Honda CR-Z Mugen: All you Need to Know about Honda’s Hottest Hybrid Yet

We’ve already shared initial information and a video on the Mugen-fettled CR-Z that Honda is about to launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but today, the Japanese carmaker came out with all the juicy details, as well as more photos of the sporty hybrid concept.

According to company’s European division, the CR-Z Mugen sets out to prove that hybrid cars can be exciting to drive, with the one-off special producing “Civic Type R-like performance” while also remaining true to the original, eco-friendly character of the run-of-the-mill CR-Z.

Colin Whittamore from Mugen Euro explains the philosophy behind the creation of the CR-Z Mugen:

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Mugen’s Supercharged Honda CR-Z Hybrid Prototype Debuts on Film

With development of the new Honda CR-Z Mugen concept nearing its end, the Japanese automaker decided it’s time to release the first video of the supercharged hybrid model on the road before its world premiere at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

The prototype CR-Z is the collaborative work of Honda UK and its in-house tuning shop Mugen Euro. The hotted-up hybrid sports car feature modifications to the 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine with the addition of a supercharger as well as to the Honda IMA system.

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Honda CR-Z Hybrid Racer Ready for Demonstration Runs at Le Mans

The latest news from Honda’s motorsport front is that the Japanese company will campaign a CR-Z hybrid racecar at the second annual Le Mans Vers Le Futur (literally translates to ‘Le Mans to the Future’), which is a support event for the 79th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nissan will also participate in the exhibition, which is devoted to showcasing the Le Mans racing cars of the future, with the pure-electric Leaf Nismo RC concept. Read more »

First Photos of Honda’s Hot CR-Z Mugen, Early Tests Show better Performance than Civic Type R

Honda's sporty-looking CR-Z hybrid will finally get the performance to back its looks, as the Japanese carmaker teamed up with its tuning partner Mugen Euro to develop a high-performance version of the hybrid model. As we wrote earlier this year, the car will be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but until then, you can take a look at the first official photos of the car to see if they match the sketches released by Honda two months ago.

The Japanese company says development of the CR-Z Mugen is on track, with “performance figures already looking promising”. Honda revealed that early tests with a prototype car based on a standard CR-Z and a mid-tune engine have given 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint times around that of the European market Civic Type R (6.6 seconds). Later on, Mugen increased output by another 15 percent and reduced the chassis' weight by 50 kilograms, so that overall performance is expected to be even better than the Type R's.

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Noblesse Wings Up Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sport Hatch

Japanese tuner Noblesse has been steadily releasing numerous aftermarket bits and pieces for the new CR-Z ever since Honda launched its hybrid sport hatch . Among other parts, the company has developed a ground aero-kit with front and rear bumper aprons, side skirts, a rear diffuser and a large roof wing. These can be complemented by a lightweight carbon fiber hood, underbody aero parts, larger alloy wheels and a sport exhaust system. You can check out photos of Noblesse's Honda CR-Z offerings along with a video of a test car doing a circuit round right after the jump.

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New Honda CR-Z JCOTY Memorial Award Edition Shows off with Special Paint...and that's About it

To commemorate its "Japanese Car of the Year" award, Honda will release a limited edition of its CR-Z sport-hybrid hatch in Japan. Billed as a "Memorial Award Edition", the car will be coated in a hue called Pearl Deep Sapphire Blue and will roll on unique Dark Pewter Gray 16-inch rims.

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That's More Like It: Tuner Powers up Honda CR-Z with K20 i-VTEC Engine Swap

If there's one major complaint to be had with the Honda CR-Z, it's the lack of power. Florida-based tuning firm LHT Performance decided to address this problem by replacing the CR-Z's standard hybrid powerplant with a far more potent 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit from Honda's own K20 series. This is not the first time that LHT Performance has made the switch on a Honda hybrid as the tuner previously pulled a similar stunt with the Insight. Unfortunately the company has not released any specific details on the K20 engine swap, but it did not that "everything works 100%". Watch a static video of the car after the break.

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Honda CR-Z Roadster Die-cast Begs the Question; Should it Become a Reality?

From what we know, Honda has no official plans to build a roadster version of its CR-Z hybrid coupe. But that hasn't stopped others from trying - even if in this case, we're talking about a scaled down die-cast model. Too bad we couldn't find any additional pictures of the toy-sized model, and especially of the rear end. If you happen to have any information and/or pictures, you know the drill... Follow the break and share your thoughts on whether or not Honda should create a two-seater drop top version of its CR-Z.

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