FRP is an acronym for Fiber Reinforced Polymer. Some will say that it stands for Fiber Reinforced Plastic, but this is incorrect – Not all plastics are polymers. In the case of Mugen’s manufacturing process, they use a proprietary FRP composite developed in-house after much testing in the lab, wind tunnel and street.

Some of Mugen’s aero pieces are constructed from FRP exclusively; bumper covers, side sills, spoilers. But Mugen manufactures two items from both Carbon Fiber and FRP – Hoods for Fit, and S2000, and S2000 Hardtops. The reasoning is pretty straightforward, Carbon Fiber construction is the strongest, lightest material available for these parts, but it comes at a cost. FRP, on the other hand, offers a lower cost option. While not as strong or light as Carbon Fiber, FRP is still extremely strong and still lighter that most other materials. Most importantly, it can be used in the same molds as the Carbon Fiber pieces, therefore offering the same precise fit that Mugen’s Carbon Fiber parts are known for.

Here are a few common questions regarding Mugen’s FRP parts:

Q: What is the weight difference between the Carbon Fiber and FRP parts?
A: The weight difference is about 25%. For instance, the Carbon Fiber Hood for the S2000 weights 34 lbs – the FRP unit weighs X44 lbs.

Q: How well does the FRP top fit?
A: The fit is perfect, just like Mugen’s Carbon Fiber Top. The same molds are used to produce both.

Q: Does the top come with all of the mounting hardware?
A: All the necessary hardware is included, as is the Polycarbonate rear window.

Q: What is required to get FRP parts ready to paint?
A: All of Mugen’s FRP parts come primed and ready for paint. Your body shop will only need to give them a light scuffing and thorough cleaning.

Q: Should I test-fit my FRP parts first, or can I go ahead and paint them knowing that they will fit?
A: It’ll fit, period. Paint it, install it and enjoy.

Below are some technical data regarding FRP. (source: American Composites manufacturers Association)

Not all plastics are composites.  In fact, the majority of plastics today are pure plastic, like toys and soda bottles.  When additional strength is needed, many types of plastics can be reinforced (usually with reinforcing fibers).  This combination of plastic and reinforcement can produce some of the strongest materials for their weight that technology has ever developed...and the most versatile.

Therefore, the definition of a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite is a combination of :
-a polymer (plastic) matrix (either a thermoplastic or thermoset resin, such as polyester, isopolyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, phenolic)
-a reinforcing agent such as glass, carbon, aramid or other reinforcing material such that there is a sufficient aspect ratio (length to thickness) to provide a discernable reinforcing function in one or more directions.  FRP composite may also contain:

fillers
additives
core materials

that modify and enhance the final product.  The constituent elements in a composite retain their identities (they do not dissolve or merge completely into each other) while acting in concert to provide a host of benefits ideal for structural applications including:

High Strength and Stiffness Retention - composites can be designed to provide a wide range of mechanical properties including tensile, flexural, impact and compressive strengths.  And, unlike traditional materials, composites can have their strengths oriented to meet specific design requirements of an application.

Light Weight/Parts Consolidation - FRP composites deliver more strength per unit of weight than most metals.  In fact, FRP composites are generally 1/5th the weight of steel.  The composite can also be shaped into one complex part, often times replacing assemblies of several parts and fasteners.  The combination of these two benefits makes FRP composites a powerful material system- structures can be partially or completely pre-fabricated at the manufacturer's facility, delivered on-site and installed in hours.

Creep (Permanent Deflection Under Long Term Loading) - The addition of the reinforcement to the polymer matrix increases the creep resistance of the properly designed FRP part.  Creep will not be a significant issue if the loads on the structure are kept below appropriate working stress levels.

Resistance to Environmental Factors - Composites display excellent resistance to the corrosive effects of:

Freeze-thaw: because composites are not attacked by galvanic corrosion and have low water absorption, they resist the destructive expansion of freezing water.

Weathering and Ultra-Violet Light: FRP composite structures designed for weather exposure are normally fabricated with a surface layer containing a pigmented gel coat or have an ultraviolet (UV) inhibitor included as an additive to the composite matrix.  Both methods provide protection to the underlying material by screening out UV rays and minimizing water absorption along the fiber/resin interface.

