By Justin Berkowitz
December 3, 2008 -
Oh sure, it looks like a Morgan. But it’s not. Fresh from Mitsuoka, the same company that turned an Infiniti M35 into some kind of time warp British sedan for James May, is the Himiko roadster. It’s based on the Mazda MX-5, which means it’s great to drive. And the bodywork is just insane enough to walk the border between embarrassing and awesome. While most of TTAC’s finest will probably say it looks like a mutant and they’d rather chew glass than have one, I’ll proudly stand in the minority. Oh, and Lieberman and I talk about a number of rockin’ cars in today’s podcast.
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POWERED
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
What? That thing is awesome.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
A podcast! A Morgan! I’ve got wood (chassis)…Damm. it’s not a Morgan…another false alarm?
Seriously, Thanks for the podcast. I thought the 2.8 would get a bailout before the next one.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
MINI Xenon headlamps. Funny, the Morgan Aero 8 uses those now that they moved beyond the VW Beetle headlamps.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
But, where do you stow the goodies found while dumpster diving?
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
It look better than the Aero 8. They stretched the wheelbase, which was necessary for proportion but will hurt responsiveness and involves an aftermarket company altering a unibody frame.
On the other hand Mitsuoka’s work seems to be flawless, better than most OEM (damn impressive for a Japanese Excalibur). Also, the motor has effectively been shifted back in the chassis, giving the car more rear weight bias.
As they continue to modify more US market cars (they even have a modified Mustang convertible) Mitsuoka should seriously consider a presence in the states. The stretched M35 thing is very impressive.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm
In fairness, it’s the best looking thing Mitsuoka makes. Everything else they build makes me gag more than Ford’s naming schemes.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Simply gorgeous, especially in that cabernet color…I now have a new aspirational car.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
jgholt: That’s a good point, the rest of their line is ostentatious ugly (i.e. the Rolls Royce Phantom), but this is actually a really good looking car.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm
The website sez at today’s exchange rates, the bill for this gorgeousness is a smidge under US$61k, or roughly double the cost of a MX-5 Grand Touring.
When I sell my novel, or hit the lottery, this will be on order…..
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
This TTAC page is the #1 hit on google for “mitsuoka himiko” already. How did you even find this car?
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
What a beautiful machine…classy, well-engineered, and likely detailed to perfection.
I’ll take mine in Highland Green.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Nice retro look, but I don’t care for the view from the rear. Front and side views are absolutely gourgeous, though. If it drives like a Miata and money were no object I’d have one. As it is, based on a price of $61,000, I’d rather have the blander Miata with retractable hard top for half the price.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
seoultrain :
This TTAC page is the #1 hit on google for “mitsuoka himiko” already. How did you even find this car?
I’m a machine. Actually, I just have friends that are big auto enthusiasts in Japan.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Reminds me too much of the retro-ugly Rovers that were being made just before the company went teets up. I’d rather have a Morgan, because it has the scary olde-timey engineering and handling to back up the looks.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
PS I think the Orochi would be a better choice for an odd looking sportscar.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I WANT ONE NOWWWWWW.
Commence foot stamping.