Ch-Ch-Changes: Honda Civic Si Mugen Coming in October

Not much has changed in the Civic lineup for 2008. Last year, the addition of a four-door Si model was the big news. This year, a higher-performance version of the performance trim, called the Mugen edition, will join the lineup in October. There will only be 1,000 of the sedans made for 2008 — up from the 500 originally slated — and all Honda will say about pricing is that it will be under $30,000. A base Civic Si sedan starts under $22,000.

The Mugen Si only comes in one color, Fiji Blue Pearl, and upgrades include:

• Lightweight 18-inch wheels and summer tires
• Track-tuned suspension
• Aerodynamics kit for the front, rear and sides
• Rear spoiler
• Sport exhaust system
• Unique interior trim

Related
Limited Edition Civic Si Sedan on the Way (KickingTires)
Civic Si Sedan Expert Review (Cars.com)
2007 Civic Si Sedan: Performance with Four Doors (KickingTires)

Comments

[Jay]

What took so long???

[bowrider]

Whoopty doo. A new Civic that pushes 30k by adding plastic and decals to appeal to teenagers who can't afford it.

[J]

bowrider,
Leaving those comments only show how ignorant you are.
You have completely not a clue what MUGEN is.

Dave,
I wonder how will this stand up against the Mugen RR.
http://www.mugen-power.com/street/RR/

[Troy]

30,000 for a Civic is outrageous. An S2000 starts out at 34,250, is a better handling car, has more hp and is more readily available than a limited run "Special Edition" Civic. Bring back the Cr-X Honda... Then you'll have something to pique my interest.

[cody]

I'm with Troy. This is way too much to pay for a Civic.

No engine mods. Just ground effects, stickers, dropped suspension (the ride's already firm on the Si), and a new exhaust (which will probably be too loud).

There aren't too many people out there willing to drop $30K on a compact car to begin with. I don't those who are in the market for a $30K compact will buy a racy Civic over a comparably priced Audi A3 or BMW 1-series.

[Ken L.]

I'm with Cody, BMW 1 series all the way!!!

Guys & gals,

"There aren't too many people out there willing to drop $30K on a compact car to begin with."

If you read the original report, "[T]here will only be 1,000 of the sedans made for 2008."

I'm pretty sure that these 1000 units will be gone before you know it. Why? Californians will probably buy 995 units anyways :)

The Civic Si Mugen...AGAIN, MUGEN, is a cult. If you dunno what Mugen is, then I ain't gonna waste my time, and I'm guessing that most of you probably dunno what Mugen is. I ain't a Honda fan, but i know what the Mugen will attract...Similar to this is the Nismo 350Z. There are things that you just can't buy here, unless you can invite the Mugen team here to tune the Civic for ya (or ask the Nismo team to come over just to tune your 350Z)...

(As for the comparison b/n Europeans & the Mugen Civics...have u watched Fast & Furious? You don't see the movie using Bimmers or Audis for street racing, do ya? Now that should give u a sense of what kind of effect the "Mugen" logo will give ya...)

[Al V]

Wow, more rice on another riced out ride. 30k! I don't care if the MUGEN logo is etched in 24 karat gold. The day I pay that much for an stickered up econobox is the day Audi starts putting 3 foot high spoilers on their S4's. And I don't doubt for a second that 1000 Fast and Furious wannabes are already asking their parents for the deposit lol :/

[Amuro Ray]

One thing I really hate 'bou the blog here is that there are quite a number of people using racist remarks when talking 'bou cars, such as labeling Japanese as JAPS or rice, yet nothing has been done to these posters. The correct way to say it is either Japanese, or JPN. If you wanna refer to the Japnese made, you can also say JDM, which means Japan Domestics Market. I hope D.T. can either say sthg, put some rules, or delete those remarks.

