There have been some pretty impressive custom builds inspired by the C1 Chevrolet Corvette over the years, but these have all featured prices that could get you a showroom-fresh C8 Corvette, and we’re not talking about a base model either. However, over in Japan, there’s something brewing that will make budget-conscious fans of the first generation of America’s sports car drool.
Behold Mitsuoka’s latest sports car featuring C1 Corvette styling. The company renowned for its eccentric creations has released the first photos and promises to follow up with full details in November.
Meet The Mitsuoka LA1
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For the uninitiated, Mitsuoka is a car customizer and coachbuilder that has actually been around since the 1960s. Its modus operandi is to take reliable Japanese cars and rebody them with designs that are, to put it mildly, interesting. However, when Mitsuoka dabbles with retro designs, the results are usually quite handsome. With the LA1, though, the folks at Mitsuoka have created something that wouldn’t look out of place on a concours lawn.
It’s got curves in all the right places and just enough chrome to keep things tasteful. But what’s perhaps the most shocking is that the LA1 is almost certainly based on the humble Mazda MX-5 Miata, the current ND generation specifically. Somehow, the designers have managed to graft the C1’s styling and proportions onto the Miata platform without the car looking goofy.
Is This Corvette Really Miata-Based?
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Mitsuoka hasn’t actually confirmed that the Miata platform resides under the body of its LA1, but it’s not exactly hiding the evidence. The A-pillar, window shapes, front-quarter window, and even the soft-top are all unmistakably Miata. Look inside, and the giveaway gets even stronger, with the Miata’s infotainment screen clearly visible in the photos.
The choice of the Miata as a donor isn’t a huge surprise. Not only does it offer the perfect bones for a fun, lightweight roadster like the C1 Corvette’s designers had envisioned, but Mitsuoka already has some practice turning Miatas into Corvettes, having previously launched a C2 Corvette Sting Ray-inspired Rock Star in 2018. The idea actually originated after company founder and namesake Susumu Mitsuoka saw a Corvette-inspired kit car during a visit to Los Angeles.
Don’t Expect This Corvette To Pack A V8
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Mitsuoka doesn’t typically modify the mechanicals of its custom cars. That means the LA1 will likely pack the same 1.5-liter inline-four that powers the Miata in Japan, where the car is known as the Mazda Roadster. That engine produces a modern 132 horsepower and sends power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or available six-speed automatic. The US, as well as retractable-hardtop RF models sold in Japan, gets a 2.0-liter inline-four that produces 181 hp in the latest Miata.
Of course, if you’re the type who thinks a Corvette must have a V8, even if it’s a scaled-down example, General Motors’ compact LS3 V8 is known to fit in the Miata’s engine bay. Colorado’s Flyin’ Miata used to perform the conversion for approximately $55,000, but it has since stopped offering it. Anyone with the desire and the right funds could probably find another company to do it, though.
CarBuzz Insights – Why This Matters
Mitsuoka LA1Mitsuoka
The LA1 proves you don’t need a V8 to capture the spirit of the C1 Corvette. If Mitsuoka has managed to make a Miata look this convincing in computer-generated photos alone, the finished car could be one of its most interesting creations yet.
Pricing and availability haven’t been announced, but the previous Rock Star was limited to just 50 units. Unfortunately, Mitsuoka tends to limit its cars to Japan, so don’t expect to see one in the US unless some crazy collector decides to import one.
Full details will be announced this November.
