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.