As for Al V and some of the points I've seen above, it reminds me of a video I've seen called "Best Motoring" - a Japanese car video and that episode was on JDM aftermarket performance parts. One of the people that got interviewed - and I think it was either the CEO of Mugen or some other well-known japanese brand, asked if he has plan to make those parts available for the US markets (parts for Civics, S2000, Scion tC, 350Z, etc.), and his answer was, "no, 'coz Americans are too stupid to tell the good parts & modifications from their cheap aftermarket parts they buy from local stores (like APC, or store brands). The JDM parts are very expensive, but they are very good, yet Americans don't understand why. They think those are just cheap parts."

At first, I disagreed with this CEO's statement; now I'm starting to see why, and I'm starting to agree with him...

BTW, Civics are no longer econobox. GM's Aveo or Cobalt, Ford's Focus, Toyota's Yaris, Honda's Fit and Nissan's Versa, etc. - those are econobox. Civics are, nowadays, more expensive than those!

[cody]

Amuro Ray,

More expensive does not take it out of the economy car segment, it just makes it an expensive economy car... and the Civic starts at $15,010, which is...yep, econocar pricing.

The point of comparing it to the Audi or BMW was that it cost the same, without the cache' of at least being an Acura... and you're paying $30k for a $15K car with mods, instead of a car that started out as a $30K car.

I guess I'm a moron, because I don't buy a $15K car and slap $15K worth of JDM mods on it. Instead, I spend $30K on an Infiniti G35. Man, if only I'd known better...

It's nice that you point the finger at people making posts calling them racist and saying something should be done, then you quote the CEO of Mugen making an extremely racist comment... or is it that America is a country, not a race, so people around the world can make all the negative, stereotypical comments they want about us and we just have to accept it as part of their culture?

[Dave T.]

AR,
I do routinely delete comments using that term. However there are no uses of that term in this thread besides yours.

[Al V]

My comment was in no way meant to be racist. Amuro Ray, unfortunately you missed my point completely. It is well known that the majority of modders of Japanese cars tend to favor the over the top, in your face style. When's the last time you saw a wing taller than the roofline or a snow shovel attached to the front valance of a European Car. Classy and understated is the styling preference I prefer. We're all here to post our opinions and that is all mine is. You like big aggressive styling and potato cannon exhaust outlets, and I like smaller dual oval outlets ;) I'm glad to hear that JDM cars have alteast one respectable aftermarket outlet(Mugen), but we can pick and choose when it comes to extremely well engineered performance accessories and aren't sucked into buying something because the name has some mythos attached to it.

[Al V]

"(As for the comparison b/n Europeans & the Mugen Civics...have u watched Fast & Furious? You don't see the movie using Bimmers or Audis for street racing, do ya? Now that should give u a sense of what kind of effect the "Mugen" logo will give ya...)"

Cheapest mod eva! That Mugen logo must be good for atleast 50 BHP just for sticking it on your fender! Wow. I guess I'll stop with the factory 2.0t motor and my lofty goal of 300 HP and retaining the stock turbos.

[Amuro Ray]

D.T. if you look @ the post on top of mine, or in some other threads with japanese manufacturers involved, it's easy to see a lot of racist words being used. Another example of that CRV post from y'day - look @ the guy with the same 1st name as yours, or the F450 thread (some racist remarks and many homosexual stereotyping)...which I hope it's closed now :(

Anyhow, I understand why most of you doesn't think that the Civic Mugen doesn't worth the 30K mark. Make no mistake, I am NOT a Honda fan (let alone Mugen), but I'm just explaining to you WHY more than 1000 people will want to buy this Mugen Civic in a heartbeat. Yes, you can buy a G35 (which I LOVE) with that kind of $$$, but you need to remember one thing, this Civic is tuned for track use, and even if you, say, "oh well, I'll spend the same amount of $$$ on my G35 (or sthg else) to tune it to track use too," many of these special editions (like the Nismo Z, or this Mugen Civic...not confirmed, but usually the case) have the tuner actually went to a race track to test the vehicle and fine tune it, with the end product = Mugen Civic or Nismo Z. As a result, it's more than just the parts that you are buying; you are also getting many hours of "proven" (kinda) tests that you are almost impossible to get when you tune your vehicle yourself. Even if you, say buy the identical Mugen parts, you need to have the same spec as the Mugen Civic in order to get the same type of performance. Then you need to calibrate them with tests, but...
(1) you don't necessary have the equipment;
(2) you aren't really a tuner professional; &
(3) you don't have that much time (not just an hour, but probably days or weeks).
Just 'coz you are buying the Mugen parts doesn't mean that the Mugen team will come and calibrate/tune your vehicle for you...and that's why it's so darn expensive.

