MUGEN RZ - Japan-only, limited-to-300 units Supercharged CR-Z

2013 Honda MUGEN RZ

Remember the Mugen Honda CR-Z concept last year? Yes I know, it really was the supercharged version of the CR-Z sport hybrid we really dream of having one but with the arrival of the 2013 Honda CR-Z, that concept became a reality because MUGEN, Honda's sports subsidiary, launched the MUGEN RZ, which really is the supercharged version of the 2013 Honda CR-Z.

2013 Honda MUGEN RZ

What to expect on this spiced-up version of the sport hybrid? For starters, the MUGEN RZ is fully armed with a modified suspension for added grip, hence the height was lowered and rigged with 17-inch lightweight rims. Also, thanks to its superchager, it now produces from the normal 91kW (122hp) to around 130kW (174hp).

2013 Honda MUGEN RZ interior

Sadly though, it's limited to 300 units and available only in Japan. That's it. Prices start at about 4,494,000 Yen.

URL: http://www.mugen-power.com/automobile/complete/MUGEN-RZ/index.html

Honda CR-Z minor change (ZF2)

Most nerdists think that all hybrids are peaceful, calm, and serene because they always hum like happy monks. Hybrids are all about respect, calm, and harmony. We know. But, can a hybrid that we're going to show it to you today can give you adrenaline?

2013 Honda CR-Z

Hybrids are nothing more than eco cars made for the enthusiasts of armpit hair and brown rice but for this one, adrenaline was added. What this is...is a Honda CR-Z. Sure, it may come with some hybrid peripherals such as the display's telling the drivers when the electric motor's running, when the battery's charging, and so on but there's a feature that made them interesting. When the CR-Z's set to ECO MODE and when driving slowly and frugal, the speedometer's colored green. When set to NORMAL and driving in a usual way, it goes blue, and when it was set to SPORT MODE, the speedo's all red and it behaves like a different animal.

2013 Honda CR-Z interior

And for this, the 2013 model year, aside from mild cosmetic changes such as new front bumpers, new lamps, new rims, and so on, power output from the LEA+MF6 combo has now been upgraded from the previous model's 114PS power output to 120PS of power output but how? Sure, the 1.5L VTEC engine (LEA) remains untouched but for the first time ever, the conventional nickel batteries was been thrown away and replaced with the kind of battery that you would normally use on the laptop computer, that is a Li-ion Battery. So then, this is the first ever Honda to come with the Lithium ion battery. Some say that the transition from the soon-to-be-defunct nickel battery to Lithium-ion battery will help hybrid cars improve acceleration and better fuel efficiency as well as increased energy regeneration when braking.

If you say better fuel economy then you're darn right because for CVT variants, it will reach up to 23.0km/L of fuel economy and for 6MT variants, it will go all the way to 20.6km/L.

Also new for 2013 is this interesting feature for those that Sport Mode is not enough to tickle their jingle bells and this one's called the PLUS SPORT mode (S+). When you press the S+ button with your thumb, this new mode sacrifices fuel economy in exchange for sharper throttle response, sharper handling, and about as rough as Paul Phoenix in some sorts.

This new mode though, I think it's fine on most racetracks but on normal roads, it is a bit too nasty and a bit too uncomfortable, if you have a date and when you're driving this one on PLUS SPORT mode, chances to disappoint your date will be likely and it will end up annoying your date badly. That's right, badly.

There is now a new variant for the CR-Z under the banner "α Master Label" and for this spec, the interior comes with handmade and tailored sports seats made of fabric. This is a first-class CR-Z for the privileged few.

IF this is the future, count me in. But to be honest, we're not sure why do we have to have one of these even though it was the world's first hybrid sports car that gives them adrenaline.

AVAILABLE COLORS: Premium Energetic Yellow Metallic, Premium Northern Lights Violet Pearl, Premium White Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Milano Red, Polished Metal Metallic, and Horizon Turquoise Pearl.

