Do not adjust your set. This is not an April Fools prank, it’s not some sort of Photoshoppery, nor did someone microdose your coffee this morning. This is a real car, in the metal. And of all the many oddball vehicles that Mitsuoka have produced over the past three decades, this has to be the first one that I would completely un-ironically qualify as attractive.
This is the first Rock Star I’ve seen in the wild up close. Rare and fleeting in-motion glimpses were all I had managed up till now, but that’s because these are rather uncommon cars. I found this one sitting in a second-hand dealer’s forecourt and subsequently found it advertised online, too. When Mitsuoka unveiled their newest creation back in late 2018, they announced that only 50 units were to be made. It appears that demand was so high and frantic that they extended production into 2021 and ended up manufacturing 200 for Japan and 20 for a select few export markets.
Whoever bought this one originally got tired of it quite quickly – or realized that they would be able to make a nice return on this particular investment by reselling it quickly. The launch MRSP was ¥4.7m, but by late 2020, Mitsuoka were selling these for over twice that sum. Assuming this one was bought at the original asking price, even with a few optional extras (it does have the “S Special Package”), it’s still now being sold as a three-year-old used car for ¥7.8m (around US$63,000), with under 5000km on the clock. Demand was not entirely satisfied by those 200 units, I reckon.
The basis for this Mitsuoka is the Mazda Roadster, known internationally as the MX-5. So this modern-day C2 Corvette only has a 1.5 litre 4-cyl. under its shark-shaped snout. It’s only got 132hp, via a 6-speed manual, to send over to the driving wheels. Fortunately, those are the rear ones, though reaching 100kph from a standing start will take some 8.5 seconds, which is almost slow these days. But speed is not the point here, obviously.
Mitsuoka ended Rock Star production in 2021 by making a single 2-litre LHD model appropriately named “Only1 Special” (all the other Rock Stars, like our feature car, are 1.5 litre RHD) and organizing a raffle to determine who would have the honour of purchasing it. This took place last February, so the lone LHD Rock Star has been sold already. Sorry folks, but keep an eye on them classifieds, it might come up for sale soon.
I’m pretty sure Mitsuoka made a nice profit for the whole Rock Star gamble. And it was a gamble, as they obviously are in the process of switching their source of nostalgic influence from ‘50s British luxury cars to a ‘60s / ‘70s American look, judging from this and the new Buddy SUV. They still make Bizzarro-world versions of Jags and Bentleys, but those are now legacy designs.
Mitsuoka’s newer stuff is looking towards Detroit more than Coventry, and if they end up looking as cool as this Rock Star, then I’m all for it. There aren’t many reasons to cheer up with current automobile design, but this is definitely one of them.
Related post:
CC Outtake: 2019 Mitsuoka Rock Star – Rockin’ to the Heartbeat of America, by Jim Brophy
»sniff, sniff« Smells a little like old Corvettes in here. Only a little, though. I haven’t yet figured out if this looks reasonable in its own right, or just by comparison to all Mitsuoka’s other…ah…efforts.
(It’s 1 April, but with Mitsuoka involved I can’t reckon out who’s fooling whom)
Wonder if the modified panels are fiberglass or metal. From the lack of cut-lines, they appear to be fiberglass (just like the original C2)
I kind of like it. Removing the airbag steering wheel and replacing it with that hard thing is a stupid idea, though.
As a C2 Corvette owner (blue 427 and black ’63 with red interior, just like this), I really want to hate the Rockstar, but it is so much better than the other attempts made to replicate Mitchell’s seminal design. It is actually rather nicely done, especially the rear and it hangs together as an attractive vehicle in its own right – Id love to see one in real life….
Did they ever do a coupe version?
I agree with Huey above – I was going to say that it’s hard to screw up an early Corvette, but maybe it’s a better observation that these folks clearly did not screw it up. It is hard to capture the space between tribute and parody, but this car got it right.
On the plus side, it looks competently executed….
On the other hand, it’s still a Mitsuoka with all that implies……
Perhaps they could try an Alfa Spider version?
i always click on tatra’s articles first, and especially the mitsouka ones. Wow, it must be a different world over there in japan. I rarely see anything this rare or exciting here in smalltown midwest!
Same here!
I used to hear some people, mostly non car enthusiasts, say that if “they” built a certain vintage car, “they” could sell millions of them! This was usually in reference of the original T Bird, ’55-57 Chevy, and the early Mustang. Well it is now possible with repro bodies to build the Chevys and the Mustangs. I have not seen completed examples advertised for sale by any dealers as a “new” car. I’ve seen a couple of Chevys and Mustangs in the buff books.
Major manufacturers went through a pretty serious retro period producing heritage styled vehicles, witness the VW New Beetle, the T Bird, and the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger.These have sold pretty well. This homage to the early Stingray is attractive, I wonder if Mazda themselves could build these. I think that like the Fiat Spyder, there could be a small market for these.
One of the reasons you cannot sell an exact replica of an original Sting Ray, early Mustang, Camaro, etc, even though enough parts including complete bodies are available these days is that these old designs will not pass safety, emissions, etc homologation. They cannot be adapted to meet pedestrian protection, airbag, fuel economy, etc. standards without destroying their looks. Would people even want a vehicle that handled, rode, performed and had the lack of safety of these old designs.
Hence the retro craze, where these looks were distilled into a modern vehicle meeting current standards.
If you really want an old car that is more capable you can go the RestoMod way, improving any aspects you want – abs brakes and modern engine management systems, through complete new frames are all possible, if costly ways to tailor your vehicle to modern conditions.
There are also ways to sell vehicles in very small numbers without having to meet these standards, though.
Quality appears top notch. Aside from the hood vents and side gills this design works. Well. Perhaps Japanese are less apt to inquire about it’s origins at every stopping place like we are here in the US. If that’s the case then one could drive under the radar comfortably. Here I think most would tire of constant inquiries and explanations as to why very quickly. To the point of installing a details placard on both rear side windows or selling it in short order. Then again we have many AC Cobra reproductions running around but I believe most assume they are not the real.
Bottom line:
Mitsuoka has yet again left me dazed and confused.
Who in their right mind will spent that kind of coin in the USA for a 1,500 Mazda, albeit a very nicely finished and desirable model.
Put an Alpha motor in it and I might take a look…..otherwise I will walk on. The like new Corvette down the street for less will be beckoning and far more desirable to me. I like a car, not a handbag.
I looked at the 3/4 nose shot and thought, I think in order, Corvette, Mazda, Jaguar, BMW, either Z3 or Z8. Saw the rear and thought Corvette for sure. Guess I flunked that test.
Kind of interesting, a bit, but not nearly as garish as most that dabble in that market. But at the end of the day I’d really rather just have a Miata.
That is simply wonderful. A Miata that looked like a Stingray is a brilliant idea. I like my big boats now but I would be really tempted by this if the price was reasonable.
I love every single line on this car – a worthy tribute. I also see a bit of Iso Grifo in the front three-quarter view.
Any more pics of the F31 Leopard in the first photo?
Yes actually, it was in the last T87 Singles Outtakes round up.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtakes/cc-outtakes-t87s-singles-collection-january-february-2022-part-1-japanese-cars/