ANYONE visiting Japan for the first time will probably notice a couple of things right away. One is that the Japanese are a quiet and exceedingly polite people - that woman yakking loudly into her cellphone on the street corner is definitely from China.

Another thing is that the Japanese have a quirky palate - there are some varieties of miso and bean paste foodstuffs that are so weird they should appear on a Bizarre Foods show.

This strange taste seems to extend to cars as well. Apart from a few wacky domestic models by the big carmakers, there are other peculiar examples by smaller manufacturers too. One of them is the Mitsuoka Orochi.

Mitsuoka is a niche coachbuilder which makes fanciful and retro-looking bodies based on mainly Nissan or Honda car platforms. Some can be strangely elegant, like the Galue sedan with its imposing front grille. Others are just plain loony.

The Orochi falls somewhere in between these two extremes. This attention-grabbing mid-engined coupe has styling you might have seen only in a comic book. But it isn't ugly, and from certain angles and in certain colours it even looks mildly sensational. Yet it is probably not everyone's idea of a supercar.

Unlike other Mitsuoka models, the Orochi's chassis is manufactured by the company itself. This includes the steel spaceframe and fibreglass body panels, which are welded and moulded by hand. Only the 3.3-litre V6 engine and automatic transmission are sourced from Toyota.

Toyota is Japan's biggest carmaker and soon, the world's. It makes mass market, user-friendly models like the Corolla. So it hardly comes as a surprise that despite the Orochi being as low and wide as a Ferrari, it is not as difficult to drive. In fact, that is the first thing which its distributor Advance Automobile tells you before you get into the Orochi - don't expect it to behave like an Italian exotic.

Rather, it is supposed to be a 'fashion supercar', with super sports car looks but everyday practicality. In other words, a comfortable cruiser with more than adequate power and lots of flash.

Still, the Orochi handles sportily enough. Because it is so low, it corners flat. The steering is also pretty accurate because the V6 engine behind you powers only the rear wheels.

Getting into the Orochi may be a problem for some people because of the wide door sill. After negotiating that, you are ensconced in a seat that is close to the floor and with a steering wheel that is set very low. The headroom is unusually good though but that's about it. There is no glovebox nor door pockets, although there is a cubby hole in the centre armrest and a rear parcel shelf behind the two seats.

The attention to detail in the cabin is noteworthy even though the design and blend of materials can be slightly distracting. The buttons and controls are laid out simply and efficiently, and a rear view camera, DVD player and GPS navigation come standard.

So is the Orochi worth 400 grand? In terms of driving pleasure, maybe not. But in terms of getting pleasurable attention, every cent.

Mitsuoka Orochi
Engine: 3,311cc V6
Gearbox: 5-speed automatic transmission
Max power: 233 hp @ 5,600 rpm
Max torque: 328 Nm @ 4,400 rpm
0-100 kmh: 8 secs
Top speed: 180 kmh
Price: $425,000 (with COE)
Distributor: Advance Automobile, tel 6472-0011