PRICE LIST (in Japanese Yen):

1.5 ベータ CVT - 2,365,000 Yen

1.5 ベータ 6-speed Manual - 2,365,000 Yen

1.5 アルファ CVT - 2,575,000 Yen

1.5 アルファ 6-speed Manual - 2,575,000 Yen

1.5 アルファ マスターレーベル CVT - 2,630,000 Yen

1.5 アルファ マスターレーベル 6-speed Manual - 2,630,000 Yen

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Another year, another CR-Z special edition...

2013 Honda CR-Z  α  Dressed Label

Last year, Honda launched a special edition CR-Z Black Label that features a special yellow color and a black interior dark enough to be cool. Now, this year, there's another special edition for the Honda CR-Z Sport Hybrid and this time, this is labeled "Dressed Label".

Limited to 850 units available, the CR-Z Dressed Label uses the "α" variant as it's base and it features a special color "Premium Deep Mocha Pearl" while the interior is nested in chocolate-colored seats. Looks yummy but it's available only in Japan for 2,390,477 Japanese Yen (or in Top Gear math; 1,500,000 Philippine Pesos).

Scoop: http://www.honda.co.jp/news/2012/4120126-cr-z.html

Honda Green Machine 003 in FM4

ECON Mode or Sport Mode? You guess...

As I'm sure you know, this is the Honda CR-Z, the world's first hybrid sports car created by Honda. When it came out in Japan since February 2010, this car changed the way hybrids meant to be. Unlike the dreary Toyota Prius, the CR-Z is more fun. Infusing the agility of a sportscar and the fuel economy of a hybrid, the CR-Z is proven to be the best of both worlds, or is it? When owners set it to ECON mode, the CR-Z is made to be fuel efficient and when they set it into Sport Mode, the CR-Z's handling response gets even more sharper, more than enough to make a bit more...uncomfortable. If I was driving the CR-Z on the mountain paths, I would had a slightly bad back.

Spoon CR-Z rattles through Suzuka

This car was a Pre-Order bonus for those who've pre-ordered Forza Motorsport 4 at Target. Again, I didn't pre-order there because I pre-ordered mine in GameStop. In fact, I was going to say that I don't need it because I am utterly familiar with the CR-Z from a rival video game but because there are rarely a few FM4 players decorating their CR-Z into something cool, something that replicates the Spoon CR-Z, Mugen CR-Z Concept, or even the CR-Z racecar from the 2011 Legend Cup, I am wasted with a blown opportunity. Not so because when they made the Launch Bonus DLC available worldwide, I had the chance to drive the world's first hybrid sports car in Forza Motorsport 4. It was great and there are Mugen parts available to give the CR-Z a complete makeover.

The annoying Stig in his annoying
orange-colored Honda CR-Z Mugen Concept!!

As some that found out when the Launch Bonus DLC made available to the public, the CR-Z wasn't on the same planet as the Toyota Prius. Even when they're both hybrids, they're highly different in any way. The Prius was a bit more rubbish while the CR-Z is more ambitious. I would gladly go bonkers when I drive the CR-Z because this is what happens when the engineers from Honda decided to give a modern twist to the classic CR-X. I thought the CR-Z would be a modern-day version of the fire-breathing Honda CR-X but it isn't. In fact, I'm back to where I'm started. If you want a better Honda hatchback, buy a standard FN2 Civic Type R Euro.

Honda CR-Z recalled over ECU problems!

2011 Honda CR-Z

Time for breaking news! If the Honda Fit, Fit Aria, and the CR-V recalled over power window problems, the latest recall from Honda is for those who owned the CR-Z (6MT variants only). The CR-Z recall involved on ECU problems which may end up causing steering problems. It's like this, if you move left, it might end up going to the right. No accidents were involved but the Japanese automaker will send letters to those who owned manual transmission variants of the Honda CR-Z worldwide and Honda will take action to repair the CR-Z's ECU.

Scoop: http://www.carview.co.jp/news/0/152680/

Yellow CR-Z, black interior!

2012 Honda CR-Z α Black Label

Today, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. added a new grade for the award-winning hybrid sports car, the CR-Z. Dubbed as "CR-Z α Black Label", this grade features a Black Leather, 16-inch aluminum wheels, and a premium pedal!

2012 Honda CR-Z α Black Label interior

For a limited time, a special exterior color is added to the CR-Z under the color name PREMIUM YELLOW PEARL II.

