10 best Kei cars ever
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
- The Kei car is one of the real hallmarks of Japanese car culture. These teeny little cars are designed to allow cheap, small motoring for the masses in Japan. They’ve now been around for several decades, with the formula changing only slightly. Originally only a 150cc engine was allowed, then the class really took off with 360cc motors.
Now Kei cars can have practically massive 660cc engines, and have been made for sale in Japan in factories as far flung as the UK. The sheer variety of these tiny little heroes is staggering, so we’ve picked our favourite ones from the last 72 years.
But let us know below what your favourite is?
#gwoverdrive #Kei #cars
Timestamps
00:00 What is a Kei car
01:06 Subaru 360
01:58 Mazda R360
02:38 Suzuki Jimny LJ10
03:28 Suzuki Fronte Coupe
04:17 Honda Beat
05:26 Suzuki Cappuccino
06:09 Autozam AZ-1
07:13 Daihatsu Copen
07:52 Honda S660
08:43 Caterham Seven 160
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Teeny legends, who doesn't love a Kei car?
The project leader prodigy of the S660, Ryo Mukumoto was 22 years old when he pitched the idea of returning the kei sportscar, in Honda's internal competition of sales pitches for future products. He became the youngest in Honda's history of lead engineers and Honda allocated him with other young members of the company to make his ideas come into reality. He owned an S2000 and like the Chief Engineer of the Toyota 86/GR Supra Tetsuya Tada, he realised that young people in Japan weren't interested in sportscars, so he wanted to reignite interest to those, by producing an affordable yet fun-to-drive sportscar. Type 'Honda S660 Ryo Mukumoto' to find out more about how this S660 came into fruition.
Unfortunate that the S660 will be out of production by March of 2022. If the S2000 doesn't make a return, Honda would have lost their mojo by not producing a single RWD lightweight car.
ironically most of the people who bought the S660 in Japan were in their 40s 😂 Sad that there's no market for another generation, but I'm happy the current one was a sales success.
@@thatcopenguy because it's still not cheap at anything over £10, 000
S660 aren't cheap at all, it's as expensive as a BRZ, slower than 1.5L family car and 0 usability.
@@largelampard3721 Where in my comment did I ever say that the S660 was cheap? Like cheap as a Dacia or Daewoo? I said he wanted to produce an affordable sportscar. Looks like you don’t know the difference between cheap and affordable
Sees the Daihatsu Copen...
Coffee break nightmares intensifies...
With yello oh yeah backsound
Got our first Kei car in 2003, a Suzuki Cappuccino now with a Mazda 13b in it. Then bought another Cappo 2016, which is totally standard. Great wee cars
Wow that sounds like a WEAPON
Duuude, 13b in a Cappuccino is certifiably psychotic....
Honourable mention - Suzuki Alto Works
YES YES YES I LOVE THE ALTO WORKS
This needs more recognition
Little did you know the 1st Alto had a DCT but by popular demand they make a Manual version for those who loves shifting
"Suzuki Jimny: a 3 seater, like a tiny tall McLaren F1 & originally assembled by hand, like a Bentley" 😂😂😂
They're basically the same.
So that's why Gordon Murray have a Jimny despite notoriously hating an SUV
4wheel drive
Like some Lamborghinis
Test drove a Copen yesterday ( the non-kei 1.3 spec ) and the car was cramped inside, rough around the edges, doesn't ride well, slow, loud, and I absolutely love it. It was such a charm.
The car wasn't fast but it makes enthusiastic noises.
Did you buy it?
Thats exactly what makes the copen lovely for me. It's so harsh to drive and loud that you feel like your was faster than you actually are. Cant agree on the rough around corners though... My 1.3l copen loves corners!
H said rough around the edges,not corners.
The Autozam AZ-1 was previously the Mazda AZ-550, from when the cc's were limited to 550, and thanks to replaceable body panels, was also available with a LeMan's style body that looked like a mini 787B.
