Following media speculation, MUGEN EURO Co., Ltd has confirmed the development of a highly-tuned Honda Civic Type R 'MUGEN' concept prototype road car, using the same powertrain as the Civic MUGEN RR saloon launched in 2007 in Japan.

The car is being developed in Japan by MUGEN EURO – the Northampton-based subsidiary of Honda's long standing tuning partner MUGEN – and will be brought to the UK for testing later in the year. At this stage, the car is being prepared purely as a prototype model.

To enhance the performance of the already-impressive Civic Type R, MUGEN EURO will tune Honda's 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine to produce more power and torque, as well as developing the brakes, exhaust and suspension. Externally, the Civic will take on an even more aggressive appearance, with a new aerodynamic package including a larger rear boot spoiler.

"In standard trim, the Civic Type R is a thrilling machine to drive," said Hiro Toyoda, Vice President of MUGEN EURO. "It is a fantastic base model from which we hope to develop one of the quickest point to point front-wheel-drive road cars in the country."

Honda Civic Type R MUGEN prototype (2009)
Honda Civic Type R MUGEN prototype (2009) - picture 1 of 2
Honda Civic Type R MUGEN prototype (2009) - picture 2 of 2

There are currently no plans for a production model.