Honda CR-Z Mugen Concept at Goodwood FoS

Mugen in Europe are developing a Honda CR-Z Mugen which promises more power an ‘Type-R’ performance. Debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

We all know that Honda doesn’t really have its heart in the hybrid game, believing that hybrids are, at best, a stop-gap solution.

But in the real world Honda can’t afford to ignore Toyota’s huge hybrid successes, so we got treated to the Honda Insight – a fairly woeful attempt at a hybrid.

Next up from Honda was the CR-Z – which we were to believe would be spiritual successor to the CR-X – which did at least try to inject some fun in to the feeble hybrid setup with a manual ‘box.

But that still didn’t set the world on fire and Honda seemed to have decided the way forward was a non-hybrid CR-Z and even a Honda CR-Z Type-R with 200bhp, as we reported in December.

But it now looks like Honda are getting Mugen to see if they can sprinkle some proper performance fairy dust on the hybrid CR-Z and they’re busy bolting together a Honda CR-Z Mugen Concept that will bow in at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

The press release we got in this morning talks about how Mugen will offer “Type R-like performance” and “…boost power and torque, while bespoke brakes and suspension will be fitted to improve the chassis dynamics.” Which all sounds very promising.

The fact the CR-Z Mugen will keep the 1.5 litre lump doesn’t fill us with unbridled anticiaption, but anything that makes a feeble hybrid a more appealing prospect is just fine by us.

That Mugen say the improved performance will also lead to better economy and lowere emissions does make you wonder why Honda didn’t go that route in the first place.

Still, we’ll find out if it was worth the effort at Goodwood.