It is the model completely misunderstood by Chinese people Original by Honda Magazine · Japanese Car Fans Magazine

It is the model completely misunderstood by Chinese people Original by Honda Magazine · Japanese Car Fans Magazine · 2025-03-10 🗓️

When it comes to upgrades and modifications of Honda models, most car enthusiasts immediately think of Mugen 💥, Spoon Sport 🛠️, J`S Racing, Skunk2, and further in-depth ones such as Toda Racing and Hondata 🔧. However, due to the “mass-market” image of Honda models in China, it’s really hard to find a Honda that’s fun to drive and modify 🏎️. Most Honda fans settle for modifying FC1 or FK7, which is already considered the peak of enjoyment.

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But have you ever recalled the small sports car once introduced by GAC Honda, which was a hit in the overseas modification market: the CR-Z? 🚗💨

If it was seen as a successor to its predecessor—the first-generation Insight—then the CR-Z definitely made a huge contribution to promoting Honda’s IMA mild hybrid technology ⚡. Its irresistible design even sparked a global trend of "hybrid cars can also be modified and fun," making CR-Z a pioneer in this field. Even the Prius followed the CR-Z’s footsteps in the modification scene 🔧.

📸 Photo: The Mugen RR Concept, showcased at the Guangzhou Auto Show to promote the domestic launch of the CR-Z, shocked the media and audience. To this day, it is still regarded as the pinnacle of hybrid modification cars.

📸 Photo: A CR-Z that took a different extreme, modified by Eibach USA, replacing the engine with a K20A non-hybrid engine 🛠️.

📸 Photo: Spoon’s modification style seeks more extreme performance on the OEM basis, such as high-angle camshafts and KW-manufactured coilover suspension kits ⚙️.

Let’s briefly review the original CR-Z 🧐:

The CR-Z was born in 2010, with the chassis code ZF1 for the early model and ZF2 for the later model. This car can be seen as Honda’s attempt to combine hybrid and sport elements ⚙️, blending electric power with traditional sports car elements. Since this car was launched as a successor to the CR-X, many elements were similar, such as the body design which practically replicated the CR-X, especially the rear vertical window, which is considered its soul 💖. However, the editor believes that although this car was launched as the successor to the CR-X, Honda only implemented the body design and did not inherit the CR-X’s essence.

The essence of the CR-X, in my opinion, lies in the suspension 🛞. The CR-X used the EF, EG platform, so its suspension design featured front and rear double-wishbone setups. But the CR-Z was different, it used the platform from Fit, with a front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension. This, the editor believes, is one of the reasons why many people didn’t like the CR-Z.

📸 Photo: The CR-Z is not popular in China, but it is quite welcomed overseas 🌍.

📸 Photo: It is equipped with a 1500cc engine, but still uses Otto cycle instead of Atkinson cycle 🏁.

📸 Photo: One of the most beautiful interior designs of the 2010s, no one would object to that, right? 😍

The CR-Z received support from numerous aftermarket modification and upgrade brands 💡, so it quickly rose to the top of the modification hotlist 🔥 and became a trending model. Guides on how to play with and modify the CR-Z appeared in large numbers 📚, and upgrade kits were abundant 🛒. In those years, if you visited Japan or Southeast Asia, you would easily find that CR-Zs without mods were too embarrassed to be seen 😅. Most modified CR-Zs were centered around Mugen products 💎.

: Mugen has repeatedly modified the CR-Z, such as this MUGEN RC-Z 💥.

This car doesn’t just have looks; its engine was also enhanced. With the addition of a turbocharger, it reached 180 horsepower 🚀.

If you can’t get the limited 300 units of the RZ, you can buy the parts from the Mugen CR-Z demo car, though its completeness is not as high as the Mugen RZ.

Mugen added a centrifugal supercharger to the RZ to enhance power. This supercharger can reach 120,000 rpm when the engine is at 6600 rpm. With its assistance, engine horsepower was increased by 30% ⚡.

