The Mitsuoka Rock Star is one of the company’s better creations. It shrinks down the body of a C2 Corvette and places it on the chassis of an ND Mazda Miata. Actually, we should say Roadster, because for the most part, all Rock Stars are built on the Japanese-spec Mazdas. All, that is, except for the Rock Star Only1. It is indeed based on a Canadian-spec MX-5 Miata complete with left-hand drive, and like the name implies, there’s only one in existence.
The “regular” right-hand-drive Rock Star starts at approximately $42,000, and if you’re dropping that kind of coin for your faux Mid-Year ‘Vette, why settle for right-hand-drive? To get the full Stingray experience, you need to have the steering wheel on the left. That’s why Mitsuoka has built a single Rock Star out of a Miata imported from North America.
The rest of the interior is mostly stock, aside from custom leather upholstery, and has the Miata’s full menu of modern conveniences. But wait, there’s more. Canadian (and U.S.) market Miatas come standard with a 181-horsepower 2.0-liter engine. Japan, on the other hand, gets only the 129-horsepower 1.5-liter four. So consider this the sole “big block” Rock Star.
The Rock Star Only1 comes with a six-speed automatic. It makes sense, as the owner will probably care more about cruising in style with the occasional stoplight pedal mash than heel-toeing on winding mountain drives. It will also cost a whopping $86,000, so it’s likely that the eventual owner will be of a certain age, and thus have fond memories of the C2.
Demand was so strong, Mitsuoka issued a lottery system to decide on who would have the privilege of buying the Only1. Mitsuoka opened the lottery to 100 slots at nearly $4,600 each, with those who did not win promised a refund. The lottery was originally intended to stay open until February 14, but all openings were spoken for a week early, and the company closed the lottery on February 7.
Whomever the lucky winner is, they will certainly get one of Mitsuoka’s more stylish creations. Those that miss out can opt for a Buddy or Orochi instead.
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Source: www.autoblog.com