New Honda Civic Type R MUGEN 200: Another Limited Edition Special

In addition to the jam-packed Civic Type R MUGEN with its tweaked 240HP 2.0-liter i-VTEC, of which only 20 units will be sold in the UK at a hefty £38,599 a piece (approximately US$60,300 or €44,400 at today's exchange rates), Honda today announced that it will offer a less hardcore variant of the hot hatch without the performance upgrades.

Aptly named the Civic Type R MUGEN 200, the special edition model is based on the three-door European model and features the same 201-horsepower 2.0-liter high-revving i-VTEC as the standard model.

As its name suggests, only 200 examples of the special Type R models will be made with sales set to start in the UK in April.

So, what makes this variant stand out? Offered exclusively in a Championship White exterior finish, the MUGEN 200 features the same aero parts as the 240HP model, including a new front bumper, side skirts, a huger rear wing and a different rear bumper with an integrated diffuser housing two jumbo-sized tail pipes.

The 19-inch alloy wheels, glossy black door mirrors, Mugen badges, an individually numbered plaque and the standard limited-slip differential complete the MUGEN package.

Honda said that a range of tuning parts to enhance the chassis will also be available as dealer fit options.

More details as well as pricing on the MUGEN 200 will be revealed in March.

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VIDEO: Honda Civic Type R Mugen with 240HP Test Drive in Europe

Even though Honda has yet to confirm production of the Mugen prepped Civic Type R as the model still retains its concept title, the Japanese firm shipped the car over to the UK for further development and while they were at it, they gave it to Autocar magazine for a test drive. Matt Prior, the journalist who sat behind the steering wheel of the prototype model notes that Mugen's engineers need to work more on the Civic Type R's chassis and especially the rear suspension to make it competitive with other special hot hatches from Europe like the Renault Megane R26.R.

On the other hand, the Mugen Civic Type R's modified 2.0-liter VTEC engine that has received a 40 horsepower boost producing a total output of 240HP looks nd... sounds quite promising - see in the video how easily the naturally-aspirated four banger hits the rev limiter at 8,500 rpm.

Other upgrades include a new aero kit with a huge rear wing and a high performance brake system while Mugen's team also incorporated a number of weight savings measures such as stripping out the interior of any unnecessary items like the rear seats and using lighter alloy wheels that are shod in sport tires.

For our image gallery on the Civic Type R Mugen, click here and for the promotional video, here.

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VIDEO: New Honda Civic TYPE R Mugen UK-Spec Model Promotional Film

Following up on our previous story with the first photographs of the Mugen Honda Civic Type R hatchback, we now bring you an official promotional video of the special edition hatchback that's inspired from the JDM Civic Mugen RR sedan. In spite of the fact that in the two-and-half minute long film, Mugen describes the model as a 'UK Spec' edition, in the press release, Honda's dedicated tuning arm makes word of Euro-wide availability. Apparently, we'll have to wait for Mugen to clear things up.

We're still short on official info about the range of upgrades, but aside from the overly-aggressive aero kit, it is rumored that the hot hatch has received a similar treatment to the Japanese market Civic Mugen RR sedan.

If true, this means that we'll most likely see a modified version of the Civic Type R's 2.0-liter VTEC engine delivering close to 240HP, a limited slip differential (already available on the limited run Civic Type R Championship White), chunkier tires, tweaked suspension and a high-performance brake system.

Also expect a pair of body-hugging bucket seats from Recaro while it is possible that Mugen may eliminate certain comfort features in the interior in order to shave a few pounds.

What we can say for certain is that the Mugen Civic Type R will arrive on European shores sometime at the end of summer. In the meantime, and until Honda's official tuner reveals more details, check out the high-quality promotional film below.

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