It appears as though Honda won’t let Toyota hog the spotlight in the GT300 class of the Super GT racing series.

Joining the Prius Hybrid race car will be a Honda CR-Z developed with M-TEC Co., Ltd. and will be campaigned by Team Mugen. The hybrid racer won’t, however, be competing until Round 4 of the Super GT Series.

Unfortunately not a lot of details have been released by Honda, other than confirmation that the race car will be a reality and will have a hybrid racing system. The development driver for the project will be Hideki Mutoh, who is known for competing in the IndyCar Series and the GT500 class of Super GT. We’re guessing it will be some time before photos of the finished project surface considering Round 4 of the Super GT 2012 schedule isn’t until July 30th, 2012.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z GT300 Race Car

[Source: Jon Sibal]

Even though it was originally reported that Mugen’s supercharged Honda CR-Z would never see production, it looks like Toyota‘s introduction of the GT 86 and Subaru‘s BRZ might have changed Honda’s mind just a little bit. Mugen Euro and Honda confirmed that their supercharged 197-hp CR-Z will see the light of day with an estimated base price of around $35,650 (£23,000) based on today’s conversion rates.

The pricing actually isn’t that bad when compared to the price of a standard CR-Z in the UK, which is around £18,000. With the extra dollars, enthusiasts will get a supercharged powerplant with a retuned ECU, upping the factory 122-bhp and 128 lb-ft of torque to 197-bhp and 158 lb-ft of torque. In addition, buyers will be able to choose from a plethora of Mugen accessories including suspension upgrades, larger wheels, bigger brakes, a carbon hood and even carbon doors. The electric motor on the CR-Z has been untouched.

Hopefully one day we’ll see this in the States, even in a limited quantity. With the lack of a Type-R variant on any of Hondas models, a supercharged CR-Z option would be tempting to some looking for eco-friendly performance.

GALLERY: Mugen Honda CR-Z

Honda is moving ahead with plans to deliver a higher performance version of the CR-Z. In fact, according to a report by Temple of Vtec, CR-Z project leader Norio Tomobe-san has confirmed the car is already in development.

The first rumors of a CR-Z “Type R” came from Honda itself, with the release of the CR-Z Hybrid R concept at least year’s SEMA Show, delivering 200-hp thanks to a turbocharged version of the standard engine. Fast forward 12 months and Honda once again had something to show at SEMA, this time a supercharged version of the factory 1.5-liter 4-cylinder Integrated Motor Assist hybrid engine. Honda PR reps have also hinted to AutoGuide that this supercharged version is the more likely path.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Hybrid R Concept

[Source: vtec.net]

So what is it that makes the Internet just so awesome? Well probably because without it, we’d never be able to witness the interesting sight of Honda‘s hybrid CR-Z attempting to go drifting. The footage was shot out at Heide-Park Soltau in Germany, with a “Ken Block Fan” behind the wheel, doing his best impression of the infamous driver behind the wheel of a FWD hybrid.

There is also a little bit of an attempt at comedy in the video, but all-in-all, it’s worth a watch. Even if all you’re trying to do is reassure yourself (and your friends) that there are crazier and weirder people on this planet. And it goes without saying, don’t try to go and do this if you own a CR-Z. It’ll just end badly, seriously.

Check out the video after the break.

[Source: Jalopnik]

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The Honda CR-Z was always intended to be a car with a split personality. When docile, the hybrid system allows the CR-Z to reach 39-mpg. Then, if prodded, the sporty hybrid promises to deliver sports car levels of driving excitement. However, in its current state, the CR-Z has been more Dr. Jekyll than Mr. Hyde.

To alleviate the matter, Honda initially revealed the hotted-up CR-Z Mugen RR Hybrid Concept. But unfortunately, Honda has no plans to put it in production.

Though frustrating, the CR-Z Mugen RR Hybrid Concept was always going to be a long shot. Sporting generous amounts of carbon fiber for its hood, fenders and doors it generates 197 horsepower thanks to a supercharger and can reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds all while the hybrid system still had a solid grasp to its sensible side.

Without a sporting halo, Honda could really use a bit of Mr. Hyde in its line-up, even if CR-Z is not the answer.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Mugen RR Hybrid Concept

[Source: TopGear]

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Honda CR-Z Review

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Mugen’s hot CR-Z RR Concept, but more photos have been released and there’s no reason not to share. Unfortunately, there are still no plans to releasing any of the parts or the vehicle and this version of Honda‘s sporty hybrid will remain a show car. Produced by M-TEC in Japan, the Concept shows off Mugen’s abilities to customize the function, style, performance and agility of the hybrid CR-Z.

Much of the CR-Z RR Concept consists of replacement carbon fiber body panels, including the hood, doors and rear hatch. The entire underbody also features carbon fiber while a twin exhaust shoots out the rear’s center. The suspension has been thoroughly tuned for race use while the orange 4-piston monobloc brakes may be overkill for the hybrid, but look great on the car and is consistent with its theme. Contrasting the Valencia Orange Pearl paint are black 18-inch wheels.

