Back in April 2001, we made it out to the S2000 (S2K) Days in Asheville NC. The King Motorsports SS2000 and S2200 join the S2K crew for a spirited drive amongst the scenic Blue Ridge mountains. Photos courtesy Juliann Pokorny (Thanks Juliann!!)

What we consider the best shot of the SS2000! From the West Coast beat down tour :)

Commander Brad leads the pack and receives his first Honor Badge of the trip- when a rock flies off a passing car and lands squarely on his hood- OUCH! We pull over to commiserate....

The KMS SS2000 and S2200 pause for photo op in the Blue Ridge mountains.

Here's the OG KMS facility in Sullivan WI.  The "Mistress" is being serviced with the GAC ITR on the rack between races. From the looks of the front bumper Bob may have wanted to occupy the same space as the car in front of him..... :)

The SS2000 at Laguna Seca. IIRC the NA SS2000 put all the boosted West Coast S2000's to shame that day. Just sayin......

1998 Road Atlanta ARRC race: SCCA ITA CRX driven by Kevin Bonneau, prepped by King Motorsports.

Getting really aggressive with the curbing became the key to a good lap time after Road Atlanta was reconfigured. Here Pierre Kleinubing demonstrates :)

1998 Victory lap for Kevin Bonneau in the KMS prepped ITA CRX. Back then the ITA fields were quite large and the CRX was the dominant car. Now the fields are smaller, and the CRX is still a front runner! What a great car!

This is a special round-up of the Mugen key holders currently available from King Motorsports, including brand new designs for 2012!

Right-click any image to view a larger version. Click on any product name to order yours today!

New for 2012: Mugen Carbon Key Holder B

90000-XYE-100B

Body + Connector: Width 14mm x Length 70mm x Thickness 6mm

Main Split Ring: Diameter 30mm x Thickness 4mm

Smaller Split Rings (3): Diameter 12mm x Thickness 3mm

The body of this finely crafted key holder is carbon fiber, with a carbon leather connector held in place with 2 small metal rivets. The chiseled main ring is brass with gun metal plating, and stamped with MUGEN POWER. The front has a silkscreen logo and the back has the www.mugen-power.com URL in white. This stunning piece is an homage to modern racing materials that will hold your keys in style!

New for 2012: Mugen Loop Key Holder

90000-XYE-100C

Body + Connector: Width 14mm x Length 90mm x Thickness 8mm

Main Split Ring: Diameter 30mm x Thickness 4mm

Smaller Split Rings (3): Diameter 12mm x Thickness 3mm

This holder is a soft alternative to the one above, featuring a polyester loop trimmed in soft Nappa leather. The loop features Mugen's iconic white, red and gold stripes. The stitched connector is carbon leather with a brass ring (plated in gunmetal). The main ring is stamped MUGEN POWER and connects to three smaller split rings. This is a handsome piece that is pocket and interior-friendly!

Mugen Carbon Key Holder A

90000-XYE-100A

Body: Width 34mm x Length 54mm x Thickness 4mm

Split Ring: Diameter 16mm x Thickness 3mm

This dog tag-style key holder has a main body made of carbon fiber, covered in a grippy rubber edging. The ball chain loop connects to a split ring and quick release hook. All of the metal hardware is plated in gunmetal. This versatile key holder has a silkscreened logo on the front and white www.mugen-power.com URL on the back.

Mugen Key Holder A

90000-XYD-100A

Body + Connector: Width 17mm x Length 60mm x Thickness 4mm

Main Split Ring: Diameter 28mm x Thickness 4mm

Smaller Split Rings (2): Diameter 17mm x Thickness 3mm

This is a classic Mugen piece with a black cowhide leather body with an inset textured metal plate with debossed Mugen logo. The main split ring is an upscale chrome, and includes a rubber fob with the iconic Mugen colors. Heavy red stitching around the body completes the presentation.

Mugen Key Holder B

90000-XYD-100B

Body + Connector: Width 35mm x Length 100mm x Thickness 14mm

Main Split Ring: Diameter 30mm x Thickness 3mm

This large key holder has a black cowhide leather body that can be snapped securely around a belt as wide as 50mm. An embossed Mugen logo is framed by clean red stitching throughout the piece (front and back). The metal hardware is chrome with three push-release hooks. Includes a rubber fob with the iconic Mugen colors. This is an beautiful piece that will last as long as your Honda and feels great in your palm.

Mugen Phone Strap

90000-XYD-110A

Body + Half Ring: Width 17mm x Length 98mm x Thickness 9mm

This strap features a durable red loop that can attach to your phone, camera or other electronics. The body of the strap is black cowhide leather on the outside, with an offset red color on the inside. Red stitching surrounds a chrome-style print of the Mugen logo. All hardware is chrome and includes a rubber fob in the iconic Mugen colors.

