The Mugen Civic Type R Makes A Perfect Car Even Perfecter

Mugen has over 50 years of experience in tuning and motorsport. The company has turned its attention to the Civic Type R by bringing a pair of modified examples to the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon that runs from January 12 through 14. They feature updated body kits and some mild performance tuning.

Mugen calls the two flavors of modified Civic Type R the Group A and Group B. For now, there's only a single image of each car, but a video offers some additional details about each trim.

The Group A kit is the milder one of the pair. Mugen adds a more aggressive front splitter and gives the front corner inlets a sharper shape. There are revised side sills and a reshaped wing out back. While not visible in this photo, the back bumper also has some styling changes. In all, it looks like something Honda could come up with for a special edition Type R from the factory.

The Group B kit goes much further. It has the same front splitter and side inlets as the Group A, but there's also a carbon-fiber hood with lots of vents and slits. The top of the front fenders have additional openings to vent air from the wheel wells, while broad side sills give the flanks a more muscular appearance. Out back you'll find a tall wing and a modified bumper. The flamboyantly designed pieces give the Civic Type R a more stereotypical "tuner car" look that evokes the modded Civics from the early 2000s.

These kits are not purely about aesthetics. Mugen used computational fluid dynamics to tune the pieces to help the Civic Type R's aerodynamic performance.

The upgrades aren't limited to looks, either. Mugen is also developing new performance parts for the Type R. New dampers and BBS-sourced forged 19-inch wheels are part of the package. The Group A gets a stainless steel exhaust and new brake pads. The Group B has titanium pipes in addition to new brake calipers and rotors. 

Inside, the tuned Civic Type Rs feature a new steering wheel with Mugen branding on the bottom, bucket seats, a new shift knob, and carbon-fiber trim on the center console.

Mugen will announce pricing for these parts at the Tokyo Auto Salon. We should also get a better look at the cars to see how much the body kits alter the Type R's appearance.