Look at this and weep. This is what Japanese tuner Mugen has in store for the Civic Type R. Mugen has always developed parts and cars that usually go hand-in-hand with Hondas, but their new RC20GT—revealed at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon is tough to swallow.

Credit is due to the folks at Mugen for removing those fake vents that Honda opted to put into the Civic Type R to make it look aggressive. However, in its place is this rather polarizing front-end.

Credit is due to Mugen for removing all those fake vents that Honda opted to put into the Civic Type R. However, in its place is this rather polarizing grille. When viewed straight-on, it looks alright, but swing over to the front three-quarters and it’s a big mess. At the back, things are slightly better with a rear bumper and wing that’s clearly inspired by touring cars. Oh, and the tri-tripped exhaust has been swapped for a single-tip full titanium exhaust.



Along with the carbon fiber body pieces, the Mugen RC20GT comes with new 20-inch forged wheels, a “pro-spec” adjustable suspension, lightweight bucket seats with harnesses, and beefier brakes.

Mugen opted to keep the 2.0-liter VTEC Turbo largely untouched so power figures remain at 306 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque—plenty for a front-wheel drive car.

For now, Mugen says that the RC20GT is purely a concept, but don’t be surprised to see several of these transition to aftermarket parts that you can possibly ship overnight from Japan.