Niche Japanese carmaker and coachbuilder Mitsuoka
has announced that it’s Corvette Stingray-inspired Rock Star has sold out. It seems that car fans in Japan
were suitably impressed with the vehicle and have snapped up all 50 examples.
In order to create the Mitsuoka Rock Star, the
company starts with the current Mazda MX-5 and strips away virtually every
single exterior part. Next, the Corvette Stingray-esque parts are fitted,
including a sharp front grille with bright chrome accents and a muscular hood.
There are also bespoke side skirts, small air vents behind the front wheels,
tiny circular headlights, an altered rear decklid, prominent rear arches, and
four taillights.
The Rock Star manages to walk the tightrope of being
a blatant rip-off and an original design quite well. There’s no big V8 in sight,
however. Instead, the Rock Star retains Mazda’s tiny 1.5-liter SKYACTIV-G
engine pumping out 130 hp and 152 Nm of torque. Customers can opt
between a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic ‘box.
Buying an exclusive Corvette-bodied Mazda MX-5
doesn’t come cheap. According to Mitsuoka, prices for the Rock Star started at
¥ 4,688,200 (US$ 42,000) and topped out at ¥ 5,183,600 (US$ 46,800). Evidently, these
prices didn’t dissuade buyers.
