Today’s younger generation of Honda fans love the N-series of kei cars in Japan which drew inspiration from the original N360/600. It was one of Honda’s early 4-wheelers and although tiny enough (about 3 metres long) to fit between the front and rear axle lines of American cars of the 1970s, Honda decided to sell the model in the US market. It was the start of the brand’s automobile sales in that market which would become very successful to the extent that a Honda sedan would be the bestselling car in the market.
The N600 had an all-aluminium air-cooled engine with a 9,000 rpm redline that could take it 130 km/h. It was a simple car, nimble and helped Honda gain the reputation of offering fuel-efficient cars that would be advantageous in later years.
12,000 rpm Honda VFR engine
Recently, a 1972 N600 owned by Stephen Mines won the first-ever Honda Super Tuner Legends Series, which joined the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in 2019 as the exclusive tuner component of the program. Customized over a 5-year period, this particular N600 is powered by a 12,000 rpm Honda VFR 800 cc V4 motorcycle engine in a rear-wheel drive configuration.
Stephen’s customised N600 that won the inaugural Honda Super Tuner Legends Series also boasts a modified Mazda MX-5 Miata suspension system, seats from a Polaris RZR, and modified front and rear bumpers from a 1967-68 Chevy Camaro!
Other finalists for the 2019 Honda Super Tuner Legends Series included a 1978 Honda Civic, 2003 Honda S2000, and 2015 Honda Civic Si. The first-ever Honda Super Tuner Legends Series kicked off in May 2019, as an extension of the second annual Hot Wheels Legends Tour, a national search (in the USA) for a life-size custom car worthy of being immortalized as a Hot Wheels toy car.
Local Honda enthusiasts entered their custom-tuned Hondas in the hopes of being selected as one of four finalists competing for the ‘Honda Super Tuner’ title and the opportunity to have their vehicle displayed at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas next month.
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