Honda Collection Mugen Key Holder

This key holder is a hefty cowhide leather with a metal debossed plate in the center, framed by white stitching. It has the Mugen kanji, the Honda logo and says "Grand-Prix Racing Team." Side story: In the 2011 King Motorsports Dyno Day, the goodie bags were stuffed with premium Mugen items like badge holders and lanyards. Near the end of the marathon 3-hour bag stuffing the night before, we started running out of the Mugen items. Not wanting to disappoint any attendees, King's CEO pulled these super special key holders out of his top secret private stash to include in the final goodie bags. If you attended the 2011 Dyno Day and got one of these, you received very special key holders!

Here is a photo round-up of the race car that started it all- the King Motorsports GT5 Civic 1200! 138hp at 8600rpm. Mugen close-ratio 5-speed. This unstoppable car won virtually every race, including the 1981 SCCA National Championship. Enjoy our archival pics!

The King Motorsports GT5 Civic 1200 at Road America in 1988. Back then our lap record was 2:46. Pretty fast for a little 1200!

Here's a cool vintage shot of the King Motorsports GT5 Civic at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in 1984. Back then there was no chicane between Turn 3 and 4. You really started to get moving before the braking zone in 4 with very little run off. Fun stuff! We held the lap record there for many years; 1:20 was the time to beat!

This is the iconic King Motorsports GT5 Civic on its way to winning the 1983 June Sprints at Road America!

This car would just about touch 8600 rpm in 5t in the dip at the old Road Atlanta which equaled 128 mph. This is really flying in a car with an 86" wheelbase. You knew when got a good run off turn 7 at Road Atlanta because the car would pick up a harmonic vibration that made the entire car buzz over 125 mph, right about at mid point of the dip. Hard on the brakes just before the bridge downshifting to 3rd. and then flat all the way from the bridge to the front straight, hitting 5th. at the start/finish line.

1989 Pocono Double National. Two wins and a new lap record! Crew Chief Randy Preiss takes the KMS Civic through impound.

Road Atlanta 1981 SCCA National Championship. The KMS Civic 1200 on its way to a GT4 championship!

1982 Road Atlanta Runoffs. Pabst Blue Ribbon was one of our sponsors that year. Before the Runoffs the motor home would be loaded with cases of PBR. This came in handy as a "bargaining tool" to get a primo parking spot in the pits. The Atlanta region SCCA loved PBR! :)

Loading up the crew for a victory lap at Road Atlanta at the 1981 SCCA Runoffs.

Racing factoid: King Motorsports built the first U.S. road racing Honda, including fabrication of every performance part.

When it comes to accessories, Mugen's designs are hard to beat. With premium materials like Nappa leather, carbon leather and carbon fiber, Mugen's accessories, apparel and textiles never fail to impress.

Here is a preview of some of the new items available now! Click on a product name or image for more info and to order. Check out the review of the new Mugen Wallet and Card Case as well.

Mugen Carbon Keyholder B

Mugen Loop Key Holder

Mugen Carbon Leather Smart Key Case

Mugen Carbon Leather Card Case

Mugen Carbon Leather Wallet

Mugen CR-Z GT T-Shirt A

Mugen CR-Z GT T-Shirt B

Our very special orange guest at this year's annual Dyno Day was the amazing Honda CR-Z MUGEN RR Concept vehicle. After months of careful planning, Mugen and King Motorsports were proud to bring Mugen's newest concept all the way to Milwaukee -- exclusively for our Dyno Day. This is the first and possibly only time that these wheels will ever be in the States.

Shipping a hand-built, one-of-a-kind concept vehicle over 6200 miles from Tokyo to Wisconsin (and back again) is no small accomplishment.

The process starts in April, months ahead of June's Dyno Day.

Moving the car out of the Mugen showroom:

In this picture, Mugen technicians charge the battery and do all the final prep:

Then the super-low hatch is eased up the ramps for transport to where it will be crated up and shipped out!

And here's what a shipping label for an entire vehicle direct from Mugen looks like! Made in Japan!

Box within a box!

6229 miles later the Mugen CR-Z RR Concept Car arrives in Wisconsin!

After two hours of uncrating!!

You just can't walk by this car without marveling at all the details....

Wanna see what's under the hood of the Mugen CR-Z RR???

Rotrex supercharged beauty!

Another view. The carbon work is just amazing! Approximately 200 hp and all the weight savings from the carbon body work should perk up the CR-Z!

Finally we moved the CR-Z into the King Motorsports showroom. We moved out all of our regular showroom cars to give the CR-Z center stage! Here it is covered the night before -- ready for its unveiling on Dyno Day June 2.

Grand unveiling the morning of Dyno Day!

YouTube user FLBFLY posted up this video walkaround of the Mugen CR-Z: RR!

Dyno Day over and a great success, the day for us to return the orange Mugen beast back to Tokyo came all too soon.

Charging up the battery one last time before we say goodbye to the CR-Z: RR! A huge thanks to our friends at Mugen for helping make this happen!

The King Motorsports International Shipping Division goes to work crating the Mugen CR-Z RR for its return trip!