Chemicals and Temperature: Composites do not rust or corrode and can be formulated to provide long-term resistance to nearly every chemical and temperature environment.  Of particular benefit, is composites ability to successfully withstand the normally destructive effects of de-icing salts and/or saltwater spray of the ocean.

Fire Performance of Composites - FRP composites can burn under certain conditions.  Composites can be designed to meet the most stringent fire regulations by the use of special resins and additives.  Properly designed and formulated composites can offer fire performance approaching that of most metals.

John Hinrichs really likes his Honda CR-Z. Apparently he also really likes Mugen.

For his fourth major Mugen modification on his CR-Z, John opted for a set of Mugen 17x7 GP wheels in Gunmetal. As with his other mods, John worked directly with King Motorsports President and CEO, Scott Zellner. Scott: "The color of the Gunmetal GP's are a perfect compliment to the Black CR-Z." John is equally happy with his purchase, "I love the way these wheels look!" After each upgrade, John usually sends a picture and a note, or stops by to show us the results, as he did recently with after the GP wheels were installed.

John's other Mugen mods are the Mugen 5-Way Sport Suspension, Mugen Carbon-Fiber Air Intake and Mugen Cat-Back Exhaust.

** We just got this note and review from John Hinrichs for the Mugen High Performance Air Intake System (Carbon Fiber) for CR-Z - Thanks John! **

Scott,
 
Just got back from making the holiday rounds. Driving through five states visiting friends and family (and showing off my car, of course).
 
Some of the people I visited are car guys, some just thought it was pretty, most loved the way it sounds (thanks, by the way) (Mugen Exhaust, ed.) , but everyone had something to say once the hood went up.  Even with all that's going on under the bonnet of a CR-Z, with the normal engine stuff and all the extra IMA wiring, the first thing everyone locked on to was the Mugen intake. That smooth expanse of carbon fiber had everyone interested, and I can't blame 'em, it is gorgeous. 
 
Not only does it look great, but under load the intake provides just enough extra sound to balance the tone of the Mugen exhaust.  Its obvious these two pieces were designed for each other: Subtle with a hint of badass.
 
Special thanks to Mike for doing such a great job on the install.
 
Happy Holidays! 
 
-John Hinrichs

When I read that Mugen would be creating a special edition of the Civic Type R sedan, I immediately thought two things: It would be awesome... but, I would probably never see one in person. The Milano red, 240 horsepower beast would be a limited to only 300 units, sold only in Japan. The Mugen Type RR (ABA-FD2) sold out in minutes, some going for double the sticker price.

Mugen must have heard the collective sound of JDM hearts breaking around the world. Their answer: celebrate the Type RR by creating an RR-themed wristwatch, the Mugen Time Machine. Not just any watch – but a true timepiece that could rival Seiko’s Sportura line of racing-inspired watches. The design would have to walk the fine line between being lazily rebadged (“just slap a Mugen logo on it!”) versus grotesquely over-designed (“let’s mold the case in the shape of a car and add aero vents!”). Mugen’s designers walked that fine line, and did it brilliantly. The designers chose to use the Type RR’s unique tachymeter as the starting point for design inspiration, while borrowing cues from materials and details you’ll find beyond the RR’s cockpit.

The result is a well-made, exceptionally-executed exercise in product design that takes the soul of the Type RR and puts it on your wrist. Mugen boiled it down: Carbon fiber. Red stitching on black. Tachymeter typefaces and markings. High-RPM redline. Gunmetal with red accents. Top-end mechanical engineering.

Redlining

The design of the watch face (the “dial”) is styled after the actual tachymeter in the Type RR. The attention to detail is remarkable and on par with the quality found in Mugen’s other products.

The watch face is styled after the tachymeter found in Mugen’s Civic Type RR. The homage to the vehicle is the most literal in this design aspect, and it works well. A thin red stripe surrounds the outer edge of the dial from 6 o’clock to 3 o’clock. Numeral typefaces match those found on the Type RR, complete with a “x 1000r/min” marking. The second hand is a thin solid red arm that looks just like the tachymeter needle.  The Mugen logo appears in white just below the 12 o’clock position.

The watch face surface is carbon fiber, a clean upscale finish. The hour and minute hands are chrome with luminescent inserts that glow in the dark after being exposed to light.

