4 Kei sports cars that prove you don’t need big power to have fun – Jalopnik

A kei car is a Japanese “light vehicle” (kei jidosha), made under a special government classification, designed to make car ownership affordable and practical in post-World War II Japan. To classify as a kei car, it must be a maximum of 3.5 meters long, a maximum of 1.5 meters wide and less than 2.5 meters high. It must also have an engine no larger than 660 cc, with the maximum horsepower being approximately 63 hp.

Inov reports that 38% of all new cars sold in Japan in 2024 were kei cars, down slightly from 40% in 2023. While each kei car is limited in engine displacement, size and power, they are not all the same. Some are rock campers that allow you to live large, and others are vans and utility vehicles. Here we’re going to focus on kei sports cars that prove you don’t need big power to have fun.

What do a bit of rock Honda Beat, the Corvette Z06, the Ferrari LaFerrari and the McLaren F1 have in common that makes all four real driver’s cars? It’s clearly not power, trick suspension or 0-60 times. No, it’s the mid-engine placement combined with rear-wheel drive that is often one of the key defining features of a performance vehicle.

Placing the engine in the center of the vehicle dramatically improves a car’s balance. This makes all of these cars feel dynamic and give them a classic “kart” feel when turning. And the Honda Beat shows another similarity to the three supercars: a naturally aspirated engine with a cheerful red line. In fact, the Beat’s 8,100 rpm redline is 600 rpm higher than the F1’s.

The Formula 1-derived Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control (MTREC) system allowed the Honda Beat to reach such a high redline without the massive output of its supercar counterparts. It also mates a five-speed manual gearbox with short throw stop to hydraulic rack and pinion steering. This gives it a level of tactile involvement that’s reminiscent of the connected, mechanical feeling you get in a McLaren F1 – just on a delightfully small kei-car scale.

The Beat was designed by none other than Pininfarina, a design company known for creating some of the greatest Ferraris of all time. Although it’s not what you call fast, Jalopnik alum Doug DeMuro noted that “you get the feeling that you are going fast”, which is often enough to have fun. Another former writer even called the Honda Beat the best car she ever owned.

The Suzuki Cappuccino delivers its fun a little differently, and also has one of the best names in the kei car universe. It’s a longitudinally mounted, turbo-engined, front-mounted kei car that still manages to achieve a near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The Cappuccino also offers rear-wheel drive and a five-speed manual transmission with short shift range. Thanks to aluminum double wishbone front suspension, a multi-link rear end, an optional limited-slip differential and non-power rack and pinion steering, the Cappuccino communicates every input with the driver.

The Suzuki shows a redline of 8,500 rpm on the tachometer, but it can go much higher. Tuned Suzuki Cappuccinos even reached 11,000 rpm and sounded like a motorcycle.

The Cappucino is lightweight at 1,675 pounds, with a wheelbase of just six feet (the Mazda MX-5 has a wheelbase of seven feet), making it agile and incredibly responsive. Compared to the Honda Beat, however, the Cappuccino is a bit more subdued, making it more comfortable for daily driving. Later Cappuccino models received a revised engine with aluminum blocks, power steering and an automatic transmission making them even easier to use for everyday tasks.

During a review of a Suzuki Cappuccino on the Zygrene channel YouTuber Fenton said: “I just love the high revving small rear wheel drive cars… just a blast to drive.” That sums up why the Suzuki Cappuccino – along with the other kei cars here – belongs on this list.

One of the wildest, quirkiest and most dynamic kei cars is the Autozam AZ-1. It features gull-wing doors, a mid-engine configuration, rear-wheel drive and a turbocharged three-cylinder engine. It also has a five-speed manual transmission, a 7-foot wheelbase and a 9,000 rpm redline. But suspension is where the AZ-1 shines. Thanks to a MacPherson suspension with independent struts, four-wheel disc brakes and a mechanical limited-slip differential, the AZ-1 is as playful as cars can be.

The fun story about the Autozam AZ-1 is that it was actually a joint effort between Suzuki and Mazda. Suzuki envisioned the AZ-1 but didn’t have the capacity to follow up, so Mazda stepped in and introduced the AZ-1 through its Autozam sub-brand. When it comes to driving pleasure, Doug DeMuro says it outperforms both the Beat and the Cappuccino: “The AZ1 is definitely the coolest, and in my opinion the AZ1 drives the best.”

Moreover, the Autozam AZ-1 is also the rarest of the bunch by a considerable margin. MotorTrend reported that 4,392 Autozam AZ-1s had been built (plus another 531 badged Suzuki Cara models), compared to 28,000 Cappucinos and over 33,000 Beats. Without further ado, here are some nice Autozam AZ-1 photos for you to enjoy.

If you want a sports car experience without the roadster styling of the AZ-1, Beat and Cappuccino, the Suzuki Alto is a perfect ‘pocket rocket’. Of all the versions of the Suzuki Alto, the Suzuki Alto Works RS-Z is the driver’s choice. It follows a similar scheme to the other three: an 8,000 rpm redline, just 1,477 pounds, front-engine, five-speed short-throw, front-wheel drive (AWD was also available), power steering and McPherson struts.

The Alto has a longer wheelbase of 2 meters 9 inches, making it more stable at speed. It is powered by a Suzuki K6A water-cooled turbo engine, similar to the one in the Cappuccino. ATL JDMan Atlanta-based importer of cars for the Japanese domestic market, described the K6A as “Suzuki’s holy grail of K-motors.” The “Works” trim Alto also received wider performance tires, KYB shock absorbers, ventilated disc brakes and a rear stabilizer bar, all of which made it dynamic, fast and fun to drive.

One of the best things about the Alto RS-Z is the strong aftermarket support that remains available through Monster Sport. And one of the reasons the Alto is popular outside of Japan is because it was prominently featured in several Gran Turismo video games. For gamer petrolheads growing up, Gran Turismo was often their first introduction to this small but feisty kei car.