The least subtle hot hatch in the country is about to get even more thickly coated with aero galore.
Like or lump the current-gen Honda Civic Type R — with its dense smorgasbord of winglets, vortex generators, wind-curtain creators, and vents of a the largely fake variety — one must pay marks to its abilities on and off the track. It took years to be toppled for hot hatch supremacy at the Nürburgring, it's since grabbed records at tracks all over the world, and despite these things it remains oddly comfortable.
It's no surprise then that the 'FK8' is also one of the most popular sellers in its increasingly niche class, with 200 of the things selling thus far. And to celebrate the fact, Honda New Zealand is introducing some new optional kit from its friends at Mugen.
Honda is set to offer a limited-edition 'Mugen Equipped' Civic Type R to the local market. The kit covers one of the most extensive aero kits offered by any factory group, including a deeper front spoiler, side skirt pair, and an enormous rear diffuser. An additional rear wing atop the tailgate is also included, sporting a proud Mugen badge.
Fitted, painted and out the door, the Mugen Equipped FK8 will set back Kiwis $64,990. There are other Mugen packages set to become available locally over time, too, including a $990 interior pack, and performance packs priced up to $11,990. Fun fact, you can throw the entire Mugen-branded parts catalogue kitchen sink at the FK8 for around $38,000.
Read more: Hype machine — we thrash the new Honda Civic Type R
No, it's not cheap. But it's worth retaining some context here. Even if you were to go totally nuts on Mugen parts, you'd only narrowly eclipse the $95,000 sticker price of the Civic's main rival; Renault's Megane RS Trophy-R. Restrict yourself to the main kit and the top shelf performance pack, and the resulting $76,980 car sits just a few grand above the more subdued Volkswagen Golf R and behind the premium-flavoured Audi S3.
It's also cheaper than Mugen's last bright red limited edition model, the 2007 Mugen RR. With inflation that was a car which cost almost $100,000 in today's money. It's claimed that all 300 sold out in 10 minutes, but that's a story for another day.
The Mugen name — pronounced 'moo-gen' — also brings with it plenty of history. Founded by Hirotoshi Honda, son of Honda boss Soichiro Honda, it's a brand that's always been intrinsically linked to the Japanese marque. What started with Hirotoshi working in his dad's garage on a humble S800 eventually became a race-winning Formula 1 engine supplier.
“Kiwis have shown they are still passionate about the joy of driving. The fifth-generation Type R, although solely offered with a manual transmission, has been a sales success, thanks to its perfect balance of Honda’s sporty, yet practical DNA.” says Marketing & Product Manager at Honda New Zealand Matt Woodburn.
“We aren’t expecting any buyers to choose a full catalogue build, but we will gladly support and facilitate such a request. We put our hand up for the RG20GT Mugen complete car package, to be assembled with the support of Mugen Japan in our Nelson Distribution Centre,” he added.
