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The story
Mitsuoka Motor launched a special teaser website on September 17 for a new car it plans to officially unveil on November 26, 2026. The site shows off the “LA1” logo along with images of a two-seat open-top car featuring round quad headlights and a chrome grille, with order applications opening on November 27. The company had already previewed a sketch of a two-door open-top model back in June, continuing its staged rollout of information. On 5ch, users instantly identified the Mazda Miata (MX-5/Roadster) as the base vehicle, and the thread lit up with car-enthusiast chatter — nostalgic comments about past Mitsuoka classics like the “Orochi” and “Zero1,” and debate over just why anyone chooses to buy a Mitsuoka.
On September 17, 2026, Mitsuoka Motor opened a teaser site for a new car it plans to formally announce on November 26 of the same year. It also announced that order applications for the vehicle will begin on November 27.
On June 4 of the same year, the company had released a single sketch depicting the side profile of a two-door open-top model, stating that it would reveal information about the car in stages.
The newly opened teaser site features a logo design marked “LA1,” along with images showing the car’s exterior and color variations. The vehicle is a two-seat open-top car with long-nose, short-deck proportions. Up front it has a chrome-plated grille and bumper along with round quad headlights, while the rear features round combination taillights, a chrome bumper, and a “MITSUOKA” emblem. On the body sides, a white accent color and white-lettered tires stand out.
Source: webcg.net / Original article here
What people said
You can tell it's a Miata (Mazda Roadster) right away.
They put out die-cast minicars too, so they count as an automaker.
Bring back the Orochi.
Re: #104
A monk I know said he "saw one in the showroom and bought it on impulse" — he drives a Lexus now.
Another monk I know drives a tuk-tuk… monks sure rake it in, huh?
Re: #8
This outfit's basically a bodywork/panel shop.
The Zero1 and Orochi actually have original, from-scratch frames.
Why would they toss out a frame they went to the trouble of designing after just one generation?
Isn't the Orochi actually based on the NSX?
Even the Abarth 124 Spider only gets driven by oddballs, and this one's strictly for even flashier show-offs (lit. "kabuki types").
It's not that flashy/over-the-top, though.
Not really, if you see it in the city. You see all kinds of weird cars there so it kind of blends in — even the Orochi somehow fit right in.
Old Corvettes weren't actually that big.
The original Corvette this is referencing was 4,249mm long and 1,773mm wide — not much different from the current Miata.
I believe they're the #1 hearse maker in Japan, if I recall right.
Not sure why, but apparently their sales have been growing lately.
These days you basically never see an actual Mitsuoka car in the wild anymore — it's practically an urban legend.
Honestly, this article's about the first sign I've had that the company's even still around.
Really? I see the Viewt (their Nissan March-based model) around all the time.
And the Suzuki Ignis's face looks like comedian Yasushi Yokoyama.
That's Mizkan you're thinking of.
Well, a classic car in good condition costs a fortune, upkeep is no joke, and it rides and functions worse than a modern car.
But people still love the look and vibe of a classic.
So it's the people with just enough money to be dangerous who buy these —
and that's exactly who Mitsuoka's targeting.
This'll sell out for sure, but I feel like real car enthusiasts shouldn't buy it. A knockoff car is something your pride shouldn't allow.
At a glance it looks like they basically just reshaped the taillights. It'll sell just fine to people with no pride.
"Finally"?
They never had any pride to begin with.
The Miata itself is a knockoff of the Lotus Elan, though.
Masterful.
The real one's probably about 1.5 times the size.
Mitsuoka cars always nail the front and rear, but leaving the sides completely stock just looks off.
Probably because making a whole new outer panel would mean building the door handles and everything else from scratch too, and costs would balloon.
Leaving the doors alone comes down to crash-test issues and cost if you modify them. If you don't change anything from the base car, crash testing isn't a problem, and swapping just the front/rear fenders and panels doesn't affect structural strength much either — just change the look and bolt on some trim. That's the Mitsuoka formula.
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
Mitsuoka Motor has historically built two distinct types of cars: models like the “Orochi” and “Zero1,” which use an original chassis, and “arrangement models” (such as the Viewt) that restyle the body panels of existing production cars. This new model appears to fall into the latter category. Thread commenters instantly spotted the Mazda Miata as the base vehicle, and pointed out that the company’s signature approach — reshaping the front and rear styling while leaving the sides, including the door panels, untouched from the donor car — comes down to crash-safety requirements and cost constraints. Commenters also noted that having revenue streams outside of mass-market sales, such as a dominant share of the hearse market, helps explain how the company has stayed in business. As for comparisons to the Corvette, some pointed out that the Miata itself draws on the design of the Lotus Elan, leading to differing views on where homage ends and knockoff begins.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “[Automobiles] Mitsuoka previews images of new car on teaser site ahead of official November 2026 announcement.”
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