Honda CR-Z Mugen Concept Revealed, Civic Type R On Notice

Honda has revealed its supercharged CR-Z concept ahead of a July unveiling at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, this follows a single teaser image released earlier this month.

Developed in partnership with the UK-based Mugen Euro, the special one-off CR-Z Mugen features a supercharger strapped to a modified version of the hybrid sports car's 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine and electric motor.

Power has been increased to 147kW and 245Nm of torque - a significant increase over the standard model's 84kW (and 10kW for the electric motor).

Performance? The team at Mugen Euro claims a 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint time better than the Civic Type R hatch's 6.6 seconds.

Importantly for the CR-Z's hybrid image, the tuning house says its modifications have left the concept's fuel consumption figures in good shape.

"We've retained the three driving modes from the standard car and economy ranges from 50+mpg (41.6 mpg US) in 'eco' mode to mid-30 mpg (29 mpg US) when tapping into the supercharged power in a special 'Mugen' mode," Mugen Euro's Collin Whittamore said.

Mugen Euro also stripped around 50kg from the CR-Z's kerb weight, and performance upgrades include Mugen suspension components and brakes, a sports body kit from the existing CR-Z Mugen catalogue, and 17-inch forged alloy Mugen GP wheels.

While the CR-Z Mugen is a one-off concept designed to impress the Goodwood crowds, reports in recent months suggest Honda is considering a turbocharged non-hybrid version of the CR-Z.

Turbocharged engines are not a common sight in the Honda range, but according to Britain's Autocar, Honda has been working on an ultra-efficient 1.6 litre engine that utilises turbocharging to produce power on par with a regular 2.0 litre engine.

The report adds that the engine would develop around 120kW in regular form, increased to around 150kW for performance models - pointing to a possible CR-Z Type R.

Time will tell.