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FN2 Mugen FN2 concept test drive/review.

Some more reviews.

Pottsy from Civinfo.

Quite possibly the most fun I have ever had in a car...

(and yes, this includes what you are thinking)


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The Honda Civic Type R Mugen

What is it?

As most of you will probably know, Mugen is a small company of 180 people that make racing engines for Honda cars. The company is owned by the Honda family (it was founded by Soichiro's son) but is independent of Honda motors. They made F1 engines and Formula Nippon engines, and they now prepare race NSXs, F3 cars and others. They also make and sell aftermarket bits.

So Mugen and Honda have decided that it would be interesting to set their race engineers onto a Euro Type R. In essence, they approached the car as if it were a race car, and performed all their computer analysis to come up with their perfect engine and suspension. Sadly, none of the parts that were computed as perfect were available, so they just went ahead and made them from scratch. They then added some proper race-engineering thought, and came up with this car.

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1. The suspension. The front struts were a start-again job. The anti-roll bar was fine, and the rear retains the basic twist beam but with new home-grown springs, dampers and bushes. Talking to Colin (the project manager), in a slightly over-excited way, was an utter pleasure - we gassed on for ages about how stiffer is not better, and the different ways you can overcome the issues that the twist beam comes with. Mugen's objective was to make a car no stiffer than the standard car (possibly even softer) but with vastly improved wheel control via some very cunning computer designed springs and dampers. The car sits just 10mm lower, but only because that is best. Furthermore, the unsprung weight was reduced from about 17Kg to 12Kg - allowing the wheel to move with the bumps more freely without moving the car. So in theory more grip, better control and an improved ride.

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2. The body. Every 5kg lost is like gaining an extra horsepower for free, so Mugen went about finding free horsepower. In the end the GRP panels, the funky Recaros, the removal of the rear seats and the composite rear bulkhead lost 105kg and the power to weight went up 24%. Mugen considered a roll cage and body stiffeners, but the shell was considered stiff enough and the extra weight would have undone their hard work.

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3. The engine. Mugen wanted to make an engine that was mental, but reliable. 240 horsepower doesn't sound like much, but this would be like 260 in a standard CTR (because of the lower weight). New intake, new exhaust, new cams (Mugen), new pistons, new ECU. So now we have 120 bhp/litre.

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4. The brakes. Again, Honda UK were keen to have a known brand poking out from behind the spokes. "Brembo" written there never did any harm. But, as usual (getting the picture here?) Mugen knew they could do a bit better with a monoblock design. So they made them. At the rear, they decided that just Mugen pads would be fine.

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5. The styling. Jayne tells me I have no style. So I am not in a position to comment on style; it's something for the individual.

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Now, when you put all that together in your head, you come up with a picture of what the car is going to be like. A bit faster (but not much faster, certainly not competitive), and typical "tuned" car hard ride, slightly better brakes and generally a slightly ruined version of what I reckon is a fantastic, enthusiasts car.

So I was just a little luke warm about the whole project. It would be nice to see the PR people again, I imagined I'd get 30 minutes of marketing drivel followed by a minor headache from a bouncy, noisy, over-priced car. I packed my Ibuprofen and went to Northampton.

Driving the Mugen Type R

Let me try and guide you through a drive in the Mugen CTR. Firstly you will have to strap yourself in to the Recaro with the 5 point harness. Or if you are lazy (hmmm) they left the standard belt in there too. The seat is lovely, the position perfect, but the view is very familiar. Standard car with three extra gauges for water temperature, oil pressure and oil temperature. If you look behind you, all you see is an empty space.

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Start it up as normal, and it's still situation normal - docile and smooth, but with a slightly deeper exhaust note. Set off and scrape the chin on a small ramp. Pootle out of the car park and up to the T junction. Screech! Just moving your foot near the brake pedal is enough to make the car chirp to a halt. The brakes are clearly something else, and something I made a mental note to try out later.

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Dribbling along you notice that the ride is still firm, but the bounciness has gone. I struggled to remember what it reminded me of, but it's a but like a fast-road 911. It's astonishing. Firm, yet nicely damped. Which made it comfortable. So now, I have to put my hand up a little, and concede that twist beam, with the right components, in the right style of car, can work. And work well.