On the inside, the CR-Z RR Concept gets Mugen-branded leather/Alcantara seats and features a race-developed information screen that can gather data from the chassis and engine. Through the use of its satellite GPS, the system can monitor the car over two laps to learn a track after which it’ll record lap data and vehicle tracking.

GALLERY: Mugen Honda CR-Z RR

Honda is giving Japanese CR-Z enthusiasts a limited edition Alpha Black Label model, featuring a sleek all-black leather interior that will also be available with the limited edition Yellow Pearl Premium II paint shade. The black leather interior is a sharp contrast from the grey cloth that is currently available and looks much more refined in the CR-Z. Based on today’s conversion rates, the Alpha Black Label CR-Z will run around $31,800.

In addition to the Yellow Pearl offering, the CR-Z Alpha Black Label will be available on six other CR-Z colors including their Dark Pewter Metallic, Turquoise Horizon Pearl, Premium White Pearl, Milano Red, Crystal Black Pearl and Storm Silver Metallic. Inside, the front seats, door linings, meter visor, and shift boot (six-speed manual model only) are all swapped out for black components. The car also gets premium pedals and 16-inch wheels powdercoated a metallic gray.

GALLERY: Honda Alpha Black Label CR-Z

It looks like Mugen isn’t stopping with its CR-Z Concept. Along with that 200-hp supercharged hybrid the famed Honda tuner is rolling out a motorsports-inspired CR-Z at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Honda CR-Z Mugen RR Concept represents Mugen’s racing spirit and is intended to give a look at the brand’s future design language. The aggressive CR-Z RR features a whole new front end, fully equipped with a new bumper, wider front fenders, new side skirts, aggressive rear bumper, rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels. Gone is the mundane styling that many expect from a hybrid and the CR-Z RR really shows off what Mugen is all about. We’re also loving the shade Mugen paired up with the RR concept. On the inside, the orange theme continues, accented with various carbon fiber components.

From the official press release it sounds like Mugen will move ahead with this kit. Paired with performance upgrades it’s already developed, this could make quite an impressive hybrid tuner package.

GALLERY: Mugen Honda CR-Z RR Concept

[Source: JonSibal]

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Honda CR-Z Review

It’s been quite a while since Mugen and Honda had this much buzz surrounding a car. And while some are still rolling their eyes at the thought of a modified hybrid, Mugen is definitely poised to prove that you can have your cake and eat it too, finally announcing full specs of its supercharged CR-Z.

At the core of it all, Mugen has taken the CR-Z’s standard 1.5L and rebuilt it with upgraded internal components. The iCF system, which stands for Integrated Centrifugal Forced-induction (aka, supercharged), works flawlessly on the electric motor-engine combination. The result is an impressive increase in horsepower and torque, with 197-hp and 158 lb-ft, up from the factory’s 122-hp and 128 ft-lbs.

Even more impressive is Mugen’s comparison of the CR-Z to the infamous Honda Civic Type-R, stating that its 0-62 mph time is very close at 6.6 seconds. Mugen is looking to shave off even more weight from the CR-Z, hoping to make it quicker than the Civic Type-R was.

For those wondering what the impact is on fuel consumption, it’s fairly impressive to hear that the CR-Z in “eco” mode still retains 42-mpg while in “Mugen” mode it consumes 29.4-mpg. Overall, still not too shabby given the performance numbers it’s boasting.

And of course the Mugen CR-Z wouldn’t be a complete package if it solely focused on what’s underneath the hood. Mugen also outfits the CR-Z with a complete aero package, 17-inch Mugen GP wheels, carbon fiber hood and doors. For suspension, five-way adjustable dampers were added while braking was enhanced through larger rotors and 4-piston calipers. The Mugen CR-Z is also equipped with a different limited slip differential to help get all the extra power to the ground.

On the inside, Mugen tosses in a set of Recaro sport seats alongside a new shift knob, carbon fiber rear view mirror cover and a trio of Mugen gauges displaying water, oil temperature and pressure. This may be one of the finest offerings Mugen has yet to offer in the recent years, and we’re excited to see it up close and personal.

GALLERY: Mugen Honda CR-Z

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Honda CR-Z review

Honda is truly out to prove a point that CR-Z owners can have their cake and eat it too. This isn’t the first time we’ve spotted Honda’s CR-Z Racer, created by Honda Performance Development (HPD). The vehicle debuted at SEMA 2010 and hit the track at the Thunderhill 25 Hours. And now it’ll show its stuff in front of a huge crowd at one of the most famed races in motorsports, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The CR-Z Racer still features the standard 1.5L hybrid powerplant but HPD has added a turbocharger giving the CR-Z 200-hp and 175 ft-lbs of torque. Clearly Honda’s goal is to market the CR-Z to both performance enthusiasts and those looking to save money with maximum MPG while still having a stylish coupe. This HPD CR-Z racer truly shows off some racing solutions specifically targeted towards hybrid vehicles. We’ll be very curious to see how it performs out at Le Mans in its demonstration laps.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Racer