2024 Mitsuoka Himiko Is Hiding A Mazda MX-5 Beneath Its Retro Bodywork

Believe it or not, this Morgan-esque modern classic is crafted around the Mazda MX-5. Japanese coachbuilder Mitsuoka has unveiled its latest iteration of the Himiko, its quirky retro-bodied sports car. It’s limited to just 10 examples to be sold in Japan and this new version costs ¥6,787,000 ($48,000 or £37,500), a hefty premium over a standard and arguably more attractive MX-5.

Mitsuoka specialises in building classic style cars on modern vehicles, its model line up includes a Toyota Yaris that resembles a Jaguar and an MX-5 pretending to be a Corvette Stingray. This weird and wonderful Himiko model has been around since 2008 when it was based on the NC era MX-5, since 2018 it’s been on the current ND-generation.

Just in case you wouldn’t stand out enough in the first place, the Himiko is available in seven eye-catching colors: French Mint Pearl Metallic, Solid Grey, Sunshine Orange, Chiffon Ivory Metallic, Jet Black Mica, Passion Red Metallic and Snowflake White Pearl Mica. Standard equipment is pretty good with heated seats, cruise control, navigation and a CD player if you want the complete retro experience.

See also: The Renault R5 Turbo 3E Is A Retrolicious EV Drift Machine

Of course, the Himiko is considerably larger than the petite MX-5, sitting at 4580mm long, 1740mm wide and 1235mm tall so you can expect handling won’t be quite as nimble. It’s also only available with the 1.5-litre petrol engine with a six-speed automatic gearbox. So, it’s fair to say it’s not necessarily the most desirable from any angle but surely there’s 10 people out there who think it’s something special.