And the steering... Where the standard R is lively, this thing is rampant. Just think a direction change, and it starts it before you even send the signal from your brain to your hands. But there's no tramlining, no wriggling, in fact nothing nasty at all. Just perfect steering - again like a Boxster or Cayman. The weighting is good too, but maybe a tiny bit light (I still reckon hydraulic is the only proper way). But just a few hundred yards up the road and it is all going against expectations - it's a CTR but miles, no, many many miles better.

And then, of course, you have to do it. Moving off from stationary you'll notice that in the lower "gutless" part of the rev range this car just flies forwards. It seems to leap effortlessly to a point quite a bit further ahead than you expected. And, at the moment you have been waiting for, the VTEC arrives and you fly. But this is something else. The scream is louder, purer and even more addictive than standard. It's like a cross between a modern Ferrari and a 4 cylinder superbike. The step up in torque hits you in the back and in a flash you grab another gear and you get the same precision-Beelzebub howl of engineering perfection. This car is seriously fast, and you have to just keep doing it. Over and over again. Like a regular CTR but so much more, and so much more fun.

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By this time, you will be putting aside your pre-conceived ideas about the car. Just in time to notice that you really are in an exotic Porsche, on steroids. Not a bouncy CTR with a mind of it's own. Because the bumps and movements in the road do not phase this car at all. The ride seems to get even better and you can carve precise lines in and out of corners. No bump-steer, no white-lining, nothing. Almost like it's RWD. It's like nothing I have driven before - and that includes so many Porsches and other fancy metal. The 350Z is a wallowy mess and the M3 a distressed sofa by comparison. The grip levels at speed were better than me, but at low speed you could see that it only let go well after you expected it, and with a gentle hint of reassuring understeer. Lift off and it tightened without drama.

So you are now Jason Plato, and you decide to get brave and use the brakes. Can I please recommend that you take care, or at least use the five point harness. The brakes are like.. Well I'm running out of superlatives. The brakes are like no car I have previously driven. Just eye-popping.

The net result? Down a country road this is the most fun you will ever have in a car, if you derive pleasure from driving. I just had the biggest grin ever when I got out. And Honda realised this - they were taking photos of each driver as they came back - and everyone was doing it. If you like posing then you will be better off in a 370Z, if you like playing pub top-trumps with 0-60 times and horsepower then you will need a turbo car with saggy throttle response. But if you are a true petrol-head, one who wants the most exhilarating, race-car experience with a car that is shaper and better and faster than you will ever be, then this is the car for you. And if you really are a true petrol head, then you will pay the price, whatever that is.

Mental. Yet brilliant.

This evening, thinking back on it, the only vehicle I know like this car is a modern CBR600. And people buy those purely for fun. Except in this four wheeled version you can stay dry in the rain and go to work in it.

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The future

So, what's the deal?

I had a long chat about this, and suggested that whilst there might be a few people willing to shell out on a great toy, there will be others who may want to apply some of this tech onto their existing CTRs. Here's the situation:


  • The plan has not yet been made. So the car may be manufactured, it may not.
  • The parts are still just one-offs. So no stock to buy yet.
  • The car is not finalised. They may yet tweak the settings (for example the exhaust was boomy at 3,500 rpm) - they are currently looking for feedback from journalists and enthusiasts.
  • The car will be expensive because it will be made from a standard car. So you will pay twice for the engine and suspension.

I will nag Mugen over time, and I will report any news.

Conclusion

Judging by the massive grin on all our faces when we got out of the car, the conclusion was obvious and unanimous. The car is just the best drive you'll get short of spending the price of a house, if you value the driving experience rather than 0-60 one-upmanship.

