The Honda CR-Z is undeniably a great looking compact car. Coupled off with its hybrid system, this is a great choice for those wanting a clean daily commute, and also to have a little fun in the weekends. But some might say that the power coming out from the SOHC 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine could use a bit more oomph, and that is exactly what Mugen had been working on for all these time.
We had seen quite a number of concepts done by Mugen for the Compact Renaissance Zero to have a fiercer look and power, and this is how the final production model looks like. Officially known as the ‘Honda CR-Z MUGEN RZ’, there will only be 300 of such specimen available, all built and sold by Mugen exclusively in Japan. For the time being, the starting price had yet to be announced, but it will be available starting from November 26.
So what exactly had Mugen thrown in to this CR-Z to make it that special? For starters, the stock IMA Hybrid power plant now has a supercharger onboard the 1.5-liter i-VTEC, jumping up the output to 154-horsepower and 185Nm of torque. Add that up with the 20-horsepower provided from the electric motor and you will have a total of 174-horsepower ready to be unleashed. Although they had yet to announce the acceleration figures for the production model, the concept version managed to do a 0-100 in 6.1 seconds; 3 seconds faster than the stock CR-Z.
The RZ also sports a new exhaust system, upgraded suspension and brake systems while rolling on 17-inch wheels wrapped with 205/45 R17 Dunlop Direzza ZII rubbers. And not to forget, Mugen models are well known for their facelifting, and the RZ looks absolutely mean with the aero styling package which includes a carbon fiber-trimmed front grille, a restyled front bumper, side skirts, a massive rear wing and a new rear bumper. The interior as well gets a makeover with two-tone sport seats, carbon trim, a dashboard-mounted numbered plaque and an extra instrument gauge.
A full list of modifications done to the CR-Z could be found here.
