No, this isn’t the Mugen Civic Type R that was announced a few months ago. That was a heavily tuned and ridiculously priced version of the standard Type R that featured serious engine mods, some clever chassis work and a fancy bodykit. Instead this Honda Civic Type R Mugen 200 is a limited edition of the Type R that’s been inspired by the Mugen car.
Essentially a tarted up version of the standard Type R, the Mugen 200 features exclusive Mugen front and rear bumpers with skirts, 19-inch ‘Lightning’ alloy wheels, a Mugen badge on the rear hatch and a dash-mounted plaque inside showing which of the limited run of 200 units you’re sitting in. All Mugen 200’s will come in Championship White paint with gloss black door mirrors, so it should be easy to spot.
The only mechanical difference over the standard Type R is the fitment of a limited slip differential, as seen on the Championship White edition. The engine remains the same manic i-VTEC engine with 200bhp on tap.
As well as announcing the Mugen 200, Honda have also revealed that they will have a team competing in this year’s British Touring Car Championship. Honda will be running two Civics with a white-and-black colour scheme, similar to the special edition road car.
How can I knock a cheap version of the Mugen? Because this is not a Mugen, and sticking a badge on it doesn’t make it so. Mugen’s magic is in the tuning department, which is what you don’t get with this.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the Civic Type R, I’m a big fan. I just don’t like these marketing exercises that offer little more than some styling tweaks – personally I’d rather spend the money on performance enhancements.
I would recommend that you save yourself some money and buy the standard model – except you can’t, because the Eurocrats have killed off the glorious VTEC engine with their emissions regulations.
I drove one of these little monsters last week and took me back to the none turbo days of the pug 205 1.9 gfi awesome machine if Honda want to squeeze more blood out of the type r mugen name I say good on em carry on really enjoyed the handling and the vtec rev factor was cosmic so stop moaning and get back in your Austin maxi 1750 hl. Jesus how can u knock a cheap version of the mugen
Amen to that, Daran. I fear that Honda is too busy trying to attain some green credentials with their hybrids to think about their performance cars. Where are the replacements for the S2000 and NSX?
And don’t get me started on hybrids, they’re nothing more than a temporary solution and yet many see them as the answer to all of our energy/emissions problems. But don’t they still run on petrol?
Shame about this Mugen edition and the FN2 CTR in general. I had one (after previously owning an EP3 CTR). I liked it at first (and it is a more complete car than the EP3 model). But soon the rose-tinted’s fell off and I realised what a wasted opportunity the FN2 CTR represents. Honda have so lost their way sadly, what with all the eco-stuff and the canned NSX Mk2.
This current model CTR (which very quickly became an also-ran in the hot-hatch world after it’s release) was crying out for a power hike. At it’s mid-life point it should have gotten one. Sadly it didn’t. All we got was the CW CTR which whilst benefitting from the LSD received no extra power. In fact with the LSD it was even heavier than the GT spec car it was based on whilst ‘enjoying’ a hefty £3+k price hike for the privilege of a £500 LSD, some white paint and a few bronze badges. The FN2 chassis could comfortably handle some extra power, and it would have been so easy for Honda UK to do with an ECU modification. The K20 lump having been 200+ BHP in the DC5 Type S & R Teg’s (+ Acura Teg Type-S in US).
Sadly Honda just won’t do it – preferring instead to milk the name of Type-R for extra cash. Queue the above completely pointless Mugen 200 CTR. What is the point of this special edition? There isn’t one. A markenting excercise that’s all. Take one hot-hatch o far off the pace of the best and stick a bodykit on it and some famous tuning house name on it and voila! Another big Honda UK shameful mess.
How many over 50’s have I seen driving FN2 CTR’s? Too many for it to have any credability left that’s for sure.
I never wanted to hear myself say it…. as I loved Honda’s and both the CTR’s I have owned, but Honda and Type-R in the UK are now tarnished.
RIP (UK) Type-R? Maybe, but Honda have one (and only one) chance left with the next-gen Civic due soon. If they can get that CTR model right with it’s handling and performance (sub 6s 0-62 + more torque) then the Type-R brand can be brought back to life from it’s current near-dead status. But it must be a 100% true Type-R to revive the patient. Nothing less will suffice.
Are you listening Honda UK?