Image Credit: Honda/Mugen.
I have a confession to make, and it's a bit of a weird one. I have a deeply unhealthy, borderline clinical obsession with tiny Japanese cars. Especially the quick ones. There is something about those JDM "pocket rockets" that makes my heart skip a beat. Not long ago, Honda gave us the Super-N, and I was as giddy as a schoolboy until I saw the specs. It has 94 horsepower, and even then, it only lasts for a few seconds before it gives up and goes for a 63-horsepower nap. It was a heartbreaker.
But then, hope arrived! The legendary tuners at Mugen - the wizards who turn Hondas into fire-breathing monsters - announced they were getting their hands on the Super-One EV platform. I thought, "Finally! They're going to give this wee toaster some actual teeth!" I hoped for a mid-mounted motor from a Tesla or enough electricity to power a village. But Mugen looked at this electric shopping cart and decided that what it really needed wasn't more "go," but a massive dose of "show." It's pure dead brilliant to look at, but under the hood, it's still about as threatening as a damp napkin.
Image Credit: Honda/Mugen.
The bodywork is magnificent. Mugen has gone full "Group B rally" on it. They've slapped on a widebody kit with a vented hood that looks like it's cooling a V12, but it's actually cooling... well, nothing. There are vented wide fender extensions that make the car look like it's been hitting the gym, carbon fiber mirror caps, and some seriously deep side skirts. It even sits on 16-inch forged aluminum wheels with a five-spoke design. Those wheels are screaming "I'm fast," but the speedometer is screaming "I'm trying my best!" It's a pure comedy, this one.
Around the back, they've added a roof spoiler large enough to serve Christmas dinner on and some sharp bumper extensions. It looks like a proper race car. It really does. If you saw this in your rearview mirror, you'd pull over out of respect. But then it would pass you at 25 miles per hour, and you'd realize the driver is just trying to find a parking spot. It reminds me of seeing someone wearing a full Olympic spandex suit to walk to the mailbox. It's the definition of daft.
Image Credit: Honda/Mugen.
We have to talk about that "engine," if you can call it that. Mugen has left the electric powertrain completely alone. That means you get a single electric motor that produces 94 horsepower in "Boost Mode." To make up for the lack of actual speed, Honda has installed Active Sound Control - it pipes fake engine noises through the speakers and adds simulated gearshifts. So, while you're doing 40, it sounds like you're winning the Monaco Grand Prix. I bet if you give a megaphone to a hamster, it'll sound loud. But it's still a hamster.
Thankfully, Mugen collaborated with Yamaha to develop Performance Dampers for this tike. They've also lowered the suspension and widened the tracks to make it handle like a proper go-kart. It's got a much more aggressive chassis than the standard Super-N (or N-One e: - that's its name in Japan), which means you can take corners at full tilt without the car tipping over like a top-heavy cow. It'll handle brilliantly, which is good, because you'll need to maintain all your momentum through every corner just to keep up with a cyclist on the straightaways.
Image Credit: Honda/Mugen.
Inside, the madness continues. Mugen ripped out the sensible seats and tossed in Recaro semi-buckets. Because, obviously, when you're unleashing 94 horsepower, you need enough lateral support to survive a jet fighter takeoff. You also get Mugen-branded scuff plates, floor mats, and a two-spoke "race-ready" steering wheel. They've even included hydrophobic mirrors - handy for when you're driving through a light rain and need to see exactly who's laughing at your giant spoiler.
Mugen hasn't put a price on these upgrades yet since they're still in the workshop, but it's launching in Japan in late May 2026. The best news? It's coming to the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. There's even talk of a one-make racing series. A dozen of these widebody, carbon-clad EVs humming around a track, sounding like Formula 1 cars but moving at the speed of a brisk walk? It would be the slowest, and most ridiculous thing on four wheels. And I'd be the first in line to drive one. It's all mouth and no trousers - but what a mouth it is!
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