A squared date window is set into the 3 o’clock position, nicely done as white numbers against a black field (In lesser watches, manufacturers sometimes cut corners and use black numbers against white). I appreciate that the date window is framed in a subdued matte black; Mugen’s designers resisted the trend to make the date frame chrome or white.

Surrounding the dial is a world time dial. This rotating dial frames the watch face like a slide rule and displays the relative times in various countries around the world, including Cairo, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and more (23 cities in all). The display also includes a thick red line that mimics the redline area of the Type RR’s tach. The dial moves by rotating a ruggedly-molded knob that is finished in black with a red detail. My only gripe about this knob is that it lacks any kind of resistance, gliding a bit too easily.

Sturdy Chassis

Made from black ion-plated stainless steel, the watch case is a dark matte gunmetal finish with chiseled edges around the crown and strap lugs. The bezel, crown and world time knob are the same color but in a gloss. The dial pulls out nicely and has discrete clicks at position one (to set the date) and two (to set the time). I like watches like this that have very little play when you set the time.

The case is water resistant, rated at 10 BAR (aka 10 ATM, 100m, 330ft). So it will hold up for swimming and snorkeling, but not for aggressive submersion uses like high-board diving or sub-aqua diving.

The watch case measures 46mm, including the crown. From lug to lug (measured vertically), it’s just shy of 50mm. The Time Machine’s 46mm case size is larger than a typical Seiko 5 (40mm), but not so large that you’re pushing U-Boat territory (55mm+). Personally, I prefer watch cases between 42mm and 47mm. The case thickness is about 15mm, so it sits off your wrist a bit higher than most watches. This is great if you need a watch that won’t slip out of sight under a jacket cuff (which is what you’d want while driving).

Power Plant

If you’ve ever shopped for a watch that cost more than $200, then you know that high end watches are typically automatic winding (or “self-winding”). The “engine” of the watch is a mechanical machine (called a “movement”) powered by the motion of the wearer’s arm (instead of via a battery, electricity, or physical winding of the stem). A weighted rotor turns in response to motion, which in turn winds the mainspring. If you wear your watch daily, it will stay perpetually ready to go, and you’ll never have to do anything (such as replace batteries or wind the stem). The downside is that if the watch is unworn for a day or two, it will wind down and you’ll have to set the time.

For this reason, some watch collectors buy a watch winder. You can buy one for as little as $30, or fairly good ones can be purchased from Brookstone for $100-200. A watch winder is basically an electrical watch display case that also rotates your watch at periodic intervals. When I’m not wearing my Mugen Time Machine, it is on display (and getting wound) in a watch winder.

This Mugen timepiece has a sweeping seconds hand that glides across the dial nicely. Watching the seconds tick by echoes the thrill of revving the Type RR’s 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC.

The movement appears to be a Seiko-made Y675B, a solid choice by Mugen that will be maintenance-free for quite a while.

Under the Hood

Turn the watch around and you’ll find a transparent crystal on the exhibition caseback that reveals the mechanical heart of the watch. “Lift the hood” by looking through the clear 22mm diameter window to admire the weighted rotor and the tiny, precise pulsing of the innards. The Mugen logo and the words “The Time Machine” are printed on the inside of the crystal in gray. Surrounding the crystal are etchings indicating assembly and movement origins, and that the watch is water resistant.

Strapped In

I ordered my Time Machine with the cloth strap (a version with a matching black ion-plated stainless steel band is also available at additional cost). The heavy-weave cloth strap has a nice thickness and weight that curves to your wrist very well. The textured surface features red stitching along the straps and the strap loops, matching the red-on-black stitching you find in many Mugen interior accessories (and the seats in my EP3). The inside of the strap has a thin black lining that feels soft against your skin. The metal buckle is dark gunmetal with a slight gloss finish that matches the crown and bezel. There are no markings on the outside of the buckle; I would have loved to see the Mugen kanji stamped on it. The underside of the buckle has a tiny “INOX” stamp on it, which means that it is inoxidable stainless steel (and not just regular steel).

The fitment of the strap is comfortable and tailored to favor smaller (Asian) wrists. I use the forth strap hole (from the top) on this watch, compared to my other watches where I usually use one of the first three. That said, it will still fit larger wrists just fine (unless you have wrists as thick as exhaust pipe).

