The MX-5 platform keeps finding new disguises, and Mitsuoka's latest borrows its face from a 1950s Corvette

by Thanos Pappas

Update: Mitsuoka Motors has dropped a second teaser ahead of the car’s full reveal in November 2026, and this one shows the front quarter. Its proportions and detailing appear to confirm what the first teaser’s open-top silhouette only hinted at, that the styling will ape the C1 Corvette, specifically the post-1958 version with its quad headlights. More teasers are due in August and September before the debut.

Mitsuoka does things its own way, which is to say it builds cars that look like nothing else on the road and answers to no design logic but its own. The eccentric Japanese coachbuilder has confirmed its next creation with a single teaser sketch. It looks to be a two-seat roadster wearing heavy retro styling, and it arrives in November.

The boutique outfit kept the specifics to itself. That tracks. Nearly everything Mitsuoka builds is a rebodied version of an existing production car, the lone exception being the in-house Orochi supercar.

More: The Japanese Don’t Like American Cars But They Do Love A Corvette-Inspired Mazda MX-5

Judging by its proportions, the yet-unnamed roadster could be built on Mazda MX-5 underpinnings. That would be nothing new. The Mitsuoka Rock Star pulled the same trick in 2018, dressing up an MX-5 ND as a C2 Corvette, while the Himiko rode on stretched MX-5 NC or ND bones.

The sketch carries the signature of Takanori Aoki, the designer behind both the Himiko and the Rock Star. The body looks bespoke, with round headlights, a large grille, side gills that faintly echo the C1 Corvette, and sculpted rear fenders falling away to a dropping tail. There are hints, too, of a sharp splitter, sporty side skirts, and a matching diffuser.

More: The Toyota Yaris That Looks Like A Classic Jaguar Just Got A 2026 Refresh

If the roadster is indeed based on the MX-5 ND, it will likely come fitted with the naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine which is good for 181 hp (135 kW / 184 PS). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Mitsuoka has promised to say more about the “fun and exciting origin of Mitsuoka’s identity” over the coming months, doled out across its social channels and a dedicated website.

More: Mitsuoka’s New M55 RS Is A Honda Civic That Costs Twice As Much As A Honda Civic

More precisely, further teasers are due in July, August, and September, building toward the official reveal in November. If past Mitsuoka models are any guide, this one will be a limited-run offering for the Japanese market.