Honda Civic Type R Mugen 2.2 revealed. But why bother?

Following on from the  limited-edition Type R Mugen, Honda has revealed the Civic Type R Mugen 2.2 with more power and torque.

When Honda finally confirmed the Civic Type R Mugen for very limited production – just 20 were being made – back in 2009, we did comment that the price – £38,599 and a £12k premium over the stock Type R – did not auger well for sales.

In the event Honda has only managed to shift sixteen of the original Type R Mugen, but despite that sales failure they have decided to punt out a more powerful – and inevitably more expensive – version of the Type R with a bored and stroke 2.2 litre version of the original 2.0 litre in the Type R – the Honda Civic Type R Mugen 2.2.

The Civic Type R Mugen 2.2 gets that bored and stroked lump which now delivers 260bhp and 177lb/ft of torque. Just like the original Type R it gets Mugen suspension, a butch bodykit and better brakes.

Honda are saying this even more extreme Type R is a last hurrah for the K20 2.0 litre petrol engine which has now fallen foul of emissions regulations in Japan and will probably never see the light of day again.

Hiro Toyoda, who is VP of Mugen Europe, said:

Environmental pressures mean naturally aspirated engines are rapidly being superseded by other engine architectures and technologies. We may never see the like of the K20 in a mainstream production car again, so felt it only fitting we mark the occasion with this special 2.2 version of the Honda Civic Type R.

Which is all very well, but if they couldn’t flog the original twenty limited-edition Type R Mugen, what chance do Honda have of selling the Civic Type R Mugen 2.2 at what will inevitably be a price somewhere north of £40k?

Perhaps Honda will just give the four unsold 2.0 litre cars a heart transplant and a titivate and call it a day.