For die-hard JDM fans and Tomica collectors, Mitsuoka is a brand they’re most likely familiar with by now. If you’re not too familiar with the company, it’s best known for making some of the wackiest and eyebrow-raising retro conversions in Japan.
Recently, Mitsuoka introduced the all-new Viewt Story. The Viewt Story is based on the Japanese, European, and Australian market version of the Toyota Yaris. True to the brand’s values, the Yaris then got a retro makeover in the form of a Jaguar Mark II-inspired exterior and more classic touches inside. But this time around, Mitsuoka is making yet another roadster.
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The company’s newest roadster is called the Himiko, and it’s actually a Mazda MX-5 underneath. Mind you, this isn’t the first time the company gave the world’s best-selling roadster a retro conversion. The company also makes something called the Rock Star, and it’s inspired by the second-generation Chevrolet Corvette.
While the Rock Star gets its cues from ‘60s muscle cars, the Himiko pays tribute to classic British sports cars from the ‘50s. It has round, pod-like headlights at the front, an imposing grille, and a chrome grille. Mitsuoka also lengthened the entire front end of the MX-5 for the Himiko, making it look more like a classic MG or Morgan roadster.
Mitsuoka didn’t just do extensive work on the front end. The back of the Himiko looks nothing like the MX-5 on which it’s based upon. The rear receives a ‘boat tail’ treatment with its downward and sloping trunk with four round taillights to complete the look. Like the front end, the back also gets a chrome bumper.
Inside, however, the cabin of the Himiko can be instantly recognizable as an MX-5. The entire dash is straight out of the Mazda, from its round air-conditioning vents to the floating infotainment screen. Of course, there are retro touches, namely the suede seats with diamond patterns.
Powering the Mitsuoka Himiko is not the familiar 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G engine. Instead, it uses a smaller 1.5-liter SkyActiv-G mill that’s used for the entry-level MX-5 in Japan. It makes 129hp and 150Nm of torque, so it’s no rocketship. That said, the MX-5 equipped with that engine can do the 0 to 100kph sprint in 8.3 seconds.
The price, you ask? Well, it’s heaps more compared to the standard MX-5. In Japan, the Himiko retails for ¥6,787,000, which is around P2,630,598 at local conversions costs. For reference, the base MX-5 in Japan starts at just ¥3,257,100, or P1,262,431.