With the addition of a supercharger, the cooling system also needed to be strengthened. Mugen developed a dedicated intercooler and oil cooler for the RZ to cope with the power boost 🌬️.

Looking at the horsepower curve chart, don’t just focus on the peak value. Insiders usually look at the shape of the curve 📈. From the graph, the supercharged tuning makes the torque and horsepower curves smoother. The originally abrupt torque peak has been leveled out.

What’s the essence of Mugen upgrade parts? That must be the exhaust system 🔊. True Mugen fans always buy the exhaust system first. Is the Mugen distributor in China ready?

The editor always believed that the CR-Z is a misunderstood good car 🌟. Why? First, the engine—on paper, the CR-Z is not as powerful as those with D16 or B16A engines, but the LEA engine still has certain modification potential 🔧. Moreover, if it was truly made for environmental protection, Honda could have changed the engine’s cycle to Atkinson. But the CR-Z didn’t. Also, though the total torque is only 145 Nm, the electric motor can provide 78.4 Nm from just 1000 rpm, indicating that CR-Z can have a very quick launch, especially when paired with a 6-speed manual transmission 🕹️.

As for suspension, the double-wishbone setup does provide excellent handling, but who said torsion beam must be inferior? Honda did spend effort on CR-Z’s suspension tuning, which is not visible from the exterior 🔍. The editor once test-drove the CR-Z and is also a Fit owner, so there’s a deep understanding of both suspensions. The CR-Z chassis may look like a Fit, but it handles much better. The rear end follows better in corners, sometimes even pushes the front along 🏁, unlike the Fit which needs extensive suspension modification for such improvements.

📸 Photo: This Mugen suspension was specifically developed for the CR-Z. Its piston diameter and spring rigidity were improved, and it also lowered the car by 15mm, giving the CR-Z a more stable chassis 🛞.

As a sports car, lightweight forged wheels are essential. For the best fit and trustworthy spec setup, most car owners trust Mugen. 17 inches is just right ✅.

Through sales data comparisons between domestic and overseas markets, it’s easy to see that there’s still a gap in how we understand cars in China 🧐. Often we only see the surface and don’t truly understand the vehicle. For non-mainstream models especially, people judge based on price and brand. Like the CR-Z, many mocked it as a hybrid Fit priced over 200,000 yuan.

The reason to show a rear brake disc image is because many car owners only focus on upgrading the front brakes and ignore the rear. Although rear braking force accounts for a small portion in FWD cars, upgrading rear brakes also improves overall stability and reduces body sway during braking, which is key to balanced upgrades 🛑.

Braided brake hoses—many car owners modify these. A well-designed set won’t interfere with the suspension system, and all mounting points must match the OEM ones. Using zip ties? That’s never in Mugen’s modification dictionary 🔒.

📸 Photo: A bar gauge is a must for both OEM and modified cars, whether supercharged or turbocharged. If the car doesn’t come with one, it’s strongly recommended to install it. It provides real-time data on engine health and status 📊.

📸 Photo: The stock CR-Z already has a pretty balanced front-rear weight distribution among FWD models. Automatic: 58.8% front, CVT: 59.8% front. To optimize further, besides using lighter brake systems and batteries, a carbon fiber hood is also a good choice 🪶.

Although CR-Z had poor sales in China, it doesn’t affect the love it gets abroad ❤️. There are plenty of CR-Z modification cases overseas. Even Honda’s own tuning brand Mugen launched several versions, including a completed car model—RZ.

📸 Photo: Besides regular parts, Mugen also rarely made a completed car named MUGEN CR-Z RZ. Like the RR, only 300 units were made.

🎁 Giveaway Time: Just answer the following question in the comments to win a Mugen wristband gifted by Mugen’s general distributor in China. The first 10 fans to comment will win the prize 🎉.

❓ Question: How many units of the MUGEN CR-Z RZ were produced in total? A 50 B 100 C 300 D 500

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