Hot CR-Z hybrid under development

Honda and its tuning partner Mugen are working together to develop a high-performance version of the CR-Z hybrid.

The car will be shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and the two companies say that not only will it develop Type R-like performance, it will also return better economy and lower emissions than the standard car.

To achieve these figures, the car will include a host of lightweight components, such as a carbonfibre bonnet. At the same time, Mugen is adding several unique body parts to improve the cars aerodynamics and to give it a more sporty look.

We wanted to extend the performance of the CR-Z, said Hiro Toyoda of Mugen. It is already a fun car to drive, with an excellent chassis, but we thought that with more power and enhanced torque delivery it could be even more exciting. However, as with all Mugen projects, we have stayed true to the Honda design and philosophy, and the electric motor is still a vital ingredient to boost performance and economy.

For the moment, though, the car is being developed purely as a prototype, with no plans to put it into production.