Wonder сar for Friday: Mitsuoka Himiko’s updated roadster
Yes, yes, not a “dream car”, but a real “wonder car”! After all, this is exactly what the Mitsuoka company specializes in: turning standard cars into non-standard ones – and that’s putting it mildly! After all, the body and design are completely changed.
The first Mitsuoka cars were based on compact Japanese cars and were similar to British models of the 1950s. However, the company now has a crossover built on the basis of the Toyota RAV4 and similar to the large American SUVs of the 1980s. And here is another wonder car from the Japanese – Mitsuoka Himiko, which underwent an update procedure before the launch of the 2024 model year.
As in the previous cases, it is not about copying a certain model; it’s more about following a general style. This time, the style of a powerful high-speed roadster of the 1950-1960 era was chosen for the new Mitsuoka Himiko: similar to the Morgan Aero 8 or Jaguar XK120.
Of course, they took the appropriate basis – the Mazda MX-5 roadster of the current generation. However, only the style is copied: after all, under the hood of the Mitsuoka Himiko hides a regular 1.5-liter engine (although the MX-5 has a more powerful 2-liter version). In addition, the interior of the car also hints at the basis. However, the design has been radically changed: a significantly increased length (4.58 meters compared to the 4-meter long MH-5), original headlights and a radiator grille, separate fenders above the wheels, proprietary lights and a trunk lid. Among the changes to the Mitsuoka Himiko 2024 model year are new decorative trim and an expanded list of all-inclusive equipment.
According to motor1.com, only ten such Mitsuoka Himiko cars will be produced. Each of them is valued at about $50,000 – despite the fact that the base Mazda MX-5 1.5 costs about half as much. Here they are, these “expensive car toys” for those who want to stand out from the crowd as much as possible.