If they make it, I will be sad. Sad only because I don't have the £ to run out screaming "me me me I have to have one!".

|Honda CTR|Honda CTR Mugen
Length/Width/Height (mm)|4270/1785/1445|4280/1795/1440
Wheelbase (mm)|2620|2620
Weight (kg)|1338|1233
Engine|2.0L DOHC i-VTEC|2.0L DOHC i-VTEC
Power (PS/rpm)|201/7800|240/8300
Torque (lb.ft/rpm)|143/5600|157/6250
Tyres|225/40R18 (7.5)|225/40R18 (7.5)
Brake disc (Fr/Rr)|16" / 14"|17" (2pc) / 14"
Brake Caliper (Fr/Rr)|std/std|Mugen / std
Power/weight (kg/HP)|6.7|5.1

Footnotes:


  • When you get back into a normal car, you may well crash into the car in front because the brakes "just didn't seem to work properly".
  • Massive thanks to Honda and Mugen for allowing us interweb people to sample their toys.
  • There was no marketing drivel, the man from Mugen was a pleasure, and the Honda PR team are ace.





Evostu/Dandemoraliser CTRO.



EvoStu said:
Well here are the reviews as requested, sorry for the wait but its taken a little longer than expected to get it finished.

EvoStu.

Honda Civic Mugen Concept R.
Review from http://www.civictype-R.co.uk
Civic Type R Owners Website – The world’s largest independent Honda club & forum.

First impressions.
There was a certain amount of anticipation leading upto this review, however it has to be said I was approaching it with a different viewpoint. We’ve all known for a while now that Mugen has been working on a Euro model Civic for a while and when the original press shots were released I was filled with what a bit of mixed emotion. On the one hand the specification of the car was everything I’d come to expect from Mugen but on the other hand had they gone overboard with the styling somewhat? Well we shall see.
Walking into the showroom its difficult not to be taken aback by the styling, I mean it really is a proper Banzai car. If the standard Civic’s styling is not to your tastes then this is going to just to feel like you’ve been hit in the face. From the bright red Milano red paintwork to the huge rear (adjustable I might add) wing it just screams racer, but can its performance really match the looks? We shall see later, anyway back to that styling……..

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The standard Civic’s 3 door body has been changed on virtually every major panel and is part of the 105Kg Mugen diet that the FN2 has been put on. The wings, front and rear diffuser are made from FRP and add a huge weight saving to the car and the super light bonnet show where Mugen has made some of its weight savings. The one item to note though before we go any further is that under the showroom lights it isn’t the concepts best place to be viewed. The lighting highlights the concept cars badly matched paintwork which is very apparent on the new body panels however this is totally forgivable considering this is the first attempt.

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Beginning with the front end, the front aero bumper is aggressive looking whilst not being over the top. It has done away with the standard Civics fog lights and replaced them with large plastic detailing which I’m still not sure of as I think the front fogs add a nice touch to the look of the standard car. The wings and the bonnet however are just stunning and the bonnet is extremely light. The only disappointment is that al’a Ford Focus RS, the vents are non functional at this point in time. The question as to whether or not this will change in the future is currently undecided. The front wings bulge out at the edges to give a very aggressive look from the front. This bulges are due to the car having an ever so slightly wider front track and as a result of this the rear wheels have a different offset to the fronts.

It is however that rear wing that has caused the largest amount of controversy since the concept pictures were launched and to be honest there is no other word to describe it, the wing is huge. However according to Mugen there is method in the madness and that adjustable wing is there for a reason. The quality of finish considering that the Mugen is a preproduction concept is stunning really and the carbon fibre central adjustable part of the wing is a delight to look at with a perfect carbon weave.

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The front grille is very similar to that of the Mugen FD2 and just looks the part in that it’s possibly the most understated part of the car. The rear diffuser is huge and has done away with the standard triangular exhausts outlet theme to be replaced by two huge polished round holes which at first look slightly out of place but does work. For those people wanting to know if those holes are the actual size of the exhaust, no they aren’t. They are merely for show. The exhaust piping is slightly larger than normal but I’m guessing the exhaust has been designed to also fit in the standard OEM rear bumper/diffuser setup. They have also painted the fuel cap door red as well and this if anything is just one part I wasn’t too happy with as I like the OEM fuel cap cover.