Scoop:

http://www.honda.co.jp/news/2011/4110719-cr-z.html

Price for the CR-Z α Black Label start at 2,390,477 Japanese Yen. Looks like I'm back at the drawing board.

Blow the mufflers, warn the people!

Honda CR-Z Mugen

Time to blow the trumpets and warn the car enthusiasts because Honda of UK and Mugen Euro modified the Sport Hybrid Car, the Honda CR-Z (released since February 2010), to a more supercharged one-off special.

Scoop:

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2011/05/first-photos-supercharged-honda-cr-z-mugen.html

Details remain slim but the supercharged tune on the CR-Z makes it even more... NOISIER ENOUGH TO WAKE THE NEIGHBORS!

Time for me to get my earplugs ready!

Compact Renaissance Zero vs. Creative Touring

Yes, the two hybrid hatchbacks made in Japan, the Honda CR-Z and the Lexus CT 200h. If you were not into Priuses and Insights, consider these two hybrid hatches are an alternative to boring hybrid cars. For a junkie; these can be boring. For a hybrid lover, both the CR-Z and CT 200h are sporty hybrids that possesses fun at the green level. For me, I wonder which of these hybrid hatchbacks is my good pick?

The Honda CR-Z is the world's first hybrid sports car that resembles like the 80's CR-X, henceforth that Honda fans called it the next CR-X, despite the naming is CR-Z, which means Compact Renaissance Zero. This car is made for green-living, fun-loving, people because of its 1.5L engine with Honda's Integrated Motor Assist. 

So far, tuners from Japan modified the Honda CR-Z to make it more fun to drive rather than being a normal, boring one. In some countries, there was some tuner miraculously engine swapped the CR-Z's hybrid engine into the engine used from Honda Type R cars.

The fun fact about the CR-Z is the 6-speed Manual Transmission. This transmission is the common amenity of Japanese sports cars and this hybrid has this kind of transmission, making it worthy to be called a fun-to-drive hybrid hatch.

The most disappointing fact about the CR-Z is its performance. Of course, some people think that the CR-Z is boring, others said it was much OK than the Prius. The hybrid engine doesn't satisfy my craving but for fuel efficiency, this is somewhat good, or is it? Boring but it was okay because most tuners are always welcome to tune the CR-Z further.

About Lexus' first hatchback, the CT 200h, this is somewhat their first entry to the premium hatchback segment. The CT naming in the CT 200h stands for Creative Touring. If I came close to its numbers; all I cay say is the CT 200h has more fuel economy than the CR-Z because the CT 200h has a fuel economy of 34.0km/L while the CR-Z gets 25.0km/L (CVT variants). However, the maximum output of the CR-Z is higher than the CT 200h because the CR-Z is 114 PS while the CT 200h is 99 PS. That was for the maximum output, but in terms of system output, the CT 200h has greater numbers than the CR-Z because 124 PS of system output of the CR-Z is not enough against the CT 200h's system output of 136 PS.

The CT 200h wins in terms of system output and fuel economy. In pricing, the CR-Z wins because the CT 200h costs about 3,380,952 Japanese Yen (about 2,650,000 Pesos) while the CR-Z costs about 2,160,000 Japanese Yen (about 1,960,000 Pesos). Consider the CR-Z cheaper than the CT 200h.

In the inside, I think the CT 200h has a better interior than the CR-Z. I believe the interior of the CT 200h is somewhat high-tech while the CR-Z is just ordinary and borrowed from the second-generation Insight.

There you have it folks. For me, I think the CR-Z is my pick because, this was last year's Japan Car of the Year. No wait, not only that, it still looks more fun to drive for a green-living driver. The CT 200h is somewhat an executives' choice with a price tag higher than the CR-Z. I just hope both of these hybrid hatchbacks will come to the Philippines soon.

OH MY! Turbocharged CR-Z on its way!?

Honda CR-Z at GT5

 OH MY! Word from Autocar is that a turbocharged version of the Sport Hybrid Car, the Honda CR-Z, rushed through production!

Does this mean there will be another CR-Z made for the adrenaline-hungry Honda maniacs?

