Mugen’s Latest Civic Type Rs Are Far From Subtle

When the FL5 Civic Type R arrived last year, Honda gained praise for giving the hatchback a much more subtle look than the often-polarising FK8 before it, helped further by the base Civic featuring a cleaner aesthetic. However, if you’re a fan of the more audacious look, Mugen has just the thing for you.

The tuning company is bringing a pair of FL5s to the Tokyo Auto Salon this week, dubbed the ‘Group A’ and ‘Group B’. Rather than taking inspiration from the world of rallying as those names would suggest, they look like they’ve just visited one of Need For Speed Underground 2’s body shops.

Group A is the more reserved of the two, introducing a new front splitter, extended side skirts and a boxy rear wing. We’re yet to see clear images of the rear of either car, so expect a reworked bumper too. Additionally, a set of gigantic BBS wheels have been fitted along with a stainless steel exhaust.

The Group B package uses the same wheels and body kit, albeit with the latter made from carbon fibre which is proudly left exposed. There’s an extreme-looking carbon bonnet too, while Porsche 911 GT3 RS-style vents have been cut into the front wheel arches. A titanium exhaust is fitted, plus a set of uprated brakes.

Although not shown in these preview images, both Civics have been treated to a host of Mugen-branded goodies inside the car including a new steering wheel, bucket seats and gear stick.

Rather than putting these two into production as special-edition models, as much as we’d hope for that, it’s more likely Mugen will offer this array of upgrades to the FL5 Type R as part of its aftermarket parts catalogue. Could make for an expensive shopping trip to Japan.