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Now, onto those wheels. They are standard Mugen GP range alloy wheels which are forged and as a result provide a weight saving per corner of 5Kg so reducing the unsprung weight quite considerably. They are lovely looking wheels it has to be said but as stated earlier they are different offsets on the front compared to the rear. It’s a strange setup but like everything on this car it simply works. These wheels are wrapped in some UK spec Yokohama Advan tyres which replaced the original concept items which were a Japanese spec tyre that could not be sourced as easily. Mugen pointed out that the car is going to be tested with several types of tyre to find the perfect match prior to any projected launch of a production vehicle.

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Is it a nice place to sit though?
Opening the door you are greeted by two huge Recaro bucket seats complete with race harnesses and straight away you will notice straight that this is a strict two seater. The rear bench has been removed and replaced by a black composite panel from which the harnesses come from. This panel could double as a small parcel shelf if required, so at least you have somewhere to put your Samurai sword. The front of the car is relatively untouched except for a small row of three Defi gauges style gauges measuring oil pressure and both the oil and water temperature. In front of your right knee is the Defi style control centre for data logging. But other than that it’s a standard GT spec Civic Type R (and yes it has air con).

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The mechanics of a beast.
OK now it’s the exciting part where all the magic happens. What has Mugen changed on this car to alter its nature from that of a Type R into a fire breathing monster. Well the answer is quite simple, almost everything. Mugen has taken the basic essentials from the Type R, and analysed every single little component to ask the question of it in terms of can it be improved? And if so…how?

First off is the suspension which on the standard Civic caused the most controversy on its release. How can a car with a torsion beam suspension hold its own against the established multi link setups? Well the standard setup is pretty good in my opinion, ok it can be a bit crashy but then so could the EP3. This setup though is something else. Mugen looked at what was available to them and found that nothing matched their specifications, so they set about designing the parts from the base up. So what you have here is fundamentally a completely bespoke suspension setup.

Discussing the setup with Mugen Euro’s project lead Colin Whittamore, he explained that the cars suspension was designed to be comfortable and sporty without being harsh and they succeeded. The car sits approx 10mm lower than the standard Civic Type R but the unsprung weight is lowered by approx 5-6Kg in total which is extremely important in the overall complexion of the car as this should cause the suspension to be able to absorb road changes a whole lot better and so in theory provide a better ride whilst also increasing the overall grip of the vehicle.

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OK so what provides the fireworks then?
Underneath that ultra light bonnet lies the answer to all our Honda prayers. It’s the new king of the K series it really is.
Essentially a hugely reworked K20Z4 from the FN2 Type R however this has been given a truly remarkable Mugen makeover. To begin with, Mugen have replaced the header with that of an FD2 (the keen eyed amongst you will note the cut out of the front panel to accommodate the difference in size) and they have also upgraded the internals with new valves, pistons, cams and springs and also upgraded the ECU to provide to the necessary control.

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Added to the new engine internals to aid the breathing are of course a new intake (similar to the FD2 Mugen box) and also a very nice stainless exhaust system. The result is approx 240PS or 237BHP in old money or for the pub goers 120PS per litre!!!!! To give you some idea of how much of an increase in power that is, it has been calculated to achieve the same power to weight ratio in the standard FN2 it would require approx 260-270BHP such is the weight saving in this car.

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The engine is mated to a gearbox which is the standard Civic Type R box but fitted with a Mugen helical style LSD (essentially the same as the OEM Honda unit) as this is a standard GT car remember, not the CW edition. The clutch meanwhile is an uprated metal plate item sourced by Mugen specifically for this car to cope with the increase in power.

How do you stop a beast?
Interesting question. Do you keep the braking system standard or do you improve it? Well its obvious, you improve it but then the question arises do you go with an off the shelf system such as Brembo? Well this is Mugen and they believe they can do better. So after much head bashing and soul searching they came up with a simple monoblock caliper design, very similar to the Spoon/Nissin versions on the EP3.
The design looks epic behind the Mugen GP alloys and part of the reason the alloys have a different offset to the rears is to house these huge calipers. I noted that there must be only 2-3mm of room between the alloy wheel and the caliper. This kind of precision is just more evidence of how much work Mugen have put into this car. The brake pads are custom units once again as nothing else would fit Mugens tech specs. The calipers and pads are then mated to some rather tasty looking grooved discs to provide that little but extra stopping power.

