This 1972 Honda N600 May Look Tame But It Sounds Ferocious And Revs to 12,000rpm

The Honda Super Tuner Legends Series was established to celebrate and recognize the efforts of Honda enthusiasts and their custom-tuned vehicles. The event is in its first year and has been running as an extension to the popular Hot Wheels Legends Tour, which kicked off at El Segundo California in May.

Having made stops at Seattle and Denver the tour was back in California in October at Santa Clarita to crown the winner of the Legends series, a 1972 Honda N600. This model was Honda’s very first automobile sold in the US and it helped set the company up as a manufacturer of characterful and reliable vehicles.

This particular N600 was tastefully modified to retain the original’s fun-loving character and in place of the all-alloy 600cc engine, a similarly rev-happy but far more powerful Honda VFR 800cc V4 motorcycle powerplant has been fitted.

With a redline of 12,000rpm, rear-wheel-drive and a curb weight of not much more than 1100lbs (500kg) this little car must be the perfect companion for a blast up a winding mountain road. Other modifications to the little N600 include Mazda Miata suspension and classic Chevy Camaro front and rear bumpers. The Minilite wheels under the flared wheelarches suit the car well and bring to mind another icon of the ’60s, the Mini Cooper 1275 GT.

Owner Stephen Mines spent five years getting his car just right and was predictably excited at having won. “When I arrived at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, I was truly impressed by the amount of work from the other Honda tuners. I’m thrilled, and humbled, that my N600 not only stood out but was selected as the winner of the first-ever Honda Super Tuner Legends Series.”

The other three finalists included a 1978 Civic, 2003 S2000 and 2015 Civic Si. The winning N600 will be displayed at Honda’s booth at SEMA in Las Vegas, which will be running from 5-8 November.

Images courtesy of Honda