Rare Civic treat from Honda

Oct 23 2009 Maurice Glover

Rare Civic treat from Honda

A VERSION of the Honda Civic is set to become one of the most exclusive cars in Britain.

Just 20 examples of the Type R family hatchback are to be built by tuning experts Mugen Euro.

Costing £38, 599, the hand built super hatch promises scintillating performance. Details have not been released, but modifications under the bonnet boost power of the two-litre i-VTEC motor by 20 per cent and add 10 per cent extra torque.

'Each Type R MUGEN will be an exclusive, hand-built race car for the road," says company vice president Hiroki Toyoda. "When we launched the Civic Type RR saloon in Japan, we sold out of all 300 units in just six minutes. Given the interest we have already had from car enthusiasts in the UK and abroad, we hope to repeat that achievement.

'We are very proud to bring our motor sport experience to the road with this high performance Honda engine, the first time that a MUGEN-tuned engine has been offered for use on the road in the UK."

The engine's extra power is transmitted via a limited slip differential and grip and handling are also significantly improved through a completely revised suspension set-up using custom-made springs and dampers.

Changes have also been made to the appearance of the car with a large wing at the rear to increase down force at speed for improved stability.

Other measures to improve the car's overall aero efficiency include replacing front and rear skirts with high-quality composite items. At the front, a new grille wearing the MUGEN emblem enhances the nose.