Honda CR-Z RZ's Hot Mugen Tune-up

Mugen has once again worked their magic on Honda’s CR-Z 2013 model just like they did to the 2011’s model. The only difference is that this time, a simple bump in horsepower wasn’t enough. Not satisfied with Honda’s 13 horsepower boost to the base2013 CR-Z, the guys over at Mugen felt they had to give the driver a further kick in the pants. So, being the kings of tuning that they are, the motorsport experts over at Mugen gave the CR-Z even more power.

The Mugen team bolted a supercharger onto the 1.5-liter, four cylinder hybrid, taking the 135 horsepower engine up to a whopping 174 horsepower output along with 194 lb-ft of torque. Not bad for a hybrid! As if that wasn’t insane enough, the whole thing gets routed through a six-speed manual; talk about taking things to another level! (Well “Mugen” does translate as “No Limits”, after all.)

Mugen’s CR-Z Conversion Isn’t Just About The Engine

And they weren’t done there. The team had to make sure that all of that speed had some stopping power behind it so they added bigger brakes to the system. But that only makes sense because with that kind of engine running the show and the super streamlined, aerodynamic body slicing through the air, you also need to be able to brake efficiently. On top of that, you also have to be able to control the car, so a five-way adjustable suspension system was added along with 17-inch aluminum wheels. Topping of this “work of speed” is the cat-back exhaust system, giving some much needed growl to the tiger.

An adjustable boy-racer rear wing was bolted to the rear end along with side spoilers and an adjustable front spoiler to keep the car planted on the road … as well as to make sure it looks fast too. Then, if you remember what Mugen did in 2011, you know what comes next: the new grille.

Spicing Up The Interior

Inside the car, the CR-Z Mugen RZ has blue and black seats that match the steering wheel’s blue stitching. But perhaps the niftiest looking piece of kit inside the car is the carbon-fiber shift knob, making sure the Mugen’s futuristic styling has the elemental backing it needs. Of course, any force-induction kit has to have a boost gauge so you can tell how hard the blower’s working and the Mugen team didn’t forget that either. Pointless for a real driver, but just what a young Lewis Hamilton-type wants to impress his girlfriend.

For those of you out there (and that means just about every car-lover in the world) who are already drooling at the prospect of getting behind the wheel of one of these bad boys, don’t get too excited: The CR-Z Mugen RZ will only be available in Japan and there will only be 300 of them at that. But for those of you who just have to have it, we’re sure you’ll find a way! Why not send us an email and we can see what we can do – mugencrz@integrityexports.com.