Mugen Euro Eyes High-Performance Honda Jazz With Swapped Powerplant

LONDON — Mugen Euro, an affiliate of the Japanese tuner bearing the same name, is toying with the idea of making a seriously upgraded version of the Honda Jazz.

The Jazz, which is known as the Fit in North America, already has a bunch of aero upgrades and a few performance parts available from the parent Mugen company. However, Mugen Euro is looking to take performance to the next level with this hotter hatch version of the Jazz.

Mugen Euro General Manager Colin Whittamore says the firm would contemplate using either a supercharged version of the hybrid powerplant found in the Honda CR-Z Mugen, or it could go a completely different route and use the 2.0-liter VTEC engine that powers the Civic Type R. Output would stand at just under 200 horsepower for either powerplant option, which is quite a lot for a car that would weigh just over 2,000 pounds after Mugen is done with its weight-reduction treatment.

Autocar quotes Whittamore saying that it "wouldn't be much of a stretch" to swap the 1.5-liter hybrid engine found into CR-Z into the Jazz.

Other mods we could expect from Mugen include a more dynamic suspension, larger wheels with low-profile rubber, a freer-flowing exhaust, bigger brakes, an aggressive aero kit and a few interior accoutrements.

Inside Line says: While the chances of this high-performance version going into production may be slim, the prospect of it coming to the States is even slimmer. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent