Hot on the heels of their announcement that the CR-Z Hybrid was coming later this year, Honda is leaking some teaser images and details on their yet to be announced CR-Z Type R Hybrid. Based on the infamous CR-X, a car that won numerous awards including Motortrends Import Car of the Millenium, the CR-Z Hybrid has obvious styling cues linking it back to the popular 1980’s boy-racer-wet-dream. The Type R variant is going to feature a gasoline/electric hybrid drivetrain with a combined output of ~200bhp, initial estimates have the manual version of the Type R managing about 30 mpg and we don’t expect to see a plug-in hybrid version until the second generation in 2013.

This pocket rocket is going to be hugely fashionable with the import-tuner-car scene in North America, the EU and Australia/New Zealand and as such will break new ground for hybrids (and the acceptance of hybrids) in a crowd used to openly mocking the Prius. We think that we’ll begin to see companies offering high performance electric motors and battery systems to boost performance and this will, in turn, give birth to a new “high performance hybrid” moniker which for young men the world over might just begin to make hybrid cars look less like Driving Miss Daisy and more like Fast and the Furious, although hopefully without the under car lighting and Paul Walker.

What do you think? Will Honda’s gamble on the CR-Z and CR-Z Type R pay off?

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Honda CR-Z Type R Specifications and Price

Engine – 1.5 L (92 cu in) SOHC i-VTEC 150hp (estimated)

Electric Motor – 50hp (estimated)

Transmission – 6-Speed

Battery System – Lithium-ion

Seating Capacity -2+2

Curb Weight – 1,200kg

Price – $27,000 USD (estimated)