Mugen Civic Type R Build: Alexis Cervantes' 2017 FK8

Alexis Cervantes - 2017 Honda Civic Type R - Instagram: @Alexis_fk8_

Mugen Civic Type R Build

My name is Alexis, and I'm from a little town called Gualala, a small place with a population of about ten thousand people. This Mugen Civic Type R build is five years in the making, and it started long before I ever owned the car myself.

Growing Up Around Hondas

Growing up, my dad was a local backyard mechanic. Everyone in town with a cool Honda Si or an Acura would bring their cars to him just to get aftermarket parts installed, and I was right there watching and learning the whole time. That's really where this all comes from.

I've owned my current car for five years now, and a lot of hard work has gone into it. I've had a full Mugen lip kit on there, a Seibon hood and trunk, a Voltex wing, Mugen taillights, a JS Racing exhaust, Morimoto headlights, a JS Racing grille, and honestly, I know I'm missing a few more than that. Inside I've got Mugen seats and a Mugen quick release, among other things.

Lots of people like to modify their cars differently, and I get it, but everywhere I go this car gets comments and attention because of the way it's built. I've owned plenty of JDM cars over the years, and the FK8 is the one I find genuinely fun and enjoyable, the kind of car that gets your adrenaline going every time you drive it.

Engine Bay

I kept the bay clean and functional rather than going down the full built motor route. A Boltons carbon fiber cooling plate and an RV6 downpipe do the work, dressed up with carbon fiber panels throughout the engine bay so it looks as good as it runs.

Engine Bay

• Boltons carbon fiber cooling plate
• RV6 downpipe
• Carbon fiber engine bay dress-up

Exterior

The exterior is where the Mugen theme really comes through. The full Mugen lip kit ties the front, sides and rear together, and I paired it with a Seibon carbon hood and trunk to cut weight up front and out back. Morimoto headlights and a JS Racing grille sharpen up the face of the car, while a Voltex Type 2 wing sits out back doing double duty for looks and downforce. Mugen taillights and a JS Racing exhaust finish it off, though honestly there's a few smaller bits I know I'm forgetting.

Exterior

• Full Mugen lip kit
• Seibon carbon fiber hood
• Seibon carbon fiber trunk
• Morimoto headlights
• JS Racing grille
• Voltex Type 2 wing
• Mugen taillights
• JS Racing exhaust

Interior

Inside, it's all about the drive. Mugen seats and a Mugen quick release steering wheel set the tone, backed by a hybrid shifter for quicker gear changes and a harness bar to tie everything down properly. Carbon fiber accessories are worked in throughout to match the exterior theme.

Interior

• Mugen seats
• Mugen quick release steering wheel
• Hybrid shifter
• Harness bar
• Carbon fiber accessories

Wheels and Suspension

Wheels are a set of Apex ML-10RT in 18x10.5, ET22, run square on a 5x120 bolt pattern. The car sits on K-Tuned coilovers, and Rambo calipers all around handle the stopping power.

Wheels & Brakes

• Apex ML-10RT 18x10.5, ET22, square, 5x120
• Rambo calipers all around

Suspension

• K-Tuned coilovers

Who Did the Work?

My dad and I were the ones installing all the parts. He'd help me out whenever I needed it. That's really why this car is special to me, because my dad and I built it together.

Future Plans

My future plan for the car is to go with a Cari's widebody kit, a new paint job, and to throw a big turbo on it. It's the next step up from where the car sits now, and it's going to change the whole look of the build.

Shout Outs

Big shout out to @NVUS_707.

Dream Car

My dream car is the Acura NSX, and if you want to see one built up properly, this 1992 NSX runs 500+ horsepower off a supercharger and has a Fast and Furious connection worth reading about.

If you're into what a full Mugen build looks like taken even further, Jay Seng's 2019 Civic Type R build runs a similar Mugen theme with air suspension thrown into the mix. For a look at where that Cari's widebody plan might take this car next, this Varis Arising widebody FK8 shows just how far the platform can go.

For more builds like this one, pick up a copy of Stance Auto Magazine from our Amazon store.