Today, we have a very special Today. Specifically, it’s a Honda Today painted like the star car of the You’re Under Arrest series. Even more specifically, it’s the actual Honda Today used in the live-action adaptation of Kosuke Fujishima’s popular manga.
If you’re not familiar with the You’re Under Arrest series of manga, anime, live-action video games, it is one of the best car-themed stories from Japan. Ostensibly it’s about two police officers who patrol the streets of Tokyo, usually in a modified Honda Today and an occasionally on a Honda Motocompo.
Fujishima’s selection and drawings of real cars, whether featured in the story or simply as background cars, is like a love letter to gearheads. In 2002, the manga and anime was adapted into a live-action TV program, and this was the car built by Bandai for use in the show.
It’s fitted with a removable light bar, a standard issue black and white Japanese police paint scheme, and Volk TE37 wheels just Fujishima drew in the original manga. It’s a 5-speed manual with a lightweight flywheel. Sadly, the owner says nitrous was not installed as it was in the manga.
It’s still in remarkably good condition considering it was a picture car. That’s probably because it’s been under private ownership for many years. The seller says that the odometer reads 72,632 km (45,131 miles) which typical for Japan but practically new for a mid-1980s car anywhere else in the world.
As the You’re Under Arrest Facebook fan group puts it, the asking price of ¥1.5 million ($13,600 USD) makes it the most expensive Today on the market several times over. But, that is the price of fame.
The seller says the registration is good until April 2020, and originally tweeted that they were going to scrap it if it wasn’t sold by that date. However, after followers suggested it be donated to a museum, the owner has been trying to find a taker. A few museums have been approached, but none have accepted it. They’ve even asked Kosuke Fujishima himself if he wants it, but he said he couldn’t take it. So, if you live in Japan and can find a good home for it, you can contact the seller here.
Beautiful car, it would be a crime to scrap it.
Must…resist…but…can’t…
I have been a Kosuke Fujishima fan for years (guess where I got the inspiration for my nick came from…) and this is definitely one of the holy grails that I’d like to have parked in my garage! 😀
Why not donate it to the Honda Museum? The anime series and movie was a love letter choke full of Honda products beyond the Today and Motocompo: https://youtu.be/W5ueVRfCBvo
Let this car not be yesterday. Wish I could save it.
Ha!
I hope that You saved it.
Hi Smith’Hot wheels guy’ in Bham al., just saw article and thought ‘why don’t they contact USA Honda Plant 50 miles away from Bham , maybe they may put it in their plant in Lincoln al.(USA), for those that don’t know that is next to Talladega Raceway. Hey check me for Hot wheels!. Thanks.
Was quite an entertaining live-action adaption, although I only watched it originally because Misaki Ito was in it.
Cool little thing. It’s reminded me that I’d really quite like a regular, non-movie Today.
Hey, did you saved it?
this car is magic man