Japanese car customizer Mitsuoka is primarily famous for creating weird-looking but fun cars with classic European or American vibes. However, it has also created all-original vehicles, like this Orochi roadster. The mid-engine sports car looks like something from the bottom of the sea and rides on its own chassis, although the engine comes from a Camry. Oh, and it is on sale in the UK right now with barely any mileage on.
The eccentric-looking coupe was announced in the early 2000s and went in production in 2006 as a true JDM car designed strictly for the country’s own market. Its name refers to an eight-headed, eight-tailed dragon – an important thing to keep in mind in case you would like to criticize its looks.
The body looks like that of a stingray (no Corvette relation) with all the curves and vents. The frame and the panels are completely original, but the power comes from a 3.3-liter Toyota Camry mill originally good for a meager 233 PS (230 hp / 172 kW). This particular example has been supercharged to 304 PS (300 hp / 224 kW), though. The transmission is five-speed automatic, and only the rear wheels are driven.
Back in its era, critics bashed the Mitsuoka Orochi for its sluggish handling, ‘squishy’ brakes and overall wobbliness. Perhaps this is why the example on sale only has 81 km (50 miles) on the odometer since new, despite having changed owners multiple times. The car went from Japan to Singapore and then to the UK where it is currently on sale with no public price.