Is there possibility a CR-Z Hybrid R coming true?

Word from it is, it could debut in this year's Tokyo Motor Show this mid-December 2011! If this could happened, this would be the first Honda sportscar equipped with the turbocharged engine and it will bring the Hyundai Veloster to a complete ruin! Needless to say,

TIME TO GET MY EARPLUGS READY! 

Photo shown is the blue CR-Z in Gran Turismo 5 and for illustrative purposes only.

A Very Special "ONE" for the Honda CR-Z

Honda CR-Z Car of the Year Japan
Special Model

In late December 2010, Honda launched a very special edition of the sport hybrid car, the CR-Z, in celebration of its victory at the 2010-2011 Japan Car of the Year.

Dubbed as the "Car of the Year Japan Special Model", this very special CR-Z comes with a very special color; Deep Sapphire Blue Pearl. Not only this car is painted with a special color, the rims are colored in dark Pewter Gray Metallic. A special Premium Pedal is equipped on the inside to give the CR-Z's interior some winning touches. To top it all, there was a sticker on it to commemorate the CR-Z's crowning victory as the 2010-2011 Japan Car of the Year.

Needless to say, Mr. Kazunori Yamauchi, the godfather of Gran Turismo series, really approved the CR-Z because of its sporty character and that's why it was featured on Gran Turismo 5.

Blue CR-Z

CR-Z in Gion, Kyoto

CR-Z in Gion, Kyoto

CR-Z in Gion, Kyoto

Honda CR-Z in Special Stage Route 5

On the scale of 1 to 10, the Godfather of Gran Turismo gave the Honda CR-Z a perfect 10!

Because of such appearance of the COTY special model of the CR-Z, I could go buy another CR-Z on Gran Turismo 5, and painted it with a blue color familiar to that special model.

This Special "ONE" will be on sale this January 14 to March 31, 2011 all over Honda Cars dealerships in Japan. Price for this special model is 2,794,000 Yen (3.5 million Philippine Pesos).

Honda CR-Z at GT5

Seems that the world's first sport hybrid car from Honda made its first appearance at a racing video game, especially Gran Turismo 5.

Driving the Honda CR-Z in Gran Turismo 5 feels like I'm driving the CR-Z for real.

Boy, am I glad that I had my first taste on the world's first hybrid sport car. Most say its a dull ride, others said this is a true eco warrior.

CR-Z is 2010-2011 Japan Car of the Year Winner!

A few moments earlier, I watched a live stream of the 2010-2011 Japan Car of the Year. There were ten nominees on this award, which motoring journalists from Japan vote which JDM/Import car is deserved to be Japan Car of the Year. The nominees were:

1) Toyota Mark X

2) Nissan March

3) Honda CR-Z

4) Mazda Premacy

5) Suzuki Swift

6) Volkswagen Polo

7) Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan

8) BMW 5-Series

9) Peugeot RCZ

10) Jaguar XJ

Upon witnessing the counting tally, it seems the Volkswagen Polo and the Honda CR-Z come neck and neck. The VW Polo got straight (especially when most Japanese motoring journalists gave it a 10 points), then the CR-Z strike back. I always thought that might won, but the CR-Z gained the crown as 2010-2011 Japan Car of the Year, with the VW Polo gained the title of 2010-2011 Import Car of the Year!

The world's first sport hybrid car gained the most respectful title and most Japanese are going to bow down! Congratulations CR-Z for being 2010-2011 Japan Car of the Year!

Full Scoop (Japanese Only):

http://www.carview.co.jp/news/1/136892/

SUPER NOISY HONDA CR-Z TUNER CARS!

Here we go again! As I keep on hearing the noise coming out on modified Hondas such as the Civic, Prelude, Accord, Fit, NSX, or Integra (Acura RSX), it seems my favorite hybrid car, the Honda CR-Z got tuned for SEMA 2010!

Check out the rest of the modified Honda CR-Z:

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/11/sema-2010-honda-cr-z-hybrid-tuning.html

Time to get my earplugs on because these modified CR-Z Sport Hybrids from the SEMA 2010 are sure enough to blow some super noisy sounds straight from the muffler!