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Finally……the drive.
So the time has come for all of this to be put into practice. Its all good and well talking the talk, but can this Mugen equipped Civic walk the walk? It has a lot to live up to based on the specifications. Having driven countless EP3’s, DC5’s, FN2’s and even the FD2 there is a pretty good benchmark for it to meet.
Slipping into the snug Recaro’s (they are small trust me) you get a choice of using either the full harness or the standard seat belt. I just wanted to get going and so ended up using the standard belt. You sit surprisingly low in the Recaro’s, much lower than the standard FN2 but this position is almost perfect. I actually wish my FN2 seats could go that low.

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Dan (my morning co driver and map reader) grabs the preset route plan, shoe horns himself into the passenger seat and we’re ready to go.
Switching the key to ignition, the 3 gauges kick into action spinning round on their axis before settling at their correct level. Pressing the starter button and that unmistakable noise of a modified Honda 4 pot springs into life and the noises continue with a deep rumble from the custom Mugen exhaust. You find yourself just blipping the throttle to listen to the exhaust which doesn’t sound too dissimilar at idle to a Spoon N1 full setup.
Pressing the clutch in reveals a heavy action but certainly not uncomfortable but I certainly wouldn’t want to be in stop start traffic for very long though and pulling out of the dealership I tap the brakes slightly to see how they react from cold(ish) and nearly launch both myself and Dan out of the window. They’re grippy for sure and so much better than the standard brakes as we’ll find out later.

As the car was already warm it would be rude not to give the throttle a quick blip on the first major road and by Christ is it responsive. The FBW (fly by wire) throttle is just instantaneous, responding to every little millimeter of control. I’m not sure at this point what has been adjusted on the throttle but it makes any FBW throttle I’ve used before just seem almost archaic.

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On the first major sweeping bend you realise just how good the combination of the sticky tyres, superbly dampened suspension and the LSD is. The car just sticks tight, there is no drama, no issues just sheer grip.
The engine noise combined with the exhaust and intake have to be heard to be believed though. If this was a drug and was available on the NHS, it should be given out 5 times a day to everyone. I found myself laughing after the first open stretch of road at simply how well this engine pulls and sounds. It really does sound like a touring car. It’s a car my Mother wouldn’t like for sure.
One surprise for me however was that of the cam changeover point. Now as this was a highly modified engine with a Mugen ECU and I was expecting a completely smoothed out and indistinguishable changeover such as the one on the KPro or FlashPro, but no. This is different. It actually feels like an old B series engine in many respects as the cam changeover whilst linear is extremely aggressive in its nature and I adored it. The cams change at around 5.5K and the rev limiter is set at over 8.5K (we actually saw 9k on our test). Viewing the power and torque curves for the car later on I can see the differences straight away, it’s an incredibly steep power curve.

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Driving at normal speeds is actually quite a strange experience in this car because it feels just like the normal Type R. You have very little useable power down in low rev ranges but out on the open roads the mid range pull and upper rev ranges are simply mind boggling. It feels like a turbo in the mid range as the power is instantly there. Whereas in previous Type R’s you would have to drop a cog, in this the power is just there all the time, but you still find yourself stirring the gearbox to maintain the noise levels, it’s just invigorating and totally effortless in its delivery.
A problem with normal driving though highlights a major flaw in the current design, which Mugen has said will be rectified soon and that is the resonance of the exhaust system. You see unfortunately the current setup causes a very bad resonance in the cabin at around 3.5K – 4.5K rpm which is right smack bang in the national speed limit speeds so of course you are left with two options, stay well below these speeds or above it. But as Mugen point out, it’s a known issue and will be sorted out soon enough. I’d love to test it again once the resonance has gone.
This is all a distant memory though the moment you put your foot to the floor as the car just changes its persona. It changes from the docile Civic into an absolute monster. Everything all of a sudden becomes a bit of a blur as you find yourself grabbing each gear quicker and quicker and the car just seems to want to give more all of the time. All you hear is the noise of the engine increasing, the exhaust screaming and the intake sucking at every gear change, if you own a GruppeM then you’ll recognise the noise. I honestly expected to find small animals and children in the intake after we stopped.

