TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda today
announced that a 1972 Honda N600 owned by Stephen Mines has 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 five-year period, the Honda N600 is powered by a
Honda VFR 800cc V4 motorcycle engine in a rear wheel drive
configuration, sporting a 12,000 RPM redline and a surprisingly
deep and growly engine sound.
"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," said Stephen
Mines, owner of the winning N600. "As a longtime Honda fan,
and owner of more than a few Hondas, it will be an incredible honor
to see my car at Honda's booth at SEMA."
The custom N600 that won the inaugural Honda Super Tuner Legends
Series also boasts a modified Mazda
Miata suspension system, seats from a Polaris
RZR®, and modified front and rear bumpers from a 1967-68
Chevy® Camaro. Mines' throwback N600 is fitting as this
year American Honda celebrated its 60th anniversary.
The other three finalists for the 2019 Honda Super Tuner Legends
Series included a:
- 1978 Honda Civic
- 2003 Honda S2000
- 2015 Honda Civic Si
Honda N600
After a decade of growth that led to Honda
becoming the top-selling motorcycle manufacturer in America and the
world, Honda began automobile sales in U.S. in 1970 with the Honda
N600, with a starting price of $1,300. At just 122 inches in length, the N600
was small enough to fit between the front and rear wheels of some
full-size American passenger cars of the time.
The N600 had an all-alloy engine with a 9,000 rpm redline that
could propel the N600 to speeds of up to 81 miles per hour. A
simple, yet skillfully designed vehicle, the N600 was nimble and
fuel-efficient, characteristics it shares with today's Hondas,
helping pave the way for the quality and reliability for which
Honda vehicles have become known.
Honda Tuner Vehicles
Honda vehicles are favorites of
car enthusiasts and "tuners" – owners who customize their vehicles
with third-party parts to personalize the appearance and
performance. For many years, Honda has celebrated this relationship
at the annual SEMA Show in Las
Vegas, and at other exhibitions and rallies, honoring those
who make Honda vehicles an expression of their unique personality.
This commitment includes the creation of Honda Factory
Performance accessories that offer vehicle owners the ability to
personalize their builds, while enhancing appearance, performance
and functionality.
Honda Super Tuner Legends Series
The first-ever Honda
Super Tuner Legends Series kicked off in El Segundo, Calif., in May 2019, as an extension of the second annual
Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour, a national search 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 – the industry's premier automotive
specialty products trade event – in Las
Vegas from November 5-8,
2019.
The Honda Super Tuner Legends Series made select stops along the
Legends Tour: El Segundo, Calif.
on May 18, Seattle on Aug.
24, Denver on Sept. 14, and Santa
Clarita, Calif. on Oct.
19.
Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour
The first-ever Hot Wheels™
Legends Tour was held in 2018 to commemorate the toy car's
50th anniversary and drew in more than 3,600 cars and
65,000 fans. Hot Wheels™ aficionados from across the country
entered their life-size custom cars in the hope of it being the
winning vehicle chosen to be made into a Hot Wheels™ toy car. This
year, Hot Wheels™ expanded the Legends Tour to include more than 18
stops throughout the country at Walmart stores in cities with
deep-rooted ties to car culture. Full details on the Hot Wheels™
Legends Tour can be found at:
https://hotwheels.mattel.com/explore/HW_50th/en/legends-tour.
Honda and Hot Wheels™
For nearly two decades,
Honda and Hot Wheels™ have partnered to design dozens of Honda Hot
Wheels™ toy cars, including 20 currently in production. In 2018,
Hot Wheels™ released a series of eight iconic 1:64 scaled die-cast
Honda Hot Wheels™ toys, including the Honda CR-X, '90 Honda Civic
EF, Honda Civic Coupe, Honda Civic Si, Honda Monkey Z50, Honda
Racer 5, Honda S2000 and Honda Odyssey.
For More Information
Consumer information is
available at automobiles.honda.com. To join the Honda
community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/honda. Additional
media information including detailed pricing features and
high-resolution photography of all 2019 Honda models is available
at hondanews.com.
About Honda
Honda marked its
60th anniversary in America in June 2019, and 40 years of production in America
in Sept. 2019. Honda established its
first U.S. business operation in Los
Angeles in 1959. Today, Honda employs more than 31,000
associates in the development, manufacturing, sales and servicing
of Honda and Acura automobiles, Honda power equipment and
powersports products, the HondaJet advanced light jet and GE Honda
HF120 turbofan engines.
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and
fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold
through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup
includes the Fit, Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series
passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport
utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan.
Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35
years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in
North America. In 2018, more than
90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made
in North America, using domestic
and globally sourced parts.
About Mattel
Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) is a leading global
children's entertainment company that specializes in design and
production of quality toys and consumer products. We create
innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and
develop children through play. We engage consumers through our
portfolio of iconic franchises, including Barbie®, Hot
Wheels®, American Girl®,
Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and
MEGA®, as well as other popular brands that we own or
license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our
offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and
live events. We operate in 40 locations and sell products in more
than 150 countries in collaboration with the world's leading retail
and technology companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is
proud to be a trusted partner in exploring the wonder of childhood
and empowering kids to reach their full potential. Visit us online
at www.mattel.com.
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SOURCE Honda