Our Japanese colleagues built a very clever shipping container that clips together. Reassembling all the pieces was a bit challenging. :)

This is the Mugen CR-Z's last glimpse of North America! :)

Once the container was built, the fork lift pushed it into the back of the shipping company's truck. Sayonara!

Mugen's newest seats have arrived, and we have some beautiful detail photos!

The vitals on the new seats:

Mugen MS-R Full Bucket Seat

* Carbon fibre shell
* Belt holes for 3 inch full harness
* Lumbar support (pad insertion type)
* Deep side support
* Divided seat cushion
* Non-slip seat cushion
* Alcantera
* Shoulder grip
* MUGEN Logo (embroidered)

(see the product page for more info and to order)

Mugen MS-Z Semi Bucket Seat

* Stepless recliner
* Forward folding backrest
* Lumbar support (pad insertion type)
* Belt holes for safety harness
* High grip side support
* Alcantera
* Shoulder grip
* MUGEN Logo (embroidered)

(see the product page for more info and to order)

Here is the MUGEN MS-R seat installed in an S2000 (Check out the Mugen roll bar too). Seat details include unique shoulder stripes in Mugen gold/red/white, a large MUGEN logo in white and smaller RECARO logo. You'll find Recaro's premium materials, precision engineering and high-end features throughout.

Detail of the MS-Z carbon fibre seatback and 2nd rear-facing white embossed MUGEN logo.

The craftmanship and level of detail down to the stitching is unreal.

Detail shot of the lower seat cushions on the MS-R.

Best seat in the house! The Mugen MS-Z stepless reclining seat installed in a CR-Z.

We've partnered with Mugen for decades. Along the way we've been able to collect some very cool catalogs and images from a time period of Honda tuning that we personally love and focus on. Here are some of the pics we've posted on our Facebook page over the last year or so. Be sure to LIKE us on Facebook to see more!

Right-click and select VIEW IMAGE to see the full size versions.

Tubular artwork- rare Mugen exhaust manfold/exhaust system catalog circa 1996:

Mugen DA- awesome! Very few folks were interested in hot rodding these cars back in the day. Everyone was all about the CR-X and Civic. However the DA offered just a touch more sophistication- a great sports coupe! The parts list include the Mugen MR-5 wheels, special spoiler and steering wheel.

Mugen MR-5 2-piece wheels! Black with polished silver lip, silver Mugen spoke logo and polished center cap, rivets and lug caps.

The Mugen Civic "Ferio" 4-door. Talk about a sports sedan! Note the unusual placement of the Mugen livery under the black door trim.

Mugen EG Civic circa 1992. What a great car- B16, great gearbox, 4-wheel discs- way ahead of its time! Check out the lesser-seen NR-10 Mugen wheels with blue center caps.

Back in the day, slapping one of these on the back of your '84 CR-X was worth at least 10 HP. At least it did on ours! ;) Note the older non-italic san-serif font and lower-case "mugen power".

The first official USDM Mugen Competition Parts Catalog cover, circa 1985. Is that JDM Stig in the background?

Here is the catalog page for the body kit on the original Integra. Good to see Mugen had a sense of humor in its description of their decals: "Rumors of significant increases in horsepower resulting from the application of the Mugen Die Cut Decals should not be taken seriously ..." Right-click to view the full size image and read more.

Here's one from deep in the vault. This is a Mugen decal circa late 1970's!

Here is a shipping label from our very first shipment from Mugen as the "Sole Authorized North American Distributor." As we recall, the container itself was a work of art. It was a beautiful wooden crate that was so large and heavy three of us had to hang off the end of the forklift so it could lift the crate and not tip over! Among the contents were what would become our best sellers at the time- 86-89 Integra rear wings, CR-X and Civic exhausts and MR-5 wheels!

Here's one for you Mugen nostalgia buffs! A Mugen Genuine Parts Dealer decal, circa 1984. How many of these have you seen?

Catalog page for the MUGEN CR-X PRO.3 Del Sol (thanks Chris!)

Recently a customer brought his Civic in for dyno tuning. On the first dyno run, the motor hits VTEC and goes dead rich -- but makes no horsepower.

We pulled off the aftermarket header. Here's a pic:

We look inside the header -- a generic one from eBay -- and examined it more closely. What we found was shockingly poor construction yielding almost total blockage. See for yourself:

We replaced the header with a quality Skunk2 Alpha Series header. Ran it on the dyno again, and saw a *dramatic* power and torque increase.

Here's the comparison chart:

If you've read Mike's interview, you know our philosophy about buying from eBay is to use extreme caution. We're not saying every auto part on eBay is badly made or a knockoff (and eBay is trying to fight that image too), but there are still dreadful products out there that can cost you power, money and sometimes even your safety. Ebay sellers know they will probably never meet you, so their motivation to simply move product overshadows *doing the right thing for the customer*. And even if the seller does care, customer feedback doesn't always make its way back to the seller.

We do the right thing for our customers. If it won't help your build, we won't sell it to you.

And we have the dyno charts (and decades of experience) to back it up!

It really is true: "When you buy cheap, you buy twice."