Mitsuoka

If there’s any corner that Mitsuoka has claimed in the auto industry, it’s the corner of quirky and sometimes hideous cars. The niche Japanese automaker is the same company that gave us the Rock Star, the Mazda Miata-Chevrolet Corvette C2 mashup. It’s also the same company that’s responsible for the nightmare-inducing Honda NSX-based Orochi supercar.

Now, the automaker is back with another creation, only this time, it doesn’t look as horrible as we feared. It’s called the Mitsuoka Buddy, and it’s essentially a Toyota RAV4 wearing the skin of a modernized 1980s Chevrolet SUV. Get a load of this one, folks.

Japanese coach builder Mitsuoka has launched a new project build called the Rock Star. The

bodied Rock Star is a Mazda MX-5 underneath a classic Americanized body. The nod towards one of the most iconic pieces of American car history is a fresh approach from a coach-building company best known for building what is arguably the world’s ugliest sports car. Compared to the positively ghastly Orochi sports car, the Rock Star is, well, a rock star that should have no problem establishing fans and groupies alike.

You may remember Japanese manufacturer Mitsuoka used to offer a Morgan-like vehicle based on an older Mazda MX-5 - its replacement ditches the Morgan theme for a classic Corvette Stingray theme and applies it to the latest Miata (which is also the best one in the series).

“Oh, sweet Jesus.” That was the prevailing sentiment when we were told that Japanese automaker Mitsuoka, the same company that introduced us to the admittedly awesome Himiko Roadster, was bringing its production run of the Orochi to an end with a special edition model. Then we saw what the “special edition” model looked like and let’s just say that there were a few awkward blank faces in the room. First introduced in 2001 as a concept model, the Mitsuoka Orochi unbelievably went through two design revisions before Mitsuoka sent it to production in late 2006, proudly proclaiming it as a “fashion supercar,” arguably the greatest use of marketing irony in the automotive history.

Incredibly, the 2014 Mitsuoka Orochi is still around in 2014, but this is where the good news comes in: the “special edition” model Mitsuoka is releasing, dubbed the Orochi Evangelion Edition”, is actually a final edition set created to give the Orochi its proper and long-overdue send-off.

Eleven examples of the Orochi Evangelion Edition will be made, each paying tribute to the hugely popular Evangelion anime series in Japan. Once all 11 models are sold, the Orochi will be no more, and all will be right in the auto world once again.

Click past the jump to read more about the Mitsuoka Orochi Evangelion Edition.

Shown in 2001 as a concept and launched in 2006, the Mitsuoka Orochi is about to retire with a Final Edition model. If you’re not familiar with the Orochi, it’s a controversial Japanese sports car with supercar looks that sits on an old Honda NSX platform and uses a 3.3-liter, V-6 engine as motivation.

Sourced from Toyota (it used to power Camry, Avalon and Sienna modes), the unit produces just 233 horsepower making the Orochi not only strange-looking — some might say plain ugly — but not very fast either. Things were a bit better inside, where Mitsuoka offered plenty of leather, Alcantara and a few customization options.

Moving over to the model that’s set to put an end to Orochi production, the Final Edition will be built in just five units and will stand out through a few unique exterior and interior features. Three of these vehicles will be painted in a light Gold Pearl paint, while two of them will wear a dark purple hue dubbed "Fuyoru".

Click past the jump to read more about the Mitsuoka Orochi Final Edition.

Why hello there, Mitsuoka! How we’ve missed you so!

The eccentric Japanese coachbuilder hasn’t been in the news for a while now, but like raindrops in summer, they come out again on the news in their trademark unsuspecting fashion.

From the people that brought us the infamous Orichi sportscar and the Mazda MX-5-based Himiko Roadster comes another priceless – for better or for worse – vehicle to their growing stable: the Mitsuoka Galue Limousine, an updated four-door limo that was built on the latest Nissan Teana sedan.

