Liberty Walk has turned the Mitsuoka Orochi into a gorgeous racing machine

You probably heard of Japanese coachbuilder and automaker Mitsuoka, known for building retro-flavored renditions of modern cars, crossovers, and SUVs. Less than two years ago, Mitsuoka unveiled the Buddy, a modern Toyota RAV4 that resembles an old K5 Chevy Blazer.

Images: Liberty Walk Co. and Mitsuoka Motor Co. Ltd.

But unbeknownst to many, Mitsuoka also built the Orochi from 2006 to 2014, a sports car with scissor doors, a Toyota V6 engine, and a frog-like face. Mitsuoka only made 400 examples of the Orochi over an eight-year production run, but we bet none looks like Liberty Walk’s rendition of Mitsuoka’s quirky sports coupe.

Liberty Walk

Japanese tuning house Liberty Walk began modifying supercars and sports cars in 2008. It quickly gained prominence for creating equally-quirky widebody kits that look brilliant or polarizing depending on whom you ask. But for the Mitsuoka Orochi, Liberty Walk managed to take a frog and turn it into a handsome prince.

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The Orochi got its name from Yamata no Orochi, a fabled Japanese dragon with eight heads and eight tails, but nobody told us it came with an eye-catching widebody kit and a prominent rear spoiler too. Liberty Walk collaborated with Japanese aftermarket headlight expert Sphere Light in modifying the Orochi.

Liberty Walk

The result is new headlights, bespoke taillamps, ultra-wide fenders, and an extended front splitter to fortify its ground-hugging vibe. Also new are wider racing wheels and an aftermarket suspension system. We also dig the car’s lightning-inspired livery.

Liberty Walk

The Orochi is riding on a modified first-gen Honda NSX platform. But instead of inheriting the NSX’s 3.0-liter or 3.2-liter naturally-aspirated V6 mill, it makes do with a 3.3-liter Toyota V6 engine pumping out 231 horsepower and 242 pound-feet of torque. But like the NSX, it has rear-wheel drive, although you only shift gears via a five-speed automatic gearbox.

Liberty Walk

Liberty Walk’s Mitsuoka Orochi drew oohs and ahhs at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. If you know someone who has an Orochi, tell them to get in touch with Liberty Walk quickly.