Taking Delivery

The Time Machine comes in a sturdy custom presentation box. The outside of the box is silver, black and metallic red with a faux carbon fiber finish and white Mugen logo. Open the hinged lid and you’ll find another Mugen logo and  the watch propped up in by a foam cylinder. A tightly-folded instruction booklet sits beneath the foam, and is extremely detailed. I was relieved to see that instructions are in English as well as Japanese, since most Mugen products only include Japanese instructions.

Finish Line

Mugen has set the bar for Honda-themed timepieces. A masterful balance of design and engineering, the Mugen Time Machine RR is a must-have for Mugen and watch enthusiasts alike.

About the Author. Perry Wang is a designer, auto-enthusiast and manager based in Portland, Oregon. He's one of the founders of Trigger Global, a digital marketing firm in Los Angeles. His Honda and Mugen illustrations can be found at AngryYoda.com.

** Please do not copy this post without permission from King Motorsports. **

** Long-time King supporter Dewi sent this product review in... Thanks Dewi! **

My family are Honda/Mugen nuts and we import all of our Mugen goodies from King Motorsports to Scotland, so when we found out we were having a baby girl we started our DB8 (4 door Integra Type R) project as our family car.  It came as no surprise we wanted the right JDM parts to finish it off. This consisted of a baby Recaro in grey to match the car and whilst trawling King’s website we came across a black Mugen fleece blanket, so we ordered it up for car and stroller duties. 

The blanket is lightweight but warm, also very easy to keep clean if any spillages occur and our daughter loves the softness of the fleece. When it’s all tucked in, it keeps her very warm and she sleeps well without irritation.  We like to call her the ‘Mugen Slug’ so from a happy mum and dad we rate this product 5 stars for Mugen pervyness and 5 stars for performance and functionality.  Thank you very much King Motorsport for supplying us with this awesome quality product.

** This was sent in by Perry W... Thanks Perry! **

Gotta send a big thanks to Scott and the guys at King for their help picking out new rims for my 2002 Civic Si hatchback (EP3).

Because the 02-03 model Si has a 4x100 bolt pattern, wheel options are limited. Scott pointed me to Volk and Enkei -- but ultimately I had my heart set on the rarity and heritage of the forged Mugen rims.

My ideal Mugen rim (for my bolt pattern) was long out of stock: the Mugen MF-8. Those would have been awesome. But just as ideal would be the MF-8's big brother: the Mugen MF-10 (10 spokes instead of 8, with a deeper "webbing" where the spokes converge around the center). King has limited number of these -- in stock and on sale -- so I snatched a set up.

But there was a catch. In order to mount these beautiful new rims, I would have to convert my Si from a 4-lug bolt pattern to a 5-lug bolt pattern (the MF-10s are a 5x114 bolt pattern). More on this later.

First let's talk about these magestic MF-10s.

The set of MF-10s arrived a few days later from King: 16"x6", in bronze, complete with valve stems and black center caps. They look terrific and have a semi-machined lip that reminds me of the fine workmanship that goes into the Mugen shift knobs. The spokes of the MF-10 have a matte texture that offset the lip. These rims are a work of art and perfection. You can fall into a JDM-induced trance staring into the rich bronze color.  I love these rims so much I even recorded The World's First Mugen MF-10 Unboxing Video for YouTube.

I couldn't wait to get these on my car. But I would have to. I had to do that 5-lug conversion, all by myself. In my garage. I live roughly 2000 miles from King's shop. So driving out there wasn't an option. I don't really trust any of the shops out here yet. So it was up to me.

At this point I should stop to say that I have absolutely ZERO experience with suspensions. I think I might have rotated tires once. The most technical thing I ever did to the exterior was install side skirts, a wing, a short-ram air intake. Easy stuff.

I kept replaying the two comments Scott had given me:

The encouraging: "Just do a 5-lug conversion. It's not that bad."

Then the more ominous: "There's definitely a lot involved for the conversion. It's not for the faint of heart."

So I started by planning. I bought myself a shop manual, read every forum thread I could find about the 5-lug swap. I bought a bunch of tools, a breaker bar, fluids, ball joint puller etc. I was stocking up and studying nearly every night!

The 5-lug came from a donor car in Tennessee -- a 2003 RSX Type-S (DC5). The DC5 shares many of the same parts as my EP3, so the swap is possible and has been done by many EP3 owners. Because the donor car was a Type-S (not the base model), I had the benefit of getting much larger front calipers & rotors as a bonus. But that bonus was offset by the need for new axles (to fit the larger Type-S splines).

