This Japanese Carmaker Turned A Miata Into A Mini Modern '50s Corvette

Alongside the giants of the Japanese automotive world like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, there are a few lesser-known oddball automakers that plenty of enthusiasts might not be aware of. Mitsuoka is arguably the oddest of them all, since the company focuses mostly on making low-volume models that pay tribute to famous cars from decades past. It has previously made models like the Viewt, which took styling cues from the Jaguar MkII and grafted them onto a modern city car, and the Buddy SUV, which turned a Toyota RAV4 donor car into a tribute to classic Chevy SUVs.

Now, the automaker has revealed its latest project, which pays homage to the '50s C1 Corvette. It's dubbed the LA1, and it's scheduled for a full reveal in November 2026. The initial teaser reveal shows off the car's retro-modern styling, which takes its inspiration from the C1's later model years.

Mitusoka hasn't yet revealed details about the car's powertrain or chassis, but it's very likely to be based on the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The company's older Rock Star model, which borrows its styling from the C2 Corvette, was essentially a reskinned Japanese-market Miata with its internals left untouched. That meant it was powered by the same 1.5-liter engine as the regular ND Miata, which churned out around 130 horsepower.

At its launch in November, Mitsuoka should also release details about the LA1's production numbers, but it's safe to assume that relatively few will be made. Its previous C2 Corvette tribute, the Rock Star, was limited to a maximum of 200 examples. Each one was sold before production began in 2019.

In a blog post, Mitsuoka detailed the production process, explaining that the donor Miata was first disassembled before the new bodywork was fitted. The company noted that due to the fact that each one was hand-built, no two examples were truly identical. After the new bodywork was fitted, the car was painted in one of 36 available colors before final assembly was completed and each car was inspected. Assuming that the LA1 is indeed based on the Miata, it will likely go through a very similar process.

Although Mitsuoka can trace its roots back to 1968, it only officially became Japan's 10th passenger car manufacturer in 1996. Rather than appeal to the masses, the automaker has carved out a niche for itself by building small numbers of vehicles for buyers who are willing to pay a premium to drive something that turns heads but features modern, reliable underpinnings. The LA1 will certainly turn heads when it hits the roads, although it's still not quite as attention-grabbing as some other Mitsuokas like the Liberty Walk-tuned Orochi supercar.