Mugen JDM Honda Odyssey puts the "get" in grocery getter

Click above for high-res gallery of the Mugen JDM Honda Odyssey
Thousands of soccer moms would probably argue that Honda's Odyssey is the greatest vehicle ever built. Well, the rest of us know that the Toyota Sienna is an equal, but both are still relatively boring.
Mugen has been making pedestrian Hondas more exciting for 35 years and its most recent project is the new JDM Honda Odyssey, which is a different vehicle entirely than the Odyssey sold in the U.S. Nevertheless, it could possibly be the most exciting-looking minivan ever created, "looking" being the key word there. For the JDM Odyssey, Mugen leaves its 203-hp four-cylinder alone and focuses mostly on the minivan's appearance. A new grille, new front and rear fascias, sporty-looking rear wing, side ground effects a line of custom wheels make up the Mugenized Odyssey. A sport exhaust and brake kit with slotted rotors are as close to performance upgrades as you're going to get. Nevertheless, it's still cooler than any minivan we have over here. Including the Odyssey and Sienna.
Gallery: Mugen JDM Honda Odyssey
[Source: Nihon Car]


![Bugatti Bird-gate Followup: Driver identity revealed <b>[*UPDATE:</b> Now with actual crash video!]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/bugatti-veyron-swim-1258147199_143x85.jpg)








Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
letstakeawalk 2:31PM (11/03/2008)
Might want to correct the caption under the photo...
Awesome van though. In the late '80s I had a dream of a Dodge Caravan with AWD and the 3.0 twin turbo from the Stealth. We need sporty vans!
Reply
Yar 2:52PM (11/03/2008)
Dodge Caravan SRT-10.
Hmm...
Kotse 3:45PM (11/03/2008)
JDM Honda Odyssey looks like Honda Fit's...Big Momma!
ack154 2:31PM (11/03/2008)
Wow... good thing they put the Mugen name on this.
It may look cool, but why even bother without any performance increase?
Reply
SteveJ 2:45PM (11/03/2008)
That's what Mugen does. They take a Honda product, add some special stuff to it while not increasing performance, and jack up the price. Fanboys love it. Mature people ask "Why?".
203hp 4 in a minivan though? That thing must be a dog. (Even more than the Porsche GT2, for those that saw TG S12E1.)
Franz 3:10PM (11/03/2008)
The 204 hp figure isn't all that bad. USDM Odysseys have 244hp but weigh almost 4400lbs. The JDM Odyssey Absolute weighs about 3700lbs.
Tourian 4:15PM (11/03/2008)
Yeah, but it isn't all about horsepower, its about torque. And with the 4 in the JDM vs the 6 in the US, oh wait, forget it we are talking about Hondas. Silly me for bringing up torque.
Acefighter 3:56AM (11/04/2008)
LMFAO @ Tourian How true. Ah, such is the way of rice...
Torrent 2:31PM (11/03/2008)
I want me one o' dem dere Odysseys.
Reply
KeatMP 2:35PM (11/03/2008)
That's my first thought. Looks like a mini mini-van.
skeptic 2:33PM (11/03/2008)
hey so when can we expect the 'by the numbers' for October?
Reply
xcrunk 2:44PM (11/03/2008)
That's the front end on the Insight!
This must be Honda's official new corporate grille.
Reply
modifierwong 2:49PM (11/03/2008)
I was in Japan a couple years back and rode in one of these things. It had Television in it! Not to mention GPS which totally outclasses what we have today :(
Reply
Matty 2:51PM (11/03/2008)
Hey honey, on your way to the grocery store can you pick up some RICE!!
That thing is sad. Looking at minivans makes me glad I'm 22 with limited responsibilities and the exact car I want given my budget.
Reply
joe 2:58PM (11/03/2008)
If you like the JDM Odyssey, you should check out the UK accord wagon (known as a "tourer" over there). That thing is awesome. It looks like they took the euro Accord and stretched it, and it comes together quite well. It also comes with the 2.2 diesel that might not make it to the states, making it even better "forbidden fruit."
Reply
Pikapichu 2:56PM (11/03/2008)
Not bad. Too bad this isn't out here in the US nor is the Toyota Previa. It'd be pretty fun to see it go up against a tuned front-engine, rear-wheel drive, super-charged Previa on a track. =p
Reply
JDMlover 3:07PM (11/03/2008)
The Toyota would dust it.
Ben 2:56PM (11/03/2008)
Yeah - WHY?
People who drive/own minivans are still in denial that their exciting life is over.
Reply
tankd0g 3:19PM (11/03/2008)
203hp Honda, sooo 89 ft/lbs. of torque?
Reply
Level 5 3:24PM (11/03/2008)
Schwing!