Don’t worry, folks. The Galue Limousine is nowhere near the level of ugly the Orichi comes in. Actually, the limo looks surprisingly svelte given the circumstance of who made it. Similar to its previous works – except with the Orichi, of course – Mitsuoka used a heavy dose of classic British car influence on the front end of the Galue Limousine. The car’s rear, on the other hand, looks a lot more recent than the front and is the perfect example of Mitsuoka’s continued fascination with putting two elements from different generations together and just sees how it looks like in the end. The company’s had more misses than it has had hits, but the Galou limousine looks to have been the latter - a ‘single’ in baseball parlance, but a hit nevertheless.

In terms of performance, Mitsuoka uses a has a number of different trims as well as two engine options available for the updated version of the Galue Limousine – a 2.5-liter version and a 3.5-liter V6 variant. Pricing for the vehicle comes out at a range from $44,700 to $64,200 and will be made available beginning on November 12th in Japan.

Believe it or not, the much-maligned Mitsuoka Orichi can now be rented out in Japan. We don’t want to believe it, but apparently – and unfortunately – it’s true.

The decision was made to rent out the Orichi by its manufacturer Mitsuoka – no surprise there – for anybody looking for a cheap sports car to drive around in Japan. And by cheap, we mean $390 a day.

It’s not as pricey as most rental sports car we’ve seen in the past, but then again, we don’t know anybody who’d shell out $400 a pop per day to be seen in this hideous sports car. There is that other option that we think is a little more palatable. For $177 a day, you can navigate your way around the streets of Osaka in a Himiko, the company’s not-as-powerful-as-the-Orichi-but-definitely-more-pleasing-to-the-eye roadster.

Either way, you could do a lot better than renting out these two cars. But if you’re going to play the ‘I’ll do it for the experience’ card, then, by all means, give it a go.

Mitsuoka, the Japanese auto replica maker, became infamous within the auto industry for their off shoot concept, the hideous, piranha-looking Orochi sports car.

Undaunted by the overwhelmingly negative response to their concept car, Orochi has come out with a new creation, a special edition version of the company’s Mazda MX-5-based Himiko roadster, a soft-top version of the Mitsuoka Himiko Classic Edition.

Previously available with just a power-retractable roof, the new soft-top variant, which features a classic British look similar to what was running in the streets half a century ago, is powered by the Mazda MX-5’s 2.0-liter engine that produces in excess of 170 horsepower for the five-speed manual variant and 162 horsepower for the six-speed automatic transmission.

Aesthetically speaking, the car is treated with a boatload of the same features found in the hardtop version, including a similar color paint scheme with a two-tone, black and red color set-up as well as chrome strips that run on either side of the vehicle. As for the model’s interior, Mitusoka continued the entire black and red motif by putting in red-leather seats on the front and back and some additional ornamental wood trim to complement the car’s overall paint scheme.

All in all, the car doesn’t look as repulsive as the Orochi; it’s actually pretty sleek and comes with a classic feel to it. Just go past the fact that this car was made by the same people who gave us the Orochi and you’re going to begin to like the car’s overall set-up. And the best part is, while it’s limited to only 20 models, the model doesn’t come with a mammoth price tag - ¥4,880,000 (or $56,500) – making it a more attractive purchase to interested buyers.

There’s no doubt that the Mitsuoka Orochi is one of the ugliest cars in the world. And we know that there is rarely a time that something that ugly goes away quickly and quietly. Japanese maker Mitsuoka, however, is attempting to sway the attention from the horrific display of craftsmanship on over to the new special edition supercar they have just unveiled. The Premium Gold will be limited to only 20 units and will be priced at almost $100K.

The Premium Gold edition features a new front spoiler and two elements on the trailing edge of the body. A new exhaust system with four pipes is also attached and, in the interior, Alcantra leather is added.

The Orochi Premium Gold is powered by the same Toyota sourced V6 engine that delivers 231 HP and is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Now, go back and read that statement again. We’ll wait....

Yes, Japan is trying to sell this "supercar" for almost $100K and it only delivers 231hp. Makes one think what the hell is going on over there. After years of concentrated effort (the car has been in the works since about 2001 when the concept was unveiled) we would think that they could come up with something better than this. We doubt there will be a rush for the 20 that will be produced.

There’s something to be said for a car so ugly even robot transformations wouldn’t be enough to offset and mask the car’s sea urchin-like hideousness.

