Japanese tuner Mugen is not officially affiliated with Honda, but goes out of its way to come across as an in-house vendor of aftermarket parts. As soon as the new Civic Type R hit the showrooms, the company set about making it look and handle better.
Styling-wise, the Mugen take on the Type R fixes more than it adds, which could actually be a good thing. For instance, the company tones down the odious fake grilles by replacing some of them with plain bodywork painted to match the rest of the body. There a new carbon hood cover with functional air intakes, which could be useful for further engine tuning, and the wheels have been specifically designed for this project.
The engine enjoys its own share of updates. King Motorsports, a U.S.-based partner of Mugen, introduces a series of tweaks here that should make the hot hatch more responsive to throttle and easier to handle. The power stays the same.
Other modifications notably include stiffer track-focused suspension springs. It is anyone’s guess why the tuner decided to install uncomfortable springs into a daily driver, but there is no denying the creativity of approach. After all, you can cherry-pick the options you like and leave the rest alone.