Finally, remember that these are track use tuned vehicle, NOT for, u know, drag races (either in drag race on the street or drag race track). Think of it as formula 1 type of circuit with lots of different curves and turns...this is where the Mugen Civic will outshine many of its competitors...

So there you have it - why these type of "tuned" vehicles are so expensive: not because of the parts (well, a bit, 'coz these are well tested brand name parts), but because of the manpower used to test and fine tune these parts for use on the vehicle for optimum performance with the parts being used.

For you, you may not think of this as "value," but for many enthusiasts who enjoy driving and would like to have race-track performance (either driving along the California Coast line or occassional test track use), this is 1 hard to get vehicle that worths every single penny. This vehicle is not for everyone, and there's no way it can sell to the mass public, so that's why there'r only 1000 made!

[Lil'Tom]

AR,
While “rice” is a pejorative term, it is in no way synonymous with “Japanese”. The term is commonly used to describe ANY car (though usually an economy car) that has over the top appearance modifications intended to make the car look fast.

[Amuro Ray]

Lil'Tom,

(My sincere apology for going off topic here)

Actually, it is related to Japanese:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_burner

Think of it this way...Rice = asian main diet. When they talk 'bou cars, there're really Korean & Japanese made (not counting the Chinese). Korean tuners are not there yet, so that left the Japanese. If it's not related to Japanese, why doesn't it call as "pasta," or "spaghetti," or "pizza?" :) As a result, when u use the word rice, it's really a term that targets the Japanese, hence racist.

As for "stupid" Americans, since US consists of so many races, that CEO wasn't actually pointing his finger toward 1 single race - latinos, african american, caucasian, chinese, japanese, korean that are born/live in the US, hence it's really not a racist remark. In fact, you see/hear the term being used in TV programs here like "The Simpsons" all the time...

[Troy]

I thought this post was about the Civic. Not a civics lesson. Let's step away from Equal Opportunity here and talk about the Civic. I really like it but, don't feel its worth 30K. I've been a Honda fan for 20 years now and am disappointed with the Mugen Civic. It's way off target to what Honda built it's reputation on. Budget concious cars that are reliable, fun to drive and easy to maintain. They took away a core value here. Budget.

[Lil'Tom]

AR,
Historically: yes, rice referred to Japanese cars and has its origins in Japanese culture (I thought it was from rice based ethanol, not from a rice based diet.). However, as it says in the article you linked to, that's no longer true. Words tend to take on broader definitions over time, and derogatory words tend to become acceptable.

The first entry for rice at Urban Dictionary reads:
“An automobile that has been equipped with gawdy, unnesecary accessories, such as 3' high spoilers, loud and/or repulsive paint job and body work. Owners of such automobiles feel that these accessories make their car the best in the world, when in fact it is not.”

[bowrider]

HEY J - read the article. I did and therefore I'm not ignorant when I'm basing my comment on the article. But, I'm real "prouda ya" for knowing "what MUGEN is."

[J]

Price is not the subject of limited production items, and there are people who will pay for it.
The end of story.

[Infosaur]

1.) This car is about 6 years too late, Fast & Furious are old movies now.

2.) When/if vegetable based ethanol becomes more common, will that bring new (non-racialy pejorative) meaning to the term "rice burner"?

"Corn Burner"?
"Switch Grass Burner"?

