10/23/2007 – TORRANCE, Calif. -
The 2008 Honda Civic MUGEN Si Sedan is arriving at dealerships nationwide with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price1 (MSRP) of $29,500, plus destination and handling charges, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.
Built on the foundation of the Civic Si Sedan and tuned by the prestigious racing and aftermarket performance company, MUGEN, the Civic MUGEN Si Sedan adds a track-tuned MUGEN suspension, 18-inch forged alloy lightweight wheels, a full aerodynamic body kit with adjustable rear wing spoiler, a rear diffuser and a sport-tuned exhaust system. Powertrain highlights include the Civic Si’s high-revving, 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine with an 8000-rpm redline; a 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission; and a helical-type, limited-slip differential.
“The Civic MUGEN Si Sedan brings together the excitement of the Civic Si with MUGEN’s legendary reputation for performance,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “The track-tuned MUGEN suspension further enhances the handling of the Civic Si Sedan.”
The track-tuned suspension, tested at the Twin Ring Motegi racing circuit in Japan, lowers the vehicle by 0.6 inches with aggressive spring and damper tuning for enhanced handling performance while still maintaining a high level of ride comfort. Compared to the conventional Civic Si Sedan dampers, front and rear damping force (both bump and rebound) was increased between 8- and 24-percent.
Lightweight 17-pound 18×7.5-inch forged alloy wheels (27 percent lighter than the stock 17×7-inch alloy wheel) and high-grip BFGoodrich®2 g-Force KDW 215/40ZR18 summer tires help to create MUGEN’s unique, rewarding and well-balanced handling performance character.
The full-vehicle aero-package adds a front spoiler with a sports grille, side skirts, a rear bumper diffuser and an adjustable rear wing spoiler. The sport-tuned exhaust system reduces back pressure downstream from the catalytic converter. The Civic MUGEN Si Sedan is available exclusively in Fiji Blue Pearl and includes front and rear MUGEN emblems. Inside, a MUGEN Limited-edition placard is located on the center console along with a MUGEN 50mm spherical aluminum shift knob.
The name MUGEN symbolizes Honda performance throughout Asia and around the globe. MUGEN, under license by M-TEC Co., Ltd., of Japan, has been closely associated with Honda for more than three decades in the design and manufacture of racing and premium aftermarket performance products.
The limited-production Civic MUGEN Si Sedan (maximum of 1,000 units for the 2008 model year) is backed by the standard factory Honda warranty.
The interior design provides a performance-driving environment with the Civic Si’s firmly-bolstered synthetic suede seats with red stitching, red backlit gauges and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.
The Civic Si’s 2.0-liter, 16-valve, DOHC i-VTEC engine produces 197-horsepower @ 7800 rpm and 139 lb-ft. of torque at 6100 rpm. A standard close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission allows for quick gear changes with torque distributed via a limited-slip differential for enhanced traction in high-performance driving situations.
The interior’s two-tier instrument panel conveys a futuristic design with quick-reference meter positioning and includes a rev-limit indicator light. A leather-wrapped steering wheel with tilt-and-telescope feature is standard. The 7-speaker, 350-watt premium audio system features a subwoofer, Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC), MP3/WMA3 playback capability and auxiliary audio input jack. Additional features include a 60/40 split folding rear seat, one-touch power moonroof, red ambient console lighting, remote entry with security system, power windows, power locks, a dual trip meter odometer and a Maintenance Minder™ indicator.
Every 2008 Civic integrates a wide array of standard safety technologies starting with the Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; side curtain airbags; driver’s and front passenger’s side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); and dual-stage, dual-threshold driver’s and front passenger’s airbags. Active front seat head restraints are designed to help reduce the severity of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Standard safety features include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution, front seatbelts with an automatic-tensioning system and load limiters, and a pedestrian injury mitigation design incorporated into the front exterior of the vehicle. Driver and front passenger seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment. Vehicle Stability Assist provides launch, oversteer and acceleration-understeer control by modulating engine power and/or applying brake pressure independently to each wheel. VSA can be manually deactivated if conditions warrant it.
A prototype of the Honda Civic MUGEN Si was shown at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in fall, 2006.
1 MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $635.00 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.
2 BFGoodrich is a registered trademark of Michelin North America, Inc.
3 Windows Media® Audio is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
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Source:
Hondanews.com
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