SUPER NOISY SPORT HYBRIDS GO VROOOOOM!

CR-Z or WRX STi 4-door? For me its...

Honda's first hybrid sports car, the CR-Z

and Subaru's return of the WRX STi 4-door

Both of these cars were JDM, both are sports cars, and both targeted for thrill-seekers. But as for me, which would I rather prefer?

CASE ONE: Since I was getting irritated by the noise coming out of those heavily modified Honda Civics, the CR-Z could be my perfect companion. Most men don't like the CR-Z because of its hybrid drivetrain, sports mode not good enough, and the question of "whatever happened to Honda's sport and specialty cars?" As for me, I like this sports car because its quiet. I don't want to modify this sport hybrid because with those, it will make the CR-Z too noisy and the noisy Hondas irritate me like a disturbed sleeper. I want to keep the CR-Z simple. Even when this sports car is boring, I still going to enjoy it because of its manual transmission. While Honda Cars Philippines has yet to decide when will this car hit our shores, I hope that Emperor Motorsports got the memo and bring the CR-Z as a grey market. If I own it, I promise not to mess it up, because the noise keeps it worse for me, especially the HKS Supercharger for the CR-Z.

CASE TWO: I am a huge fan of the Subaru WRX STi because of its boxer engine, Symmetrical AWD, manual transmission, and everything Scooby fans has to offer. I used to have fun with the WRX STi hatchback because this is fairly unique, but now with the return of the 4-door, things have change. The hatchback version's getting too old for me as the new 4-door version truly kicks it up! With the Nurburgring lap time of 7:55:000, there's no doubt that this is the fastest Subaru ever built. If I had one, would I keep the wing or not? You see, the huge spoiler on the WRX STi sedan truly shows its true self, while the WRX STi 4-door without the wing can be a total blah blah blah, but represents its luxury status.

Verdict: I only like the CR-Z because of its silence but I strongly prefer the WRX STi 4-door because of its awesome performance. I guess when someone reads this, he/she may go for the WRX STi 4-door because its fun to drive than the CR-Z. But let them decide. Its their call.

Honda CR-Z

A hybrid car is a car dedicated for environmentalists. For those who are seeking adrenaline, they are focused on gas-guzzling sports cars rather than fuel-efficient hybrid cars. From Honda, they created a hybrid car dedicated for sports car enthusiasts, combining the fuel efficiency of the hybrid car with the thrill of the sports car at the same pace. The Compact Renaissance Zero from Honda, known as the CR-Z, is finally awakened from concept form to production form.




The Honda CR-Z is the true eco warrior, harmonizing both the purity of the hybrid car and the power of the sports car, combined to unleash the aspects for both people who want a better environment and people who want thrills on the highway.




From its striking design, the CR-Z resembles the hatchback flow from its predecessor, the CR-X, thus making this green samurai a spiritual successor to everyone's favorite Honda sports hatch from the 80's. Aside from the wonderful design, the CR-Z is powered by the 1.5-litre i-VTEC+IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid engine capable of 113PS of power with the additional 14PS motor power. Aside from having a CVT, the CR-Z is the only hybrid sports car equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission, perfect for real men who want to rid the boredom from hybrid vehicles. It also has the three-mode drive system that allows drivers to choose which mode is suited for their mood. For power, switch to Sport Mode, for balance, try Normal Mode, and for fuel efficiency, start the Econ Mode.




After checking the CR-Z's performance, the interior is their last stop for this eco warrior. Every sports car aficionados are going to be so thoughtful because the seating is perfect for two persons (with the additional 2-seater at the back); meaning only grown men are allowed to take the plunge of this upbeat hatchback, but luggage is not a hindrance for the CR-Z, because the spacing is just identical to the Nissan Fairlady Z.

My thoughts about the CR-Z:
Undeniably this is the world's first hybrid sports car built to ease men out of the hybrid boredom. What I can say about this sports car is definitely the right time for me to describe its true colors for this eco warrior. This sports car is perfect, this car gets ordinary hybrid owners throwing their keys and grabbing the keys to the world's first hybrid sports car made from Honda. Have fun people, the CR-Z is truly the regal shocker of the highway.