Mitsuoka is a car company best described as the automotive equivalent of a Tokyo burger joint. It’s a thoroughly Japanese company that is ultimately quite obsessed with the American aesthetic. The company is now celebrating its 55th anniversary, and it’s put together a very special car for the occasion.
Enter the M55 Concept—a sort of strange neo-modern car with a muscular visage, akin to something you might see in an early-90s anime set in the near future. True to Mitsuoka’s form, it places stunning American styling tropes on an excellent Japanese base. Previously, the company has turned the RAV4 into a Blazer tribute, and the MX-5 into a stunning cover version of the Corvette. Now, it’s turned the eleventh-generation Honda Civic into a fastback that apes the Dodge Challenger.
There are a lot of classic muscle elements here, from the squared-off indents in the hood, to the four round headlights and the blacked-out grille. It’s pure Challenger, right down to the lip spoiler. The louvers on the rear are a further nod to the 1960s, while the rear end also gets a subtle little ducktail spoiler, too. The tail lights are a particular treat, with their rounded and simple form a salve in a modern world full of jagged, angular designs. 
Inside, Mitsuoka has blessed the concept with an eye-catching set of seats in a rich blue leather, and riveted for a sense of purpose. In perhaps the model’s sole aesthetic flaw, there’s an ungainly square “Mitsuoka” badge on the wheel filling in for where Honda’s H would usually go. The rest of the build is exquisite, but that’s a touch of a letdown. The wheels are also a touch too petite, but the sporty design and white-lettered Michelins nonetheless look the part.
Mitsuoka has never really been a company that has built cars to crow about performance. Instead, it’s all about the style. Thus, underneath, the car is still just a Honda Civic. That means it’s front-wheel-drive with good fuel economy and quality handling.
That might sound disappointing, but for Mitsuoka, this ethos has worked for a long time. In a way, it makes sense. A Honda Civic is far more practical to drive around Japan than a full-fat Dodge Challenger, especially when you think about fuel. Thus, what to do for the eager enthusiast who wants American style in a car that suits the homeland? Well, Mitsuoka is there to help.
For now, it’s just a concept, and it’s set to tour Mitsuoka’s Japanese dealerships over the next few months. However, we could easily see something like this entering production if the interest is there. Ultimately, it looks brilliant, like most of Mitsuoka’s work, so here’s hoping the customers bite and Japan gets to see some of these out on the roads someday.
I think I’d be more interested if they took their cues from a different Mopar. First generation Plymouth Barracuda.
Looks better than the Civic its based off of.
grommets, not rivets. I like it it. Montreal/Celica in a good way.
I expected to hate it, but I don’t. Front and rear look a little bulky, which was always my main Challenger issue. Larger wheels might look better? But overall I like the the idea.
I’d say the exact opposite thing about the wheels – it needs smaller rims and larger sidewalls. Maybe even steelies with dog dishes and a chrome trim ring.
Looks like the hate-fuck child of a Lancia Delta and a Skyline Kenmeri, in kind of a good way. Kind of.
I knew the Challenger.
This is not a Challenger.
Fight me. Bite me.
The Civic is a really good looking FWD car that does not at all have the proportions for this. The properly proportioned but bland GR86 would have been the car for this.
Agreed. I want to like this thing, but the proportions and shapes of the two cars don’t work at all, and the result is an ungainly mess. A GR86 would’ve been a much better starting point, but I guess that would make it look too much like the existing modern Dodge Challenger.
Still, a GR86 with a body kit to look like a different classic muscle car could totally work.
Mr./Ms. Mitsuoka,
For your next new product, please convert the Nissan 400Z to a Datsun 240Z.
Thank You,
Max
It looks like an Australian Valiant or Charger
This looks…….good? It’s definitely more conventional than most of their other cars. Knowing it’s a homage to a purely JDM car and not a Challenger takes the cake. Although having to explain that to every Challenger bro insulting it would get old fast.
They aren’t everyone’s cup of tea……ok, so they are closer to no one’s cup of tea….but god bless Mitsuoka. Always brining the absurdly zany fun to boring cars.
If this could have been RWD, it would have been so much better of a car…
I see less Challenger and more old-school Skyline or Celica.
That late 60s, early 70’s styling sure holds up
The rear end reminds me of the first-generation Toyota Celiica hatchback, which itself apes earlier fastback Mustangs if memory serves. I kind of love it: it looks better (IMO) than the Civic on which it’s based, and the mere idea of a Civic-sized Challenger is tremendously appealing.
But I have to ask: why wouldn’t they use the two-door Civic sport as the starting point, since the Challenger itself is a two-door? I know it’s been discontinued, but I think you could buy a Civic coupe as recently as 2019 (here in the States). Perhaps the greenhouse and doors didn’t fit as well with the company’s additions as the sedan version? Also: as of 2022, you could still get a manual plain Civic (Sport, not Si or R), so that’d be ideal.
