Mugen Launches Production Version of Supercharged Honda CR-Z RZ [19 Photos]

Something tells us that what Mugen has prepared is what Honda fans wanted the CR-Z to be from the beginning.

Over the past year or so, Honda's official tuning arm presented several concepts of a faster CR-Z and this is the final production model.

The car's official moniker is the 'Honda CR-Z MUGEN RZ' of which only 300 examples will be built and sold by Mugen exclusively in Japan, starting from November 26, with prices to be announced.

At the heart of the RZ lies a modified version of the stock model's IMA Hybrid powerplant that places a supercharger to the 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine to lift its output to 154hp (156PS) and 185Nm (136 lb-ft).

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Honda Mugen CR-Z GT with Twin-Turbo V6 is the One You'd Like but Can't Have

Truth to be said, the lukewarm reception of the reborn CR-Z has much to do with its puny 122hp hybrid powertrain – in comparison, the second-generation CR-X from the late 1980s came with 150 ponies that also had to move a lot less weight.

In stark contrast to the production CR-Z that employs the use of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system, Honda and its racing partner Mugen have come up with a far more interesting powertrain for the competition model that will run in the GT300 class of Japan's SUPER GT Series.

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