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^ The Cara name is not a Autozam but a Suzuki (on which they originally built the car):

suzuki-cara.jpg


^ But Mazda's Autozam took all the glory and spotlight for the gullwing wonder.
 
homeforsummer
Difficult to say. The Cappuccino seems easier to modify - that Suzuki engine has been around for years now which helps, whereas the Beat's engine was relatively unique, and being naturally aspirated there's less wiggle room for improvement in the first place. It'd probably be a fun autocross car, but if the goal was to go quickly you'd probably have more luck with a Miata or the Suzuki. Or, if mid-engined was a preference, one of the three generations of MR2.
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Just stick a B16 in the back and the beat will be a missile.
 
Heh, watched that yesterday. The S660 looked a real handful - it perfectly illustrates why I don't like overly stiff suspension, because wheels simply don't remain in contact with the ground and it compromises everything about the handling on anything but perfectly smooth roads (and it's sodding uncomfortable, come to think of it).
 
Apologies for the double post. Was at a show with a Honda Z600 today, and it reminded me how much I love the shape and details. The spare wheel compartment below the rear hatch is genius - the benefits of tiny wheels and tyres.

1973-1974-honda-z600-coupe-3239_3308_969X727.jpg

1973-1974-honda-z600-coupe-3239_3307_969X727.jpg

1973-1974-honda-z600-coupe-3239_3309_969X727.jpg

1973-1974-honda-z600-coupe-3239_5512_969X727.jpg

6a60e42849e73915d29ca2e97ab67d5d.jpg

h2.jpg

engine_bay.jpg

17224308336_ab63c69870_b.jpg
 
I have never heard of the Hope Star 3-wheeler or the Bubu. I would kill for the 502. I can read a bit of Japanese. The top line in the Bubu ad says "Hey, let's ride with everyone" or something similar.
 
Switching gears... now it's time for some Subaru, also underrepresented in the Kei world.










upload_2018-7-19_18-36-26.png


upload_2018-7-19_18-37-53.png




upload_2018-7-19_18-38-17.png




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This was also a Subaru 360...

upload_2018-7-19_18-39-1.png


1991 Subaru Hanako Concept. Based on how it looks, it would compete with the Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappuccino if it ever reached production. Oh what could've been.

upload_2018-7-19_18-40-7.png






Also, 1997 Subaru Elten Concept. A tribute to the 360.



Bonus:

upload_2018-7-19_18-39-35.png
 
Last edited:
Turbo
This was also a Subaru 360...

View attachment 752445
Click to expand...
The little know Subaru Fairlady 360Z.

Subaru never imported the 360 into the US. Malcolm Bricklin worked as an independent importer and brought them in himself. He only sold them in Washington, Oregon, and California. I grew up in Washington and I'm old enough to remember seeing them on the road fairly often, both the sedan and the wagon.

I'm rather fond of the retro Vivio Bistro from the 1990s. It came in a bewildering array of trims, almost indistinguishable from each other, but it worked from a marketing standpoint. My favorite was the Chiffon, with the split grill and block letters on the front of the hood.

Base


Chiffon


White Edition


L


B-Custom


Club


Sports


SS
 
Turbo
This is the Kei car thread.
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Indeed it is, you are very observant. But I found this concept car on a Kei Car website. So it is a Kei Car according that website. ;)

*If that website is wrong, than I'm a liar*.


Source.
 
kikie
Indeed it is, you are very observant. But I found this concept car on a Kei Car website. So it is a Kei Car according that website. ;)

*If that website is wrong, than I'm a liar*.


Source.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that website is very wrong. It's got over twice the engine capacity to start with lol.
 
VXR
Unfortunately that website is very wrong. It's got over twice the engine capacity to start with lol.
Click to expand...
That whole article is filled with wrong. Neither the Smart, Mini nor Chevy Spark mentioned are "smaller" than kei cars as the author states. The classic Mini fits the dimension regulations but its engine is too big, but the modern Mini is far too large. The Smart is too wide and its engine too large (a narrower-arched version of the first-gen, 600cc Smart was the only version to have met the regulations) and the Spark is significantly too long and too wide.

Only the taxation reason given for them not being sold in Europe is really correct too. There's little incentive to sell 660cc cars when 1-litre ones will do the job just as well in terms of emissions etc. But the biggest incentive in Japan is more to do with utilisation of space than it is tax - if Europe had the same parking restrictions as required in Japan (i.e. if you don't have a designated parking space, you can't own anything but a kei car) you can bet the roads would change overnight, because huge numbers of people in Europe street park in increasingly large vehicles. The "European car lobby" thing is balls - carmakers will make whatever they can sell, and once again there's no incentive in the market for them to sell properly tiny cars.

Random posters on Car Throttle probably aren't the best sources of accurate information.
 

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