Priced at $52,000, only 100 units will be available next year.
It’s perfectly fine to embrace your guilty pleasures when it comes to quirky vehicles. Everyone has a soft spot for at least one car their logic says to overlook. While common sense might dismiss the Mitsuoka M55, there’s something undeniably appealing about its retro muscle car design—despite being a humble Honda Civic underneath its Dodge Challenger-inspired exterior. Initially introduced as a concept, this unique creation is now available for purchase in Japan.
Mitsuoka unveiled the M55 last year to mark its 55th anniversary. Early this year, the company announced production plans, and now, as of November, it’s taking orders for the M55 Zero Edition. Limited to just 100 units, deliveries are set for 2025, priced at 8,085,000 yen, roughly $52,200 at current exchange rates.
The design may scream four-door Challenger, but the M55 is all style with no added performance. It retains a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine delivering 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) of torque. This faux muscle car sends power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, keeping it pure Civic at heart. Mitsuoka has hinted at future options, including a CVT and even a hybrid powertrain.
Mitsuoka is accepting up to 350 applications for the M55 until January 19, 2025, when orders close. However, the car cannot be purchased online or by phone—it’s exclusively available through dealerships in Japan. To enter the lottery for one of the 100 planned units, customers must pay a refundable 550,000 yen ($3,500) application fee, which will be returned if they don’t secure a spot.