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On the open winding roads though this is when you understand the price tag that is currently being mooted for this car. It just all makes sense and comes together to well. It feels like a custom made suit, comfortable and built for a purpose and you know where you’ve spent that money and how you can’t really go back to off the shelf items anymore.
One criticism of the standard FN2 is the way it can under steer heavily under hard driving. Now this is rectified on the CW edition car thanks to the LSD but on this car its transformed again. Whilst conditions were bone dry for the test, we did manage to coax the car into a degree of controlled under steer but it just wasn’t dramatic at all, in fact it was almost adjustable which is an odd feeling in the FN2. The suspension setup of this car really does lend itself to enthusiastic driving and answers the critics head on with regards to the throttle adjustability.
One small items of note is that you do notice that the steering whilst super precise is still not perfect. It’s just not as good as the FD2’s hydraulic setup but it’s as close as I’ve tried on any electrically assisted setup and certainly on par with the DC5.
This Type R covers ground like nothing else Honda have ever produced on 4 wheels and that includes the DC2 and FD2 or NSX for that matter. From the moment you hit that iVTEC point the car is just leagues ahead in almost every area. It is as precise as a surgeons blade. The suspension just absorbs the bumps and keeps the wheels on the ground, there’s no drama or skittishness, just sheer driving thrills. Whereas other Type R’s would have been compromised in some form or another, this just isn’t. Forget what you’ve driven before in the Honda range, this is better, it’s that simple. Mugen have out Type R’d the Type R’s in every way. You cannot help but fall in love with this car; it is quite simply some of the most enjoyable driving you will ever make in your life at any price.
In performance terms Dan and I performed two standing start test against the clock and whilst the timing methods were crude it was agreed that in the right conditions with the right driver this car could easily achieve a sub 6 second 0-62 time. Mugen refuse to comment on the sprint times but I can tell you this thing is quick……actually that doesn’t do it justice, its immense.

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Now those brakes, how good are they? Hmmmmm well, imagine the best brakes you’ve ever used on a production car and I can almost guarantee they won’t come close to these. They honestly do not seem to fade despite some hardened testing and they feel so progressive. Some brakes on modern cars suffer from an over reliance on servo assistance and as a result you lose that feel in the pedal but these are nigh on perfect. Big thumbs up!
Now for the negatives and there aren’t a lot, in fact you have to be really harsh.
The body kit isn’t for everyone and the seats are tight for some, but Mugen will happily sell you the internals so you can keep the standard looks.
The exhaust resonance is quite severe but once this is solved and tuned out then this negative becomes a positive.
Cost. Its mooted that the car will go on sale in limited numbers for around £35K. Now before this test I was in agreement with others that £35K was a lot for a Honda Civic, but once you drive it you realise where you money is going. This isn’t a Honda Civic in the strictest sense, or at least you can’t view it as such. What you need to do is view it as a completely bespoke and pure form of fun. If you love cars then you’ll love this……and I mean love it! It’s a true petrolheads car.

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Conclusion (happiness tinged with sadness).
This really is an example of Honda’s engineering brilliance taken to the next level. It is what I love about normally aspirated engines; it is automotive engineering in its purest form with no turbos or superchargers and what I love about the Honda brand.
I tried to think of an analogy to explain my thoughts on this car and came up with two.

The first was based at a comparative level in terms of Honda motorbikes. The normal Civic Type R is a bit like the CBR400, its quick, it’s a decent handler but can do better. The CW edition is like a CBR600, its taken all the best parts of the baby brother but added that degree of flexibility and enhancement to the handling to give it that edge. However the Mugen concept is like the CBR1100RR. It’s the full fat fire breathing monster with everything the other two have but everything is honed to perfection and once you’ve tried it, can you really go back?

The second was one that I thought about when I drove back and I passed my CW Edition sat in the car park. I said to Dan I felt like I was having an affair. I’d just driven past my girl, who has been super faithful and provided me with all the thrills since I’ve been with her and we both know each other so well. But then I went out with this other girl for the morning and she was exciting on a completely different level and showed me things that I didn’t think were possible.

