Mugen VS Mugen

We drive tuned versions of Honda CR-Z and the Ariel Atom back to back in this exclusive videoBy Jack Rix June 2011

Mugen is a company that doesn’t do things by half – and lately Honda’s tuning arm has been extremely busy.

The world’s most skeletal car, the Ariel Atom has been given a power boost without the need for a supercharger. The result is a 270bhp output from its 2.0-litre Honda-sourced engine that makes it just about the fastest thing on four wheels.

Other tweaks to the £50,000 road-legal track car include firmer suspension taken from the Atom V8 and a unique colour scheme for the chassis.

Alongside the Atom Mugen we drove the CR-Z Mugen – currently a one-off tuned version of the hybrid coupe. Now kicking out 200bhp it promises Civic Type R-beating pace with excellent Fuel Economy – and as we discovered its exhaust and styling aren’t for the faint-hearted.

Watch as we take both cars outside their comfort zones – testing the CR-Z on track and unleashing the Atom on public roads.

Source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/videoreviews/269185/mugen_vs_mugen_review.html#ixzz1S0GVAUF3

Powered-up Honda CR-Z races into Le Mans ahead of 24-hour contest

The Honda CR-Z will join the Nissan Leaf and a few other alternative-powered cars in the Le Mans Vers Le Futur demonstration preceding Saturday's start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. The demonstration features the potential future of Le Mans, with less noise, less pollution and less cash spent.

The upgraded CR-Z gets a 200-hp version of the 1.5-liter engine, producing 175 lb-ft of torque. It keeps the six-speed manual transmission and the seven-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery of the stock car.

Honda unveiled the competition version of the CR-Z last year at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. Later, it was entered into the 25 Hours of Thunderhill race in San Francisco. The compact CR-Z finished second in its class.

In Europe, the car is used as a pace car for the Speed EuroSeries.

Honda says it developed the car to be tested in race conditions, in part to help solve problems that arise when running a hybrid race car. The CR-Z isn't certified by the FIA, so it will only appear in the prerace festivities.

Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article#ixzz1OmlLtEp1

Honda Announces Sale of the Honda Racing F1 Team

TOKYO, Japan, March 6, 2009 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced the sale of the Honda Racing F1 Team (HRF1) to Ross Brawn, the former Team Principal of Honda Racing F1 Team.

The entire shares of the HRF1, held by Honda GP Holdings Ltd., the UK-based holding company for HRF1 that managed all operations of Honda's Formula One racing, were sold to Ross Brawn. As a result of this sale, the team ownership has transferred to Mr. Brawn, who plans to have the new team compete for this year's FIA Formula One World Championship.
- Hiroshi Oshima, Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. responsible for Corporate Communications and Motor Sports

"Since announcing our withdrawal from Formula One racing on December 5 of last year, we have conducted various studies and discussions so that the team can continue its activities as a new team. We are very pleased that we could sell the team to Ross Brawn, with whom we have been partaking in the challenges of F1 competition, and are grateful for his decision. We offer our sincerest wishes for the new team which will be led by Ross."

Source;
http://www.hondanews.eu/en/news/index.pmode/modul,detail,0,1101-DEFAULT,21,text,1/index.pmode