Would you spend nearly $50,000 on a Miata with retro styling?
Remember the Mitsuoka Himiko? It's a strange looking convertible that resembles a Morgan Aero 8, built off the Mazda MX-5 Miata. If Mitsuoka's strange creation sounds appealing, the 2024 Himiko was just announced, and only 10 will be built. Those 10 units will be available in seven colors, including French Mint Pearl Metallic, Solid Grey, Sunshine Orange, Chiffon Ivory Metallic, Jet Black Mica, as well as the extra-cost Passion Red Metallic and Snowflake White Pearl Mica.
Each car starts its life as a soft-top Mazda Miata but is then given a custom body that is “produced by hand by a craftsman.” That new body is substantially longer than the Miata, stretching 180.3 inches from front to back. For reference, the ND Miata is only 154.1 inches. Mitsuoka also stretches the wheelbase significantly, with the extra length arriving up front to give it classic long-hood proportions.
Despite being longer and wider, the Himiko only comes with the smaller of Mazda's two available engines, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder producing 130 horsepower. And manual lovers will hate to hear the Mitsuoka will only offer a six-speed automatic transmission. Inside, the Himiko clearly shows its Mazda DNA, but the seats are wrapped in more premium leather, and the badges are all covered up with new ones. Mitsuoka even goes through the trouble of painting the upper door trim to match the chosen exterior color – just like the Miata it's based on does
Pricing for the Himiko starts at 6,787,000 yen, which converts to nearly $50,000 at today's exchange rates. Even if Mitsuoka planned to build more than 10 examples, we doubt too many people in the US would be willing to shell out Supra money for a rebodied Miata.
The Mitsuoka Rock Star, a Miata-base model styled to look like a C2 Corvette, was also expensive.
Mitsuoka has never sold cars in the US market, despite being founded in 1968, so don't expect to see the Himiko outside of Japan. The Japanese automaker has some other fun creations, including the Yaris-based Viewt that looks like an old-school Jaguar and the RAV4-based Buddy that resembles a Chevy K5 Blazer.
Would any of these odd creations sell well in the US? We doubt it. But it's fun to imagine one rolling up to a car show and receiving tons of attention.
Keyword: 2024 Mitsuoka Himiko Is A Mazda Miata With 1940s Styling