How do you go back to normality after that? The answer is you can’t, it’s that simple. This car would convince even the most hardened FN2 hater into loving it, it’s simply that good. This car will not be for everyone and that’s for sure, but then it’s all not about selling them in large quantities, it’s all about the overall driving experience and this is where the Mugen delivers time and time again. It’s the sort of car you will go out of your way to drive and the sort of car you will go out in on a Sunday afternoon just to drive it. What this project does, is just shows, given the money and the time, that normally aspirated engines still have a place in this world of boring and dull forced induction.

Would I buy one though at that price? Well that’s the £35K question isn’t it? And I have to be honest, if I could have signed up on the spot on Sunday I would have. The car in its current form with the full bodykit is maybe not what I’m looking for but those internals…..yes please!

So that’s it, the benchmark has been set, this is the FWD car today that in my honest opinion is the one to beat. Now come on Mugen and announce the release date. I want one! I need one! I will have one! Thanks.

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank both the as always excellent PR team from Honda (UK) and Colin from Mugen Euro for their time on this and for giving the lucky few a chance to experience this car first hand and when you consider that only approx 12 people have driven it, it’s really an honour to be given this chance. Thank you.

Stuart Pridham
http://www.civictype-R.co.uk
1st September 2009


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Dandemoraliser's review.

Well we’ve had a go and this is the view from an EP3 owner who has driven both normal and CW FN2 CTR’s.

Mugen’s concept was obviously to develop a show piece for its range and to show its expertise. Needless to say they have succeeded with both!

The first thing to say is the car looks its worst when under lights in showroom environment. It seems to sit uncomfortably with the high rear wing and low front end. However with the standard CTR wing in place (which they did look at changing but would have cost too much) the job they’ve done and its detail in carbon is quite impressive if not to everyone’s taste, however the wing seems to dissipate away when outside in natural light. It sits with purpose and looks good in the milano’esk red, though this looks deeper with more lustre.
Other external changes are substantial change in track to front and rear. The vented bonnet isn’t a clear path through to the engine bay, so no dirty engine, and front wings with bulging vents to the front wheels, which weren’t originally apparent from early press shots but look the part.

With the wheels making a total saving of 20kgs over standard helping unsprung weight at the corner; I do believe this will be one of the parts that Mugen will do well from as they complement the car and their quality is plain to see, they’re gorgeous. The car was on Yokohama tyres as the originals which were changed prior to our drive were Japanese sourced items.

Front splitter incorporates black mesh grills and a splitter that ties in with the usual shiny mugen infill to around the red ‘H’ badge. This also has the city pack “shark fins” which i think actually aren’t needed visually as they detract from the triangular holes where the fogs usually sit. The rear has two silver exhaust pipes which if real would rival any aftermarket Subaru item but hide the smaller actual pipes deep inside. The shaped rear “diffuser” panel looks good though provides a shelf type detail over the pipes. Not a normal looking detail but it does work.

Opening the door what’s immediately apparent are the Recaro racing seats and harnesses. With the rear seats gone they are replaced with a black plastic moulded panel through which the harness emerge from. It’s quite neat.

The dash remains fairly unchanged except the addition of three binnacles showing oil & water temperature and oil pressure, a common upgrade to the EP’3 with leads from the vents....this is neatly housed without losing any other information given by the standard model.

On start up nothing seems different until the exhaust gases reach the pipe. It’s quite loud. Not sure i was expecting it to be demur but this is more than i expected from the driving seat. A small blip reveals a very smooth engine note and from my experience a throttle response more akin to the EP3 with minimal travel required to send the needle round the dial. Clutch on this model has been replaced with a metal one, replacing the one fried on the boat in transport (presumably from excited boat staff blipping it whilst travelling up and down the ramps. Something you can’t help but do because it may be loud but its deep bassy bellow tends to shock most on pavements and even turn around before reaching them. I would say something close to a N1 on aftermarket B pipe but falling short of the full spoon setup. The clutch still maintains feel though having been warmed by previous test pilots and it may be because my clutch is on its way out but it’s not heavy either.

