Japanese Domestic Market cars (JDM for short) are vehicles that were only sold over there, and never over here. Nothing buys more street-cred to a North American gearhead than a right-hand drive car. Ironically, Japanese car culture has an obsession with American cars. Case in point is Mitsuoka Motors, a small ‘coachbuilder’ that rebodies run-of-the-mill Mazda Miatas into something special. This model called the Rock Star is built on a current-gen Miata with a body inspired by the 1963-1967 Corvette Sting Ray.
Built from 2018 to 2022, the Mitsuoka Rock Star was a left-hand-drive model only. But just as production was ending, Mitsuoka built the Rock Star 2.0 LHD Only1 Special, a one of a kind, left-hand-drive Mitsuoka Rock Star with exterior paint called Passion Blood Red.
Mitsuoka held a 100 ticket lottery to decide who got to buy the car. One lucky North American got a Japanese roadster built to look like an American classic.
Interestingly, the build on this specific Miata indicates it’s a 2019 vehicle originating from Canada. Hope it makes it back over here; that would mean this Japanese built Mazda crossed the ocean to be sold in Canada, returned to Japan to be given the Rock Star body, then brought back home again to the new owner. Trippy.
How cute!! A mini Corvette. Even the rims look like the iconic American Torq Thrust.
Good eye, Rubens.
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What I find weird about the Mitsuoka is that its supposed to be based on the looks of a C2, but the rear end really reminds me of the C3. Like an amalgamation of the two.
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But I’d still 100% drive this thing!!!
Me too!!! Show me where and I will sign. Since the price for the real deal must be in the stratosphere level.
Yeah…its not cheap. It was listed in 2023 at USD $86,274 so thats like $116,000 + in Canuck Bucks.
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For a Miata.
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I could buy an NB Miata and a C3 Corvette for that kind of money (and have change left over).