Honda has announced its lineup for the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon, a tuner-oriented, SEMA-like auto show in the land of the rising sun. The salon focuses on Japanese home-market entries, featuring a lengthy list of metal we’ve never seen here in the U.S. (and likely never will). Here’s our short list of four of the more-interesting Hondas that will be on display at the show next month.
S2000 Modulo Climax
This oddly named S2000 concept gets odd-looking cosmetic, er, upgrades that Honda refers to as “cutting-edge aeroform design.” It might seem odd for Honda to show an S2000-based show car given the S2000 has long been out of production, but the roadster retains a strong following. We dig the S2000, but this concept car’s enhancements are . . . well, just look at that full-width chrome chin-whiskers/blade thing bisecting the front bumper. This one gets by because it’s an S2000 and its mods are relatively tame—even if we don’t fully understand it. Some climaxes are more subtle than others.
CR-Z Mugen RZ
Mugen’s RZ’d CR-Z isn’t new—the tuner revealed the updated version of its take on Honda’s two-seat hybrid this summer—but it’s so cool that we deemed its appearance in Tokyo reason enough to give it a shout-out. The basics: Mugen adds an aggressive body kit, bigger brakes, and a supercharger that boosts the 1.5-liter four’s output to 154 hp. (Total output, including the electric motor, jumps to 174 ponies.) Power is routed to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The Mugen RZ is being sold (you guessed it: not here!) as a complete car, but the tuner is building just 300 examples of the hot-hatch hybrid.
Mugen N-ONE
Before introducing this Mugen-fettled concept, it probably would be helpful to provide a little background on the tiny ride on which it is based, Honda’s N-ONE micro car. The bug-eyed N-ONE is a so-called “Kei car,” a class of vehicle that’s taxed at more favorable rates due to its sub-660-cc engine and super-compact exterior dimensions. This Mugen N-ONE maximizes this minimalism with natty little wheels, a smart-looking and subtle body kit, and a hot red racing stripe down each flank. A miniscule, boxy Honda with racing-inspired looks? Yes, please!
- Instrumented Test: 2013 Honda Accord Coupe V-6 Manual
- Comparison Test: 2012 Honda Civic EX vs. 2012 Ford Focus SE
- Instrumented Test: 2011 Honda CR-Z EX
Mugen N-ONE Premium
We’re not sure what exactly, if anything, is more “premium” about Mugen’s N-ONE Premium, but it does appear to have quite a lot more going on than its non-premium sibling. First of all, it wears an alluring coat of red paint that contrasts nicely with a blacked-out roof and windshield pillars. From there, however, things turn a bit strange; the front fascia’s insect-like circular elements and multitude of creases gives the front end a weird disposition. The overly styled rocker-panel extensions are equally fussy—and are those Pep Boys–style window visors we see? No matter, this is one of the most interesting-looking N-ONEs we’ve seen in a while. Okay, so it might only be the second N-ONE we’ve seen in a while, but it’s still interesting.
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