Both sedan and wagon version of the '50's Fiat 500 would qualify as a Kei cars, and the Mini 850 just misses out.
It'll be interesting to see how EV tech gets applied to this class.
Not quite - the AZ550 was only a motorshow concept, and previous to this, the whole project started out as a Suzuki project that was bought out by Mazda hence why it was also sold as the Suzuki Cara and had the same engine as the Cappuccino. Only the Type A made it to production - the type B and C that you refer to stayed as show cars. Perhaps someone made replicas, but those body styles were not sold by Mazda to the public to my knowledge. Tuner RE Amemiya did create a group C looking one off AZ-1 but it ran a 13B rotary and was lengthened McLaren F1 LM style so was no longer a Kei car at that point.
The 50s fiat 500 would not have qualified as a Kei Car - engine dimensions were only lifted to 550CC in 1976, after 500 production had ended.
Dramatically reducing car weight is a more effective way to reduce GHG emissions than building 1.8 ton plug-in hybrids.
While 52 mpg is pretty good amounst hybrids
52 mpg is almost bottom line in 90s and newer kei cars
@@ocallaghan3865 correct, but one must take into account the GHG emissions associated with building the vehicle components and recycling them 12 or 15 years later. Between a 600 kg K car and a 1600 kg hybrid vehicle, K car easily wins. Miles per gallon are only one part of the equation.
What an unexpected, but great little video.
I love the Autozam!
I owned several kei cars while living in Japan in the early 80’s - a Suzuki Fronte with 440cc 2 stroke, a Daihatsu coupe with 360cc 2 stroke, and my favorite a Daihatsu HiJet pickup truck with 360cc 2 stroke. I would have LOVED to have owed a Suzuki Jimny!
I love the Subaru 360. Greatest little thing that almost look like a beetle. A momma beetle.
Japan: "Only we can produce practical light cars, under 660cc"
Citroën 2CV: "Hold my beer...."
Smart Fortwo: Hold my Jagermeister
Suzuki Mighty Boy, the coolest pick up kei car, with a quirky name too
良く知ってんなー
Yeahhhh my car is in this video! You can’t imagine how much I love the Daihatsu Copen
The 1.3 that is in this car is the same as in the Sirion, Terios, Materia… from Daihatsu ;)
And I have a Sirion Sport, amazing car
Subaru 360 and Suzuki Fronte 😍😍👌
Love..love...love these cars. So cute!
I would have never thought that.....in a hundred years would have thought the humble lotus 7 would have been one Japan's number one's k cars . WOW! WHAT A CAR AND WHAT A COUNTRY!!! I hope to visit some day.
great little cars. the figaro is also neat. kinda fave.
The AZ-1 is the great unknown of the classic car world. I own two, one of which I have completely restored. They offer a Lotus-7 style driving experience but with gullwing doors!
Love the AZ-1, there is actually one here in Cambridge, UK I've seen driving about.
The Honda s660 should of been released as the new Honda beat as it’s name 👍🏻
One of the newer daihatsu Copen is a 4wd but still 660cc. It’s called the xplay and has heated seats.
😮
I've drive Honda Beat yet now.
It realy not so fast, but tooo much fun to drive.
Very fun !!
Someone I used to work with converted a Honda Beat into a home made electric car. Unbelievable acceleration, but no brake servo (or heating).
I just sold a Suzuki Carry and I'm waiting for my "new" 1996 Subaru Sambar Dias Classic to arrive from Nagoya. :)
The Honda S660 modulo X and modulo X versione Z are Amazing
Period
I really love kei cars they are easy to drive in small roads
At least you acknowledged AZ-1.
Honda Beat was designed by Pietro Camardella at Pininfarina, the designer of F40 and F50.
Also check the following products.
Daihatsu fellow Buggy(1970), Honda Vamos2/4(1970),
However they are lost or rusted.
