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12 October 2018
Mitsuoka transforms the MX-5 into a Rock Star
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Have you ever wanted a car with the style of a 1963 Corvette C2, but without a gas-guzzling V8 or brutish handling? Well, now such a car exists.
Behind this creation is Japanese car manufacturer Mitsuoka, which is a name people might remember from Top Gear when James May drove its weird-looking Orochi sports car.
To celebrate Mitsuoka's 50th anniversary, the brand has taken 50 Mazda ND MX-5s and retro-fitted some Americana.
Called the Rock Star, the styling is almost identical to the C2 Corvette with muscle car-like rims, chrome bumpers and four individual taillights. All that's missing are pop-up headlights.
There’s no V8 under the bonnet, instead you’ll find Mazda's 97kW/152Nm, 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, connected to either a six-speed manual or auto.
The mechanicals are unchanged from the MX-5, with all effort going towards the exterior design, while the interior only gets minor tweaks.
Paint options inlcude Chicago Red, Washington White, Cisco Orange, Arizona Yellow, Los Angeles Blue and New York Black.
All this coolness comes at a price. Starting at A$58,738, the Rock Star costs almost double that of an entry-level MX-5.
Would you take a Rock Star over a standard MX-5 or even a '60s Corvette? Let us know in the comments.
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