The first stroke of the throttle reveals an instant response. This seems not to be the torque less response I’m used to before reaching 4000rpm, more low pressure turbo sort of shove but continuous, relentless. With breathing, manifold and internal changes all working to help seemingly. The noise builds through the resonance which occurs around 3500rpm and could remove fillings (something Mugen is aware of and will rectify) to a smooth Vtec changeover seemingly slightly lower around 5500rpm before streaking towards the red line. The delivery being so linear that it makes it more usable allowing quick overtakes with the smallest of gaps possible. It feels more robust than its reported 247PS, but with gearing seemingly unchanged, 60mph from standstill can be reached easily in a figure beginning a 5.........

The setup is fantastic and a credit to the Mugen guys. Having driven previous generations, when pushing on the suspension runs out of ideas on rough surfaces and starts to become unsettled meaning small inputs begin to be required to keep on straight ahead. The setup here is radically different. This does not seem to occur here. The damping is brilliant and where the ep3 is complaint at low to mid speeds and the FN2 seemingly on its bumper stops this retains the travel to deal with the surfaces and it rides beautifully for it. When driving the setup is towards under steer but its tracks very well and with the suspension and tyres helping grip its very controlled with no sign of the limit. Would have loved to have used this on the track to coax the rear into play but on roundabouts in Northampton this just isn’t possible!

Brakes are just awesome, feel and bite perfect using a special pad which currently is made for this actual car as it uses non standard Mugen pads, but fade free and really strong when required.

The car really does show what can be done. Yes the rear wing may not be to your taste and the exhaust too loud. Is it worth the reported £35k, well as a trackday/weekend toy, i think yes. I know the other options, Subaru/evo, 2nd hand V8ers. This turns heads wherever it goes, and if you don’t want to turn heads then you can have it so you get the performance I believe to embarrass non PPP’ed Subaru’s without the lairy visual add-ons.

However, as Mugen is mainly a parts and tuning specialist lets looks at the parts the majority will want, i believe this could be had a lot cheaper. To have the internals and engine mods with those wheels and maybe the front wing and bumper, whilst retaining all the seats sounds like the way to go.
 
Steering on par with the DC5? :lol:

And sounds like a Spoon N1 system on tick over? Purrlease! :lol:
 
If Mugen only plan on selling a few then it will be a success in that respect, needs rear seats and an optional spoiler choice to attract more customers IMO.
 
If Mugen only plan on selling a few then it will be a success in that respect, needs rear seats and an optional spoiler choice to attract more customers IMO.

NOOOOOOO, you're mad !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I love the spolier, always have doen, its what makes it stand out, makes it Mugen. Without it would just be a super modded FN2, with some grilles and vents granted.

I dont think they are aiming it a 'lets buy a new car, whats about' market, its for the Honda geeks, you only buy it if you love it.

I would love to one, all depends on how much, how many and when.
 
How many of us would pay £35k for it though? That's the price of the FD RR IIRC, so I can't see this being any cheaper.
 
How many of us would pay £35k for it though? That's the price of the FD RR IIRC, so I can't see this being any cheaper.

No you're right, 35k is way too much, but im hoping that figure is so high due to it being a import.

The FN2 Mugen will be for the UK, or so I believe.

Im hoping it comes in at about 25K, then it would be a contender at least, with the RS Focus.

I like teh RS Focus, but if Dotty and Chris say that this is as good as it is, then it has to worth a consideration at least.
 
Yes 25k is more like it, time will tell I guess.

I guess the cars will be made to order, with a few demos at the major city dealerships. ***ers :mad:
 
Nick, I have not driven the Focus RS, but I do not doubt for a second that the Mugen is better.
 
Steering on par with the DC5? He is a daft tw@t. :lol:

And sounds like a Spoon N1 system on tick over? Purrlease! :lol:

The steering is a lot better than the stock fn2 that is for sure, I couldn't get over the grip but again that is a lot to do with the A048's it was running.

Regardless of tyres I think the steering would be immense :cool:

The exhaust was a unique noise, not as loud as a Spoon N1.
 
I feel like I'm on my own when I say 'Don't like it' :eek:

You not on your own, it may be awesome to drive but it would be embarrassing to be seen in, though it would look spot on on barryboys.
 
Those tyres look pretty slick so I would like to see how it handles in the wet with them.
 
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