I'm so blessed to be driving my new *to me* 1997 Suzuki Alto Works Turbo. Backseat came out IMMEDIATELY because four riders are a horrible idea in a Kei😂 subwoofers installed instead 🤙
Back in the '70s I had a Honda Z600, lovely little thing (Any colour you wanted as long as it was bright orange) - well, it was the 1970s.
I bought myself a Suzuki Cappuccino last year and what a great, fun car. I believe it is also the quickest of all mentioned Kei-cars, am I wrong?
Awesome
Interesting Fact: The Honda Beat was the last car ever approved by Soichiro Honda, the founder of the company, as he would pass away shortly after the car’s launch in 1991.
I want a tiny, cheap car 🥺
Cool cars
The Honda S660, along with the inheritance from the Beat, gets inheritance of the whole S series (500, 600, 800 and the most known and comtemporary 2000) in a package more akin to it's more older ancestors, despite not being any of them a kei car before this one.
In later years, the LJ10 will increase the engine displacement from 360㏄ to 550㏄ to become the SJ10.
Caterham's 660㏄ has a rear suspension structure derived from Carry of the K-Car truck, and has a suspension derived from the original Super7, which is considerably compared to the Frazer FC-4 which is the same 660㏄ engine K-Car. It was a bad handling.
Great video👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Hugs from Brazil🤟🏻😎
Yes, you have forgotten probably the weirdest, and next to the AZ-1, probably the coolest Kei car: The Daihatsu Midget II D-Type!
They're just now getting old enough to import into the US as "antique" cars. I'd love to have one to trailer my little Honda Pioneer 500 SxS to the trail head. They're about the same size.
Where is 1970 Vamos Honda and Daihatsu Midget II ? I love them, so I'm very sad.
I love the honda beat!
The Caterham Seven 160 does produce 80 bhp in Japan as well. In fact, the 64 hp rule is not such but a gentleman's agreement not always respected despite what the spec numbers might say.
How about the 4-door Honda Life Turbo? Gem of a car, dude!!!
The Caterham was a new one to me.
6:10 "Oh hey, -Big- Small Zam." - adjacent to The Video Game Boy (the one who wins)
Clicked to see if the Alto Works made the list
U forgot about the TOYOTA SERA !!
similar to the AZ1 & Beat but with awesome butterfly doors like and before McLaren or Enzo !
not a kei car
Ok, next year make a Kei Car shootout up the Hill !
64 bhp? Wow! I had a Citroën 2CV from 1960, with just 12 bhp from 425cc!
2:43 I think Japanese television series Space Sheriff Gavan drive this car.
Well almost of it.
I'm so sad that the Kei-car never made it to europe properly.
Every now and then some model makes a run with little/limited succes but it's always the boring old-people-tiny-van models like the Suzuki R and never the cool tiny little roadsters like the Autozam AZ-1
I am lucky enough to own a Suzuki " Kei Car" an SC100 coupe which in the U'K is known as the ( Sorry, cant remember, although it's mentioned in the vido, but here in New Zealand, where 40 in total were imported, was known as the CX-G.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
You forgot the Japanese Kei version of the last Suzuki Jimny.
These seem like a James May dream.
0:18 So what your saying is that... I'm right?! No we can't have that now.
I want one does anybody know how much it would cost to import to USA
More time should have been given to the modern on the road now descendants to these, which have huge bonus factors for european cities, like the Axiams, or MGc's, snidely classed in the uk as quadricicles, and drivable on uk provisional licences. One of them actually comes with a lamborgini engine, but all have modern safety, trims and spec's, seat 4, have fantastic economy and are shorter than the original mini.
2:37 design by Burago
あれ？なんでアルトワークス入って無いの？ドッカンターボで楽しい車だったなぁ
You can't have everything in a Top 10... Suzuki makes terrific cars. It's a shame that they are not sold in the US anymore. Come back, Suzuki!!
szépek
Why is Subaru VIVIO not listed?
There's only one kei car that convince me to buy. Basically I'm going for the one that have instant torque!