[Guillaume]

The points is, it's just a civic. And i can't beleive someone will pay that price for this. You wanna do track? get yourself a cart, pay yourself some racetrack course, etc... but please don't mix the word race track and common street base cars. It's not that i don't like civic, but the structure is designed for energy efficiency and road comfort not for track at all. I beleive it is a wanabee car.

[cody]

Ah, yes... when a foreigner makes an anti-American statement, their "proud" or "nationalistic".... thanks for the clarification. Man, why couldn't we be a homogenous society so we could take offense to everything???

[J]

Guillaume,
Please simply explain why would someone buy a Lotus and drive it on the streets. :)

[Troy]

J,

I see where you're going here. Sure, there are die hard special edition collectors out there and sports cars have a place on the street.

A 30,000 Civic is just too much IMO. That's alot more coin than an Si. Where is the 8,000 benefit of the Mugen model?

[Al V]

"A 30,000 Civic is just too much IMO. That's alot more coin than an Si. Where is the 8,000 benefit of the Mugen model?"

Didn't you read the article? The 8 large is for the sticker, bigger can, Toyota Corolla aero kit, drop, and 18's. There may be some nice inscriptions somewhere in the interior too. In a sense, all show and " no go ".
Where do I sign!

[Adrock]

There is a reason why they are only selling 1K of them. To keep them exclusive enough that people will spend 30K on a Civic. My only problem with it is that they still refuse to include power increases in the Civic lineup. If you had the choice between an STi/EVO/Mugen for 30K, which would you choose? Only diehard Honda fans would choose the Civic.

[J]

I would pick a professionally tuned suspension over 20-30 hp jump for the same price.
So that's where the money went.

[Esman]

Question: I thought Mugen was going to sell Mugen parts though US dealerships? When the Mugen civic is released? Can anyone confirm this?

[alex]

for that price i'd rather just go out and look for a nice (wouldnt mined used as long as in in good shape) Evo or STI at a good price under $30K and spend the money on that, cause your talking about cars like mugens/nismo 350z as legends in a way well so are Evo's and STI which have history, and very good on and off track cars. dont get me wrong i like the civics but damn for $30k or even uunder i dont think its really worth it, just the Si itself would be fine and even that comes up to around between $23-25 w/ taxes so lets be real, sticker, light rims, bodykit, exhaust, ect. is it really worth it, i dont thing so, cause while ur running an si mugen that costs you a whole alot, easily another non mugen si can come beside you and leave you behind and that person probably paid alot less, and again lets not bring in Evo's, STI's, and even the new GTI's. so think first b 4 u react. my 2 cents

[alex]

oh and while we're all in this topic of civics, man im really confused here. and im not trying to hate or n e thing i just need to know how and why cause i cant figure it out. (why is it that since the si (coupe) has less torque on paper and little less on hp why is it that its faster than the new spec v and the new gti?) if someone can help me out here i would appreciate it cuz for months i've been contemplating which car to get. i know pretty much that the si coupe is lighter but im wondering what else since the spec v has more torque (which all i hear is that spec v can take it until 60mph and then si will beat it) and then the gti turbo with alot more torque as well, so why is it that the si gets that win at the end? thanks again for n e one that can help, peace!!***************** pls no retarted replies like (HONDA IS THE BEST, SI POWERRRR, OR N E OF THAT)

[JOHN WORSLEY]

i have a honda civic si 4dr what exactly is the difference between my si and a mugem and how can i go about obtaining these parts and how much would that run me .... my si handles extremely well as it is right now ... would my car handle all that much better with these new mods ? i love my si and am currently in the process of upgrading my whole exhaust system .... my only complaint is that from a dead stop till it hits five and a half on the tach .... it's slow slow slow but once that vtech kicks in it's all good ... so i'm hoping this new exhaust system helps i have a 2007 civic si 4 dr. talk to me about these after market mugen parts and give me the low down on the cost and what you get for the money please johnworsley@att.net

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