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Honda Mugen
Screw the limits
Honda takes the Civic and Jazz to another level, thanks to JDM tuner Mugen. Drew Asuncion remains mesmerized
Photography by Christian Halili
Pinoy car owners are an INTERES-ting lot. We love it when our cars stand out from the horde, but our income usually dictates that—rather than a foreign exotic—we get a normal Asian econo-sedan. So we work our nuts off to make our rides unique, spending on special cosmetic or engine tuner parts with the purpose of creating a Euro, Japanese, US, African, or whatever version of our formerly plain cars. At the same time, Pinoy car owners are incredibly frugal. Or in my case, notoriously tight-fisted to a fault. It annoys me when, say, my car's air-conditioning unit breaks down, but I'd rather be sweating my nuts off in the summer rather than spend a whopping P15,000 to P20,000 for something as physically small as an evaporator. Now, I like my car looking good, too. But if I refuse to spend large amounts on relatively crucial parts, why would I spend big on unnecessary accessories?
That's where the thriving used and surplus auto parts industry comes in. Of course, it takes a bit of patience (and a lot of footwork and haggling) to get the stuff you want. And in the case of tuner parts, known brands already command a premium, whether used or otherwise.
The dedicated car tuner often turns to the surplus industry because it can be extremely difficult to bring in tuning parts from abroad. But, as in the case of the TOM'S Turbo Corolla and the Ford Lynx RS in the past, automakers are wising up to the growing following that performance versions of their offerings can command. Hence, I found myself in front of Honda Cars Philippines' headquarters in Santa Rosa, Laguna, waiting for a pair of kitted-up Hondas to make their appearance. And this wasn't just any set of ordinary fiberglass tack-ons; HCPI had brought in parts from arguably the big daddy of Honda tuning, Mugen, to beef up the new Civic and the Jazz.
Mugen, or M-Tec as it's been known since 2004, is the brainchild of Hirotoshi Honda, son of Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, and partner Masao Kimura. Mugen was formed way back in 1973, and the name means ‘without limit.' Despite the family ties, Mugen is not a Honda subsidiary, but they do specialize in tuning Honda cars. They also tune and race Honda vehicles in the Japanese Super GT Championship, and have been involved in Formula 3000, Formula Nippon and Formula 1. So you can imagine the anticipation I was feeling as I waited for the two new Mugen babies.
And they did not disappoint. From a distance, I heard two distinct exhaust notes solidifying as they approached. The more mellifluous tone came from the Civic 2.0 S, while, surprisingly, the Jazz 1.5 VTEC was the harsher-sounding of the two. The reason for that will be obvious in a bit.
The looks of these vehicles were nothing short of breathtaking. Finished in a deep, almost purplish blue of a sort we'd never seen on any other local vehicle (Honda or otherwise), the two exuded a sort of quiet confidence about them. Sure, the color scheme, body work and Mugen badges were quite eye-catching. In the case of the Jazz, the all-Alpine sound system from Perfect Circle arrests the ears of passers-by as well.
But these aren't two-bit gangsters in flashy polyester suits, like a lot of local tuner cars seem to be. These Mugen cars are more like elite Presidential Security Group bodyguards: They're unassuming, not loud at all, yet they still impress the hell out of everyone around them.
You've probably seen these cars in one local mall or another, since they're being put on display by different Honda dealerships. But as of now, these cars are only borrowed by these different dealerships, because these are the only two nigh-complete factory-installed Mugen cars in the Philippines, and HCPI folk, headed by product planning associate and Mugen project head Allen Cortez, are watching these two cars like momma hawks.
Indeed, I could feel Allen's gaze boring into the back of my neck as I gave the two cars the once-over. The Civic is, honestly, the more striking of the pair, due both to its size and to the fact that the current Civic is still relatively new on our streets. Equipped with a full bodykit from stem to stern, the ground effects serve to make the Civic look longer and lower than it is. Note that the Civic's Mugen suspension was still under development at the time this article was written; the Civic was riding on softer Thai-spec shocks and springs to add to the lowered profile. A large yet organic-looking rear spoiler, complete with embedded Mugen badges, and a single oval-end sports exhaust round out the sleek look. But what really made me drool were the 16-inch bronze Mugen mags, a simple multi-spoke affair which nonetheless looked truly and utterly JDM-cool.
Four plates, engraved with the Mugen logo and the rider designation (driver, co-driver, passenger), adorn each of the Civic's door sills. A set of high-grip pedal pads, with the accelerator featuring a large embossed M, helps keep the driver connected to the car.
If the Civic was designed as a performer, the Jazz's main raison d'être is as a show queen. Not to say that the Jazz can't run, of course; the Jazz Media Challenge has already sold me on that. But this vehicle is targeted toward the lifestyle market segment, and its Mugen design approach reflected that idea perfectly. Again, a chin spoiler, side skirts and a rear skirt with twin air venturi drop the Jazz's profile, working with a top-mounted rear spoiler to create a sporty yet smokingly stylish look. Inside, it's a more or less stock affair, except for the multi-gauge pod on the dashboard, designed to look as though it came with the stock car (well, in this case…). The pod holds an ammeter, water temp gauge, and an oil pressure gauge, which wasn't working as of press time.
The Jazz's twin-pipe Mugen muffler, though a show-stopper when in malls, was unfortunately not present during the shoot. Allen explained that, because of structural differences in the JDM Jazz/Fit and our local Jazz, the exhaust system doesn't fit perfectly yet. It seems the JDM Fit uses a smaller donut spare tire, while our Jazz has a full-sized one. Thus, fitting the Japan-spec Mugen muffler requires some irreversible work to the spare tire well and, somewhat scarily, the near-mid-mounted gas tank. The differences between the Fit and the Pinoy Jazz are also what kept the aforementioned oil pressure gauge from working properly. HCP assures us, though, that these fitting problems are being addressed as we write.
The engines remain bone-stock, except for the tuner-friendly oil and radiator caps. Mugen is still developing performance boosters for these vehicles, but rest assured they'll be awesome when the Asaka, Saitama-based company finally releases them. Can a JGTC-spec MF408S 4.0-liter engine swap be far behind?
As expected, prices won't be running cheap. The mags alone will probably cost close to P100,000. But consider this: HCP staff say that the Mugen Civic is already sold, and will be turned over once all the parts are in. Total cost, including the car itself, hovers close to the P1.6-million mark.
So would I spend an approximate amount of P600,000 to make an already good car great? Normally, I'd say no, but after spending an afternoon with the Mugen Jazz and Civic, it's goodbye, Banawe, and hello, HCPI!
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Top Gear Philippines - January-February 2007
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