There has been much speculation about the Mugen Civic Type R, which broke cover at the end of June. Honda has confirmed that Mugen Euro will bring it to the UK, for now just as a prototype.
At present the car is being developed in Japan by Mugen Euro - the Northampton-based subsidiary of Honda's tuning partner. Later this year the Mugen Type R will be brought to the UK for testing.
It has been confirmed that the engine will be the same as that of the Civic Mugen RR sold in Japan. That means 237bhp at 8,000rpm from the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit. Other changes will focus on improving the brakes, exhaust and suspension. There is also the body kit that ensures the Mugen Type R will be easy to spot.
The bad news is that there are currently no plans for a production model. However, Mugen is putting a lot of effort into creating the prototype and it is always possible that the plans could change...
John Lambert - 6 Jul 2009