Apparently, Takara Tomy, the man behind the Transformers franchise, thought well enough of the Mitsuoka Orochi that he decided to immortalize it as a new vehicular alter-ego of two evil Decepticons, Skwarp and Starscream, or in this particular case, Alternity Skywarp and Alternity Starscream. If you haven’t laid eyes on the Orochi, then consider yourself lucky. While the tech specs of the car aren’t puny by its standards - a 3.3-liter 230 horsepower Toyota Camry V6 engine - whatever good graces its performance gives out is totally undermined by the car’s reprehensible exterior.

So, in the event that you can stomach the sight of the Orichi get transformed into a war-mongering robot, then you better be prepared to shell out $60 for it, which is a complete bargain compared to purchasing the real deal Orichi, which sells for $95,000. And in case you do decide to do that, then your taste in cars will forever be questioned.

After what seemed like ages, Japanese car maker Mitsuoka is finally releasing its next-generation Viewt. Now, if you’re wondering who or what Mitsuoka is, they’re a local car brand from Japan that caters only to the Japanese market. What’s unique about Mitsuoka is the fact that they build modern cars that resemble those old-time British automobiles from the 50s and the 60s.

As you can plainly see with the new Viewt, Mitsuoka is continuing on that legacy. Underneath the vintage-looking exterior is actually a production-made Nissan Micra so you can be sure that while the look is vintage, the performance is not. Mitsuoka did alter a few of the design elements of the car like the integration of the front bumpers to the front end panels.

It’s been a while since we last saw Mitsuoka grace our presence with a car so the release of the new Viewt came at just the right time.

Japan has been known as one of the world’s strongest manufacturers, thanks to brands like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan calling the Land of the Rising Sun as home. And while a lot of us the world over have been treated to a wide variety of high-quality vehicles from these brands, as far as manufacturers are concerned, Japan is more than just these three brands, for better or for worse.

One other Japanese-based car company that we’ve all had the privilege to come across is Mitsuoka. For those who don’t know, Mitsuoka produces some of the most aesthetically gawky cars you can ever find. Why they do so, we have no clue, but we assume it has something to do with the Japanese way of being aggressive and bombastic with their ideas.

In any case, Mitsuoka’s forte is to create retro-looking cars that are, in some way shape or form, stylistically copied from cars coming from the Western world. And while small in stature compared to the Toyotas and Hondas of the world, Mitsuoka is now primed to expand their operations out of Japan with their first stop being China.

The car brand is crossing over to China with the company’s new Orochi luxury brand heading the plight. From what we’ve gathered, Mitsuoka is planning to use the 2010 Beijing Motor Show – where it will formally introduce the Orochi to the Chinese market - as its stepping stone towards its planned Chinese invasion.

Do you remember the Mitsuoka Orochi? That impressive Japanese Concept Car? Well, for all you, the lovers of Orochi, Mitsuoka has a good news: a new concept will be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show.

Would you fancy putting together your very own little car? A Japanese business called Mitsuoka Motor thinks so with its new "do-it yourself" car kit for car fanatics. With a top-speed of 31 mph and lenght of 8 feet, you wont see me in one of these little go karts. Wouldn’t feel to safe.
Now do you ask, are these little cars road legal in Japan? Well yes indeed. They can be driven on regular roads but not on highways.
I can not see someone surviving a hit in one of these on the highway. (...)

The "Orochi Nude Top Roadstar" is a new design proposal that expands the frame of the conventional "Orochi". There are many reasons for loving and for selecting a car. These include specifications, driving performance, environmental performance, new technologies and how well the vehicle matches your lifestyle. However, one other key reason is "design".

Little known outside of Asia, Mitsuoka Motor Co. is a smaller Japanese car manufacturer that primarily builds retro-looking automobiles that are usually to some extent derivative of well-known classic cars from England. By contrast, the mid-engine Orochi is definitely a bold and original styling statement. There doesn’t appear to be much information available on this concept. Early reports were that the first showcars put on display did not run. Though that may have been true, the one (...)

Little known outside of Asia, Mitsuoka Motor Co. is a smaller Japanese car manufacturer that primarily builds retro-looking automobiles that are usually to some extent derivative of well-known classic cars from England.