Here's a picture of the donor RSX parts before they were shipped to me:

Assembling all my tools and parts took about 3 weeks. Lots of mail order, and help from Big Mike and Jude. Jude's advice was something about using beer and copious amounts of swearing. That turned out to be good advice.

The actual install happened over 2 weeks, nights and weekends... I lost half a week when I realized the ball joint puller I had purchased was inadequate for the job. And had to hire a mobile mechanic to help me with a stuck axle (lesson learned: get a "BFH," bigger floor jack, bigger jack stands).

Picture of the work in progress. You can see the original 4-lug assemblies still on the car. On the floor is the new 5-lug, a fresh socket set, and an old rim (bronze C8).

A picture of the stock EP3 front rotor next to the larger RSX Type-S replacement:

New replacement axles from an RSX Type-S:

My tires are dismounted from my C8's and re-mounted to the MF-10 set! The de-throned old rims shrink back in shame.

Conversion is complete now, and my shiny MF-10s finally mounted on the car. Here are pictures of my dirt-covered EP3 in the fading dusk light. Look closely to see my smiling face in the reflections!!

** We just got this note and review from John Hinrichs - Thanks John! **

This afternoon I was able to take my CR-Z out for its first fun drive since I picked it up from KMS.  I've driven 30 minutes home, eaten dinner, made myself comfortable on my couch and there is still a big goofy grin on my face.  As much as i love the car itself, I have to give credit for this persistent smile to the Mugen suspension and exhaust you installed.

The factory suspension on the CR-Z was skewed to the comfort side.  Nice for running up and down the interstate, but when it came to corners the car would roll to the outside before it set into the turn.  With the Mugen system the car just turns in. 

Before I set off, I set all four shocks to 5 (full hard).  On the way to my choice bit of road, an area of backroads just south of Friess Lake, I rode over miles of lumpy concrete highways, chewed up blacktop side roads, and more than a few potholes.  The Mugen suspension let me know exactly what kind of surface I was on, but it was never harsh or abrupt. 

The roads I set out to drive are not the newest.  A patched, narrow, blacktop ring of roads that wind around and over the wooded hills of the area -- including a beautifully tight little switchback (which is a rare thing in southeastern Wisconsin).  The car just devoured it, staying flat and collected throughout.  Even in places where the corners were pieced together and uneven, the tires were held down tight, following the rough pavement without any hint of the skittishness that comes with a tire bouncing over the bumps I knew were there.

After driving the 7 mile loop once in each direction, I pulled over to set the shocks to full soft.  Five minutes later I was driving the loop for a third time just to listen to my car.  The stock exhaust note isn't non-existent, and the Mugen system isn't overly loud (I don't get complaints from the neighbors when I get called out to work at 2am like i do with my CRX), it just dials up the bass a couple notches.  In the last few weeks of commuting it has never been intrusive or droning.  I didn't even have to adjust the volume on the stereo.  But on these roads, full throttle from 4k to 6k RPM, the sound echoing off the trees was incredible.  It makes me want to find a tunnel just to listen.

Oh, and in regular highway driving I'm up 2 MPG since the new exhaust was installed.  Win/win.

Thanks for everything,
John Hinrichs

Review and announcement by Scott Zellner, President & CEO of King Motorsports and SCCA Road Racing Champion:

In stock form, Honda's new CR-Z is both under-dampened and softly sprung. This combination really masks the sporting characteristics of the CR-Z. 

The Mugen 5-Way Adjustable Suspension Kit was designed with both street and occasional track use in mind. The result is a more controlled ride with much less lean, dive and squat. Each damper adjustment changes both the compression and rebound calibrations so you can tailor the suspension for any driving environment.

The average ride height reduction is 1” front and rear for an aggressive stance, lower center of gravity, and better aerodynamics. This kit comes pre-assembled which makes installation quick and easy.

This kit is without a doubt the best handling upgrade you can make to your new CR-Z.

King Motorsports is proud to be the sole provider of these Mugen CR-Z suspension kits in North America. They will be in-house and ready to ship the first week of November.

Follow us on Twitter (@KingMotorsports) or Facebook to be the first to know!

In the meantime, be sure to download our exclusive Mugen/King CR-Z wallpapers.