Honda N600 is my choice
Am i surprised that when you showed the copen you didn't also show the new copen
It’s mentioned in the video.
Hello, what about de Nissan Figaro?
It's not a kei car as far as I know.
Not a kei car. Has to big of a engine and doesn’t form to kei car regulations.
I thought the AZ-1 would be ranked #1.
There is no ranking here. Just 10 cars we love.
@@GoodwoodRR aww I see. I guess I'm just so used to the cliche TH-cam top 10 video.
Alto Works!
hmm anyone notice how muche the new Beetle looked like the Daihatsu
You missed the original Honda s360 & S600 sport cars
Caterham... no doubt.. the best!!!
Not a kei car
@@olavofernandes7286 The 160 is.
@@GoodwoodRR kei cars are only Japanese.
@@connory6741 No they are not, they can be built outside of Japan and sold in Japan as a Kei car if they conform to the regulations. Hence the Caterham 160 is classified and sold in Japan as a Kei car. The original Smart was briefly sold in Kei form too.
@@GoodwoodRR Fiat 126 also comply kei car regulation too, and some people in Japan actually do.
Subaru Libero is missing!
So frustrating to see American automakers push electric cars while also selling totally impractical 5000-pound SUVs and trucks to suburbanites. An electric SUV is like a extra-large diet pop. If we really care about the environment, we'd buy into kei cars, but instead we want electric Ford Escapes and "Cyber Trucks."
I, personally, do NOT want anything like a Hummer or Ford Lightning pickup. Quick and light is much more desirable, but GM and Ford are just looking at maximum profits per unit.
I have a Geo Metro convertible that's set to be converted to electric before too long. It's not a Kei, but fairly close, and it will be legal in California and will probably out-accelerate any Mustang on the road.
Which cars sold un latinoamerica can be considered kei
We need these in the UK now ,,, enough with the school run trucks.. peoples Ego's need to shrink.
🥰
Honda City Turbo II + Motocompo
Not a Kei car..
All these autozam fanboys. You all need to see the majesty that is the Subaru Vivio Rxr
Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4.
Suzuki Forsa SA 310
Every\Scrum\NV100 - лучшие бусики ))
Where is the Toyota Sera on the list?
Its not a Kei car
@@iainmarshall2514 not?
@@franciscodias1060Are you asking why its not a Kei car?
@@iainmarshall2514 yes!
@@franciscodias1060 it has a 1.5L engine making 104 bhp, more bhp than Kei regulations allowed for (63-64bhp at most) furthermore Its overall size was bigger than the Kei car size restrictions i believe. (it was wider and longer than Kei regulations)
As someone that has seen a Toyota Sera up close.. its definitely bigger than a Kei car haha.
Suzuki Wagon R Wide Turbo
🌴😎💯
... Nissan Figaro missing..
Suzuki Alto Works
How about old Fiat 500 ?
If your gonna bring euro cars that fit in the category then the dacia 500 and the sado 550 will come in to
@@ocallaghan3865 that's honourable mention too
Unfortunately, most of the current "Kei Car" has a terrible design and can not feel the individuality and charm.
And many of the drivers riding them are also beginning to stand out for pathetic people.
why western states do not follow the example by Japan? we cannot keep on polluting with huge cars.
I WANT LEFT HAND DRIVE KEI CARS IN EUROPE!
PLEASE.....
You missed Daihatsu Mira!
no.. japan is known for tuner cars. Kei cars are way less known
Been driving Kei cars for over thirty years. Honda Acty and Daihatsu Copen.Not
AZ-1 not the no 1
Just wrong.
Probably what?
Microcars were smaller, my Haflinger 4wd was far smaller, and haven't you heard of the Honda S 360/ S 500/ S 600? I won't be subscribing, I'll be hitting the do not recommend button.
Kei cars are only Japanese. Don’t add European cars with small displacements as that’s just not right for the topic of kei cars. Only Japanese cars are true kei cars and will get the respect of kei car status.