The Sema expo gave Honda the opportunity to play Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with a bizarre mix of styling tweaks to a CR-V to fire-breathers in the guises of the Mugen Civic Si and the Element-D.
The Sema expo gave Honda the opportunity to play Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with a bizarre mix of styling tweaks to a CR-V to fire-breathers in the guises of the Mugen Civic Si and the Element-D.
Working with the “urban sport” theme, Honda has attempted to give its new CR-V an athletic bias. The Sport Concept CR-V sits on a lowered sports suspension and custom 19-inch alloys with 245/45R19 Bridgestone Potenza tyres occupying the arches.
The bodywork, finished in “Agile Blue”, features aerodynamically styled front and rear bumpers, while inside, the Sport Concept echoes the exterior’s sporty theme with carbon fibre trim panels and Civic Si synthetic suede trim for the seats.
The Mugen name has been synonymous with performance-tuned Hondas for decades, and its presence at Sema was marked by the unveiling of the prototype Civic Mugen Si. The most obvious cue to the Civic’s Mugen treatment is the full-vehicle aero kit incorporating front and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, side sills, sports grille and rear wing. The sports exhaust is claimed to reduce back pressure from the catalytic converter, resulting in optimised power delivery. Inside, a spherical Mugen gear knob and numbered instrument insert lift the interior from the norm.
The track-tuned suspension underwent testing at the Motegi racing circuit in Japan. The aggressively sprung suspension drops the car by 15 mm and handling is further augmented by BF Goodrich g-Force KDW 215/40ZR 18-inch tyres on lightweight, aluminium-forged 18×7,5 inch alloys, said to be 27 per cent lighter than the standard 17-inch wheels.
Plans have been put in place to produce 500 units a year in the US as of the third quarter of next year.
Normally, Honda’s Element SUV is the sort of vehicle that could have your passenger whistling the Postman Pat theme tune owing to its boxy styling. Put them in the passenger seat of the Element-D racecar and the wind will be knocked from their lungs as they are forced to witness their forward progress through the passenger window.
The Element-D (‘D’ for drifting) sees Honda dispensing with the stock four-cylinder engine and four wheel drive running gear in favour of a custom-built twin-turbo 3,2 litre V6 feeding 373 kW to the rear wheels. Plans to run the Element-D in the 2007 Formula Drift series have not been met with laughter yet, so don’t be surprised to see this box of surprises lighting up its tyres in competition soon.
