The 2006 Mitsuoka Orochi

 

The World's Ugliest Car As Said By Jalopnik

 

 

     Ever heard of a automobile manufacturer called Mitsuoka? If you haven't it's not surprising. The Japanese company is rarely spoken of in America and Europe. But whatever. You're here once more to hear about this car. Not some American bloke ranting about rarity.

     The car I will talk about is called the Orochi which is named after the mythical Yamata no Orochi 8-headed dragon, and it has been called "The world's ugliest car," by automotive website Jalopnik. I however think the Orochi is beautiful in its own unique way. Anyway the Orochi was revealed at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show as a concept based on the Honda NSX. However I don't see even a trickle of NSX in this car. Do you?  In 2005 Mitsuoka revealed a convertible version called the Orochi Nude Top.  That doesn't sound too appealing now does it? The actual production version of the Orochi was produced in 2006, but were set to be delivered in January 2007.

     Let's talk about the engine,transmission and the powerrrrr now. LOL. The Orochi uses a Toyota 3.3 liter V6 (Toyota 3MZ-FE) that delivers an appaling 233 hp @ 5,600 rpm and a top speed of 112 mph (limited). However there is supercharger you can put in the car that increases the hp to 288. Zero to sixty takes a 6.7 seconds which is pretty poor given the type of car it is which is a luxury supercar. Torque is at 306 lb. ft. @ 4,400 rpm. The transmission is a 5-speed automatic.

     Now for the parts and structure. The Orochi's structure uses a hand-built chassis made from carbon fiber depending on the type of Orochi you buy. The Orochi uses a double-wishbone suspension that is coupled to the engine. Unfortunately the suspension was designed for driver comfort over sharp cornering. This is because Mitsuoka admitted to making the car for functionality and environmental concerns.

     Now for the price. In Japan the Orochi costs one million yen. In America it costs about $125,000. For a car that's supposedly ugly, underpowered, and has poor driving performance the price just isn't worth it.