1972 Honda N600 with a motorcycle engine will join Honda’s SEMA display

This year, Honda collaborated with the Hot Wheels Legends car show series to add its own little custom car competition called the Honda Super Tuner Legends Series. At select events, Honda sent judges to select their favorite custom Hondas, and the overall winner from the shows would go to SEMA. Honda has announced the winner, and it’s a beautiful, motorcycle-powered 1972 Honda N600 hatchback.

Yes, instead of the N600’s standard 600-cc inline two-cylinder engine making less than 50 horsepower, this model is making just over 100 horsepower with its 800-cc V4 engine from a Honda VFR 800. On top of making twice the power, its 12,000-rpm redline is 3,000 rpm higher than the original N600 engine. Making it even more impressive is the fact that the car has been converted to rear-wheel drive. Honda says that the N600’s suspension has been replaced by Miata components, which has us wondering if it’s also using a Miata transmission and differential. Regardless, the car is probably a riot to drive, especially considering that an N600 weighs around 1,300 pounds.

These radical powertrain changes are hidden by a clean and classy body. Among some of the only major additions are large body-colored fender flares that have been trimmed to follow the car’s original lines. It also features modified bumpers from the 1967-1968 Chevy Camaro and some timeless Minilite-style black wheels. Chrome trim has been painted either the same color as the body or a simple black, such as with the custom side mirror. It’s a simple and tasteful design, and one that’s sure to leave people surprised when it takes off at stop lights.