#testday14

The result was the Civic Type R MUGEN, a car that signalled the end of the FN2 Type R with only 20 hand-built cars going on sale. The value of that specialised workmanship was reflected in the asking price – no less than £38,599, a hell of a lot when you consider that at the same time you could buy a standard Civic Type R for under £20k.

At the heart of the Mugen Civic’s appeal is the engine. Honda’s VTEC units are renowned for having an appetite for revs and this is no exception. If you’re used to punchy turbocharged engines it feels a little weak at first, you start to wonder what all the fuss is about, and then the rev counter hits 6,000rpm and all hell breaks loose.

From that point on the Civic surges ahead with a turbo-like kick, the engine responding with almost telepathic speed to the movements of your ankle. Your instincts tell you to change gear but there’s more to come, the needle on the rev counter eager to swing around to 8,600rpm before the limiter cuts in.

While the engine is spinning enthusiastically it’s accompanied by an almost feral howl inside the cabin. It’s a hard, metallic-tinged scream that could easily be mistaken for a recording taken straight from a race track. Part of it is the natural howl of a VTEC engine but there’s something different here, an amplification of the best bits that comes courtesy of the uprated exhaust. It brings a horrible boominess to the cabin at around 3,000rpm but after that it sounds amazing. I wouldn’t want to spend any length of time with it on a motorway but by God, I’d be taking the cross-country route home at every opportunity.

There’s real racing blood running through this modified i-VTEC. The 2.0-litre engine is the first to reap the benefits of MUGEN’s time in Formula 1 and GT racing. New camshafts and a modified intake system increase power by 20 per cent and torque by 10 per cent. A change of pistons means a higher compression ratio and breathing is made easier with a custom stainless steel exhaust system and MUGEN airbox. The finishing touch is a MUGEN map for the ECU.

The level of engineering skill and number of hours required to modify the engine accounts for nearly half of the Mugen’s asking price. Race-craft for the road doesn’t come cheap!

The work continued inside with new, lighter Recaro seats that grip like a Wookie in mating season. You quickly learn to appreciate the stiff, unyielding side bolsters when testing the grip offered by the track-spec yet surprisingly road-legal sticky tyres. The dashboard is treated to a cluster of Mugen-branded dials and, for the serious enthusiast, there was an option to replace the rear bench with a lightweight composite blanking panel.

Returning to the subject of tyres, they wrap a set of lightweight forged alloy wheels that weigh just 7.85kg each, a drop of 32% compared to the standard Type R. Behind the wheels sit four-piston mono-block racing brake callipers, unique to the MUGEN.

Those gunmetal-painted wheels are one of the visual clues that you’re looking at a proper MUGEN-tuned Type R. Chances are you’ll have worked it out before spotting the wheels though, courtesy of that enormous rear wing that makes the Civic’s already poor rear visibility even worse. There’s also a scattering of MUGEN badges that could be mistaken for aftermarket eBay stickers.

It may be long-gone from Honda showrooms but the MUGEN Civic is a reminder of what Honda can do when they let their hair down. You wouldn’t want to, and most likely couldn’t, live with the MUGEN Civic Type R as your daily driver but when the mood takes you, this is a road car that can thrill like few others. It’s also the final flourish of a bygone age where Honda stood alone against the tide of turbocharging. MUGEN may well turn their attention to the new Civic Type R but they’ll struggle to create an engine as viscerally exciting as this FN2.

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Volvo V60 Polestar (image courtesy of Newspress.co.uk)

This is the first ‘properly’ tuned version of a Volvo road car from the outfit who campaigns for Volvo in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. This is Polestar taking their first tentative steps into territory occupied by the likes of AMG, BMW’s ‘M’ division and Audi’s RS range.

There’s little in this 3.0-litre, straight-six powered V60 that hasn’t been fettled by Polestar. Engine output is up to 350hp and 369lb/ft thanks in part to ECU changes, a new intercooler and new twin-scroll turbocharger. Breathing is eased with a 2.5-inch exhaust that ends with chromed 3.5-inch pipes. It unleashes a very un-Volvo sound that is wonderfully pleasing to the ears.

The 20-inch wheels are bespoke, the brakes are swapped for Brembo equipment (6-piston calipers grip 336mm ventilated floating discs up front, 302mm vented discs at the back), and Öhlins provide the new dampers. The Polestar’s bright blue springs are also revised and are 80% stiffer than the R-Design model. The setup is aimed at fast road use, not on-track antics.

Even the interior is improved. New seats, new materials, some blue highlights and a scattering of Polestar badges remind you that this is no standard V60. It’s also got all of the toys that you’d find in a fully-specced V60.

Press the Start button and the six rumbles into life. Pull away and within a few metres it’s immediately apparent that this V60 drives like no other. The ride is noticeably firmer and much more controlled than a standard V60 but the Öhlins dampers provide a reasonable level of comfort.

Turning the wheel reveals that there is some actual ‘feel’ there – usually in short supply in Volvos (and most modern cars, sadly). That gives you the confidence to lean on the car a bit more and that reveals there’s plenty of grip, even on damp tarmac.

With the re-calibrated six-speed automatic transmission in Drive it is refined, comfortable and docile. It feels like it could cover big distances without punishing the occupants and, of course, it feels as safe and solid as any regular Volvo.

Switch to Sport mode and it transforms. The exhaust volume goes up but avoids sounding harsh or boomy, taking on a delightful tone that leaves you in no doubt there’s a potent 6-cylinder petrol engine in front. The throttle is suddenly much sharper and even the gearbox feels like it wants to play.

Considering the safe and practical roots of this estate car, 4.9 seconds to 62mph is both ridiculous and hilarious in equal measure. All-wheel drive traction and a launch control system helps here. The Polestar representative explained that the ESP system can be dialled back and it then sends more power to the rear wheels, although the ever-present threat of Millbrook’s marshalls and worried looks from the Volvo team prevented me from testing this.

After a couple of laps of the Millbrook hill route I’m back with the Volvo team, smiling from the experience. I’ve only had a sample of the Polestar’s talents but its obvious this is a very exciting car. It has the hallmarks of a fully developed factory car, not the rough-and-ready feel of an aftermarket conversion, and in terms of pace and appeal it’s the equal of the German marques.

I really hope Volvo can sell the 125 cars allocated to the UK market because if they can Polestar could get the green light to work on other models. The price of £49,775 may seem steep but the Germans have proved that there are quite a few people willing to spend that (and more) on a very fast estate car.

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