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While most of the popular aftermarket manufacturers in Japan are welcoming the hybrid craze with open arms, Spoon Sports has been quiet as of late. This can mostly be attributed to the fact that Spoon focuses and specializes with the Honda platform, and quite honestly, Honda hasn't had an attractive enough hybrid platform in the recent years. But this is all about to change, with the CR-Z gaining a lot of momentum as the new "hot-hatch" appealing to passionate Honda aficionados worldwide. Needless to say it's a perfect fit for Spoon Sports and their tuning prowess.

We've seen the entry from Mugen and in typical Spoon Sports fashion, they've thrown down the gauntlet as well. Going back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mugen and Spoon Sports were the most respective pair of brands for JDM Honda fanatics stateside. In fact it's easy to argue that Mugen and Spoon Sports delivered a rivalry on its own with their prestigious and rare parts, many of them carrying a hefty price tag once they were on American soil. There's no mistaken that this CR-Z has been Spoon-inspired.

There's none of the traditional yellow and pastel blue to be seen, yet, but the CR93 wheels have been refinished in a stylish dark blue in true Spoon fashion. As with almost all of Spoon Sports' projects, the focus is on excellent tuning and track-ability. They paid close attention with suspension and brake upgrades lowering the vehicle with coilovers in the front and a traditional shock/spring combination in the rear. 15-inch slotted rotors along with upgraded calipers are probably overkill for the hatch, but we believe Spoon has much more in terms of performance up their sleeve.

Specializing in naturally aspirated performance over the years, Spoon is currently tuning their staple N1 exhaust system along with ECU upgrades for the CR-Z. No concrete numbers have been released yet, which is understandable given how new the technology is. We have faith though and it will be an exciting time to see two of Honda's most notorious brands battling it out on the track again, this time with CR-Z hatchbacks hopefully flying the colors we've grown and love over the past decade.

More: Spoon CR-Z Under Development from Legendary Honda Tuner on AutoGuide.com