GT5 Transcripts/Honda N360 '67

The 1st lightweight K-car sold by Honda in March 1967, was the N360. Since the only 4 wheeled vehicle that Honda sold until then was the S series sports cars which were less than 30,000 in total production, the N360 was in essence Honda's first commercial passenger car. The "N" in N360 was from the "N" in Normale, named like an Italian motorcycle.
The N360 had many breakthroughs. First of all, K-cars at the time were normally powered by 2-stroke air-cooled engines. However, the N360 was given an air-cooled 4-stroke engine. It utilized a complex inline 2 cylinder SOHC engine, and produced 31 BHP. It was brought up to 36 BHP by the end of its life, an amazingly high spec for its time.
K-cars of the day normally used an RR layout, but the N360 followed the British Mini, and was the first FF ever for a K-car. With an FF layout, the space required for the engine and transmission is small, and allows a larger passenger space. It also raised the cooling efficiency of the engine, and gave it good straight line stability. The N360 was a major sensation, and in just 2 years they sold 400,000 cars, easily outselling the famous Subaru 360. This success established Honda which was primarily a Motorcycle manufacturer until then, as a full fledged 4 wheel car manufacturer.
The performance of the N360 was superb, with the first generation 4 speed MT model reaching top speeds of 71 mph. The suspension in the front was strut, with a leaf spring, rigid rear suspension. The brakes were front and rear drum. In January 1970, a minor change was performed, with the name changing to NIII360. In March of the same year, an AT model was added, and in the fall, the NIII Town model was added to the lineup.
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