Although it isn’t quick, it is very exciting.
You could argue that the Honda N-One may not be the most exciting car on the planet. It is a car, a Japanese postwar government initiative to make small, inexpensive and lightweight cars. However, Mugen Motorsport added some sporty features to it.
It would be easy to just throw the N-One out the window as a classic city car, but let’s not forget these cars are very hot. There is even a Japanese Kei car-racing series that competes on the Suzuka Formula1_ track. Their choice of car? A Honda N-One.
The powerplant cannot produce more than 63 horsepower (47kilowatts) to comply with efficiency regulations. Although this limits the possibilities for performance upgrades, it did not stop Japan’s tuning giants having a go.
Mugen has given this Honda a few functional and stylish upgrades. Although many components are oriented towards style, others are designed to deliver performance. You can get a new exhaust or front splitter, side skirts or gurney flap. A set of spicy forged aluminum wheels is also available.
The interior options are more limited, with the main highlights being a series shift-knobs or sports pedals. While the former is certainly more functional than the latter. These upgrades, however, are more than the sum of their parts, just as the car.
Although the add-ons will not immediately turn the vehicle into a track-day weapon, they do show off its eccentric nature. We are not talking about a Type R here, but it is an attempt to boost these small-form vehicles.