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Mitsuoka Rock Star is a Miata in a Chevy Corvette Sting Ray disguise

Mitsuoka is a famous (infamous?) Japanese custom car builder known for its absurd, and occasionally out-of-this-world vehicles. Its most iconic vehicle was the mid-engine Orochi, but its bread and butter are normal Japanese cars given front and rear styling from the past, usually sometime between the 1930s and 1950s. One of the more recent examples is the Mitsuoka Himiko, a Mazda Miata given a classic European roadster look. But the company has ventured a little further ahead in history with its latest model, the Mitsuoka Rock Star, which quite clearly is meant to be a C2 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray. The effect is actually pretty convincing, and as far as Mitusokas go, it looks smartly proportioned and a good fit for the base car. That base car is the current Mazda Miata, known as Roadster in Japan. It probably helps that the base Miata was designed with exaggerated fenders and creases from the get-go, so the even more exaggerated lines of the Corvette fit surprisingly well. Outside of the body, the car is pretty much identical to a regular Miata. It uses the same naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder as all overseas examples. That means it makes just 129 horsepower and 111 pound-feet of torque, so this doesn't even come close to the fire-breathing power of real C2 Corvettes. Of course, that could be rectified with an LS V8 swap from Flyin' Miata. The engine is coupled to either a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic. The manual can also be had with a limited-slip differential. There are a number of available upgrades including custom colors for the body and the windshield surround. You can also add a custom leather interior with body-color coordinated panels. Mitsuoka will even provide retro-style wheels with white-letter BF Goodrich tires for the complete look. If you live in Japan and find this vehicle appealing, you'd better be ready to shell out plenty of cash. At current exchange rates, the base Rock Star starts at $41,636. The price goes up from there with options. In contrast, a base Mazda Miata here in the U.S. starts at $26,625, a little more than half that of the Mitsuoka. And of course, the U.S.-spec Miata is substantially more powerful. If you want the Mitsuoka, you'll also have to get in touch with the company quickly. There will only be 50 examples, and you have to apply for one. Related Video: News Source: MitsuokaImage Credit: Mitsuoka Mazda Convertible Performance mitsuoka

Mazda recalling 18k Mazda6 and RX-8 models over airbag inflators

Faulty Takata airbag inflators keep taking their toll on automakers. Mazda is the latest to be affected in the US by announcing a recall covering 18,050 Mazda6 and RX-8 models to replace the front, passenger-side airbags. Specifically, the campaign covers 18,000 Mazda6 units from the 2003 and 2004 model years built between May 29, 2002, and March 4, 2004, and 50 RX-8 vehicles from the 2004 model year made between June 25, 2003, and June 30, 2003.
As with the rest of the vehicles with these faulty inflators, it's possible for the part to rupture when deploying the airbag and potentially spray shrapnel at the occupant. Mazda's defect notice goes into a bit more detail than most about the problem saying: "some propellant wafers have been produced with an inadequate compaction force, or may have been exposed to uncontrolled moisture conditions (those wafers could have absorbed moisture beyond the allowable limits)."
This isn't Mazda's first difficulty with Takata-supplied airbags this year. The company was among the seven automakers that recalled vehicles in hot-weather states over the inflators. It also had to recently fix 42,000 Mazda6 vehicles in China over the issue.

2020 Mazda3 hatchback starts at $24,620, a $100 increase

Car and Driver got the scoop on some 2020 Mazda3 pricing, and anyone waiting for the new model year had better bring more money. The Mazda3 sedan goes up by $500 to $21,500. After the $920 destination charge, that's a total of $22,420. On the sedan, however, the extra dosh pays for extra equipment. Every sedan trim gets Mazda's i-Activsense driver assistance tech, meaning adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. The i-Activsense suite had been an option the sedan's entry-level trims. The Mazda3 sedan in Select guise, one step above the entry-level model, increases $100 to $23,620. Starting price for the front-wheel drive 2020-model-year hatchback comes in at $24,620 after destination. C/D says that's a $1,020 bump, but we believe that figure is an error. Based on the fact that Mazda's U.S. pricing rounds off to the nearest hundred and destination is $920, it seems more likely the $24,620 price includes destination. In that case, the 2020 Mazda3 hatch only goes up by $100. The five-door models don't get any more equipment, but Mazda say's there's a new finish for the wheels on the top-tier Premium trim. All other trims hold steady. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a square 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque remains the sole engine option, a six-speed automatic is the standard transmission on all trims, the hatchback in Premium form offering a six-speed manual option. Buyers of the entry-level sedan are stuck with front-wheel drive, while every other trim offers all-wheel drive for $1,400. The sedans should hit dealerships this month, and the hatchbacks will roll in come September.