Mitsuoka is a company does a lot of classic-like coachbuilds of regular Japanese vehicles. Usually it is the front and the rear that changes, but the for Himiko they went a bit further. The Himiko is a luxurious convertible based on the Mazda MX-5, Miata or Roadster, as it is called in Japan. The styling is inspired on the classic convertible vehicles with curvy lines and a long hood.
Up until now two generations have been made. The first generation Himiko was released in 2008 based on the NC generation of the Roadster with retractable hardtop. Finished base vehicles from Mazda are shipped to Mitsuoka, which is based in Toyama, Japan. There, the interior and exterior parts are disassembled, and Mitsuoka starts working on the chassis of the vehicle. The wheelbase is extended by 700 mm and the front overhang shortened by 560 mm to generate that long hood look. All the bodywork is made specifically for the Himiko.
The interior did not change as much the exterior. It was basically the same as that of the Roadster but some unique colors were used for interior garnishes as well as the Mitsuoka badging on the steering wheel.
The engine and drivetrain of the Roadster have been kept. At the time of release, the Himiko was available with a 2.0 liter which had 170 horsepower with the 6-speed manual transmission or 162 horsepower with the 6-speed automatic transmission. In 2009, an entry model was added to the line-up which had the same engine but a 5-speed manual transmission. At the same time, a soft top model (again based on the Roadster) was made available as well.
From 2015, the new ND Roadster was introduced. It took Mitsuoka some time to get their new model based on this generation Roadster ready, but in February 2018, Mitsuoka released the second generation of the Himiko. At this time, the Himiko was only available based on the soft top version of the Roadster. The engine choice was limited to the 1.5 liter Skyactive engine with 131 horsepower. The choice was a 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed automatic.
The interior gained a big update with the switch from the NC to ND generation but like the first generation, the influences of Mitsuoka were not so significant. Alcantara was used on some interior parts and the steering wheel. This generation of Roadster came with a lot of safety features such as Blind Spot Monitor, Emergency Braking System, Lane Departure Alert and automatic lights and wiper. These features were carried over to the Himiko.
For export market, the Himiko is also available in left hand drive. The first generation has been build for a total of around 190 units in a 10 year lifespan. Several special editions have been released. Details for these can be found in the below link.
Click on the picture below to see the Mitsuoka Himiko details and specifications per year such as weight, new price and equipment for each version in the Goo-net.com catalog.
