The Mitsuoka M55: The Honda Civic Concept That Challenges The Challenger

Japan's youngest automaker unveiled a magnificent concept car in early 2024, and it probably broke the record for being the fastest to leap from concept to production. The Mitsuoka M55 is a modern Honda Civic Hatchback underneath, but the exterior panels ooze with throwback vibes that would make Dodge Challenger purists and JDM enthusiasts do a double take.

What started in 1968 as a paint shop and used car lot has become a global franchise renowned for creating top-class hearses and fanciful renditions of modern cars. However, it was only in 1994 that the Japanese Automobiles Manufacturers Association (JAMA) recognized Mitsuoka as an auto manufacturer, making it the country's youngest carmaker next to Honda.

If you love cars and follow the automotive scene, you have probably heard about the Mitsuoka Buddy — a Toyota RAV4 with retro-classic body panels inspired by the Chevy K5 Blazer. Mitsuoka is also the brains behind the Orochi supercar produced from 2006 to 2014. It has fancy scissor doors and an amphibian's façade, but it also rode on first-gen Acura/Honda NSX underpinnings, and drew motivation from a 3.3-liter Toyota V6 engine.

Mitsuoka got over a thousand inquiries of interest not long after debuting the M55 concept. The small automaker didn't waste time and contacted Honda to secure enough Honda Civic Hatchbacks to satiate demand. The first deliveries should be carried out by 2025, but clients should expect to wait longer, since Mitsuoka is unlike any modern automaker that utilizes production-efficient robots and assembly lines.

Each car is stripped out and hand-assembled by a pair of Mitsuoka artisans using wrenches and rubber hammers. They do it one at a time in a relatively minor garage in Toyama City, Tokyo, Japan, which is why each Mitsuoka vehicle takes an average of two months from start to finish. Mitsuoka sticks to the time-and-tested way of making cars, harking back to the glorious coachbuilding days of yore.

Mitsuoka/X (Twitter)

Mitsuoka's latest M55 is a 55th-anniversary tribute to the automaker's roots. It resembles a leaner Dodge Challenger in the front, but the sides and rear are pure 1970s nostalgia that brings back memories of Galant GTOs and early Nissan Skylines. Meanwhile, the white-lettered tires and rear windscreen louvers sweeten the deal, making it more appealing to the senses than the original car.

The Mitsuoka M55 proves it's never too early to restomod an otherwise excellent Civic Hatchback or any modern car. It doesn't have a muscular Hemi V8 under the hood, but it makes up for it in rarity and character.