Mitsuoka had a simple idea in 2023, but it grew into something much more exciting. The little Japanese company chose to celebrate its 55th birthday with a one-off prototype based on the Honda Civic hatchback, which turned out to be a fantastic idea. Public interest ran so high that more than 1,300 people reached out right away. Now the company has moved the project into limited production, and the newest version carries the RS badge.
The new Mitsuoka RS is a true head-turner, beginning with the front end, where looks like they’ve taken the grille and lighting straight from the old Dodge Challenger. The sides maintain the original Civic doors and windows, but the rear slats above the window give the Mitsuoka RS a distinct retro-Japanese coupe look, similar to some of the earlier Nissan Skylines. This sleek vehicle is available in both Shore Blue Metallic and Nardo Grey colors.
Sale
LEGO Speed Champions Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Sports Car Toy - Building Set for Learning, Play and Display - Kids Toy for Boys and Girls, Ages 9+ - Birthday Gift Idea for Race Car Fans - 77237
- LEGENDARY MUSCLE CAR – Race fans ages 9+ can build the powerful LEGO Speed Champions Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, capturing the raw power of this iconic sports car
- AUTHENTIC DESIGN – This detailed toy car features the Hellcat's signature long hood, distinctive hood scoop, bold front grille, and dual tailpipes just like the real muscle car
- INCLUDES DRIVER MINIFIGURE – Set comes with a Dodge racing driver that children can place behind the wheel for exciting race scenarios on imaginary tracks and streets
$26.99
−$5.00
$21.99
Buy on Amazon
Inside, the donor Civic is virtually unchanged. The dashboard layout, infotainment screen, and controls remain unchanged, but Mitsuoka has made some changes to put its stamp on things. The corporate name is on the steering wheel, and the seats are wrapped in some excellent ringed leather with contrasting stitching, as well as the “RS” design. Add some carbon fiber-effect panels and a few red accents to brighten things up, but the everyday controls remain unchanged.
The M55 RS is powered by the same 1.5-liter turbocharged engine used in the Civic RS. Honda’s 180 horsepower engine is quite fine, but it will only transfer power to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The combination is fairly smooth and suitable for everyday driving, but it won’t exactly blow your socks off. It lacks some power when compared to the Civic Type R, and the acceleration is adequate but not particularly impressive. However, the Civic suspension does an adequate job.
Orders will begin in April 2026, and the good news is that Mitsuoka has committed to manufacture exactly 55 of these things, just as they did previously. The bad news is that it’s extraordinarily pricey – 8,888,000 yen (about $55,500), which is more than double the price of a normal Civic RS with manual transmission.
[Source]
