep your eyes on this blog for the latest details!
***EDIT***
I followed this thread up with an artists impression of what the car might look like, take a look here – Mugen Civic Type R FN2 Pics