Regardless, I think it’s great. If it becomes an actual buyable product, I assume that it might be possible to import the kit and find a competent body shop to install it (as opposed to waiting till the middle of the 21st century to import one, which would be right-hand drive anyway. I don’t recall whether anyone’s done a Mitsuoka Rav4 or Miata in the U.S. or not… presumably the cost of shipping the kit, and customs, and installation and paint would make the resulting vehicle pretty pricey.
Jeez, it’s nice though. Love the headlights, taillights, and grommeted seats. Get it painted some Challenger factory color, choose some wheels that mimic Dodge OEM ones, and enjoy it! 😀
The last gen (10th) coupe was actually not sold outside of North America at all; the 9th gen I think was the same, but certainly in Japan as they didn’t sell any Civics during that run there aside from the Type R.
See, now THIS, I’d import.
With any luck, you’ll be able to get one in… 2049 for the US and 2039 for Canada. Oof.
At last, a car that Challenger-driving-bros and fast-and-furious Civic-driving-tuners can agree to hate on.
I kind of love it. Like those two populations never considered what would happen if they had kids together. This is like Christmukkah in car form. This is the Chanukah bush in between the Menorah and the Christmas tree. It’s the guy who doesn’t know where to sit at the wedding of that cousin of yours who met his wife on a trip to India. This car encapsulates how Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders felt when someone came to them for an autograph in the off-season and they don’t know how to sign it because they aren’t sure if the person is a football or baseball fan. This car is a pickup truck bed away from being an automotive TurDucken.
“This car is a pickup truck bed away from being an automotive TurDucken.”
Best comment.
FWIW my family celebrates Christmas and Hanukah simultaneously. Twice the holiday fun!
Looks like a modern take on how the first Celica did with the Mustang. The front end is a little much in the side profile, but I can did it otherwise.
Came here to say the same.
Also getting a fun Datsun B210 vibe.
Although there are certain things about this that I like, it is not cohesive at all. Way too much car over the front axle compared to the rear makes it look unbalanced.
Not cohesive is a Mitsuoka trademark.
Trademark? It’s pretty much their whole company ethos isn’t it!?
Perhaps they should partner with will.i.am, in that case.
That nose is about 2 inches too long out front.
I almost feel dirty saying this, but… It’s not the greatest. The Civic is too boring and the skin isn’t interesting or unique enough
Their mx-5 C2 had the perfect base car, the perfect car to ape, and did their stealing with sublime artfullness. They captured the soul of C2 while adapting it perfectly to Miata and adding their own flare. Quite simply, they did the impossible
I absolutely love that car, at least in photos.
Any car can be turned into a Dodge Challenger.
1) loud ass muffler – doesn’t matter what motor your car has
2) drive fast, weave in and out of traffic, tailgate if you can’t get through
3) race all other Challengers, Chargers, or WRXs… oh and harass Bimmers to try and get them to race.
4) repeat daily
God this is one dude on my daily commute to a T. He punches it under every overpass and gets nowhere fast.
It’s only topped by the Accord that has put speakers in the rear windows shooting out at fellow commuters. When I see a white Accord near me on the parkway I panic a little.
5) Set driver’s seat to full recline so you have clearance for your boomer belly and steer with one hand on the bottom of the wheel in paw grip.
Hideous.
the underbite, grill at the edge of the hood line and 4 doors remind me of a Lancia Delta of some vintage I think. but man it actually looks decent to be mixed in with seemingly standard last gen Challenger design cues as well.
No no no, this is clearly inspired by the C110 “Kenmeri” Skyline. Japanese Nostalgic Car is the only automotive media outlet I’ve seen so far getting this right.
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/mitsuoka-m55-nissan-skyline-kenmeri-honda-civic/
Yes, seriously!! You’d think the Autopian, of all American automotive websites, would get this right?!??
*Facepalm*
And thank you, LTDScott, for posting the link, it’s quite a good article! I’d already read the article, as per the daily email I get from JNC which somehow manages to post these articles in the wee morning hours (Eastern time) despite being based on the West Coast. (By the way, this isn’t meant as a dig at the Autopian; it’s quite impressive how JNC and the Autopian are able to create the articles they do and post them in a timely manner, especially under circumstances involving being stuck with an upper bunk bed or bathing in cold Scandinavian seas. Despite my impecunity I might actually plump for a Cloth or even Vinyl membership to help support such efforts.)
The link you provided changed my mind
I was thinking it looked more Gen1 Accord…
Came here to say this. Also, HOW DO WE GET MITSUOKA PARTS IN THE US?
Thanks for this LTDScott… I knew nothing of the C110 Kenmeri Skyline before your post. And you’re right of course, the Mitsuoka clearly uses that as inspiration.
That’s clearly an A20 Celica