Kei Cars in Depth - Vol. Five : The Kei Sport Trinity #blogpost

AZ-1, Beat, Cappuccino, 3 two seater kei cars that revolutionized the image of kei cars, all released in the early 90s. Before the three, most people see kei cars just as boring cheap slow cars, despite having a few hot hatches here and there. Thanks to these cars, there are finally kei cars that can just so the basics of what a sports car should do. Just like the holy trinity, these cars are not the same, they have their own characteristics, but they all serve the same purpose, and here is to give a full sports car experience in the kei car market.

It’s fun to discuss these cars, because none is better than the other. You enter not knowing which is best, and you’ll finish not knowing which is best either. The only thing that can make you pick one over the other is your own taste of cars. So let’s get cracking, and I’m not going to discuss much about specs, because well, I’ve done it before, and they don’t really matter because they are all similar on paper.

A stands for AZ-1

AZ-1, the only coupe of the group, and the only one which you will look like a baller getting out of. The thing about the AZ-1 is that it applied the strategy on how to make light car, and that’s a hard shell with plastic panels. Also gullwing doors, because why the hell not. With 44:56 F/R weight distribution is isn’t the most balanced, but that doesn’t mean it’s a terrible. The car is as agile as a fly thanks to a very responsive steering, the engine is punchy and you can even push it to 10000, above the redline and just before the limiter kicks in. And with the engine at the back the AZ-1 can just beat the Cappuccino in a drag race. The letdown is the soft suspension which doesn’t really keep up with the car’s demand, even though it brings a light more mechanical grip. On the track, it’s quite evenly matched with the Cappuccino, and it might just win but not by that much.

B stands for Beat

Honda Beat, one of Honda’s maddest underdog, and the only N/A of the three. The Beat isn’t necessarily the fastest in town, but it surely is the loudest. With max power kicking in at 8100, you’ll need to make it scream loud enough to wake all your neighbours. Much like the every Hondas that time, you’ll get an extra punch passing 5000rpm, even though the Beat doesn’t have that VTEC badge. But despite the fact that it won’t keep up with a Cappuccino or the AZ-1 in a straight line, the Beat will sure win the heart of petrolheads in mountain roads, as the engine is a lot more playful than the rest. And with no turbo to slow the response, it wins our hearts.

C stands for Cappuccino

an engine at the front, and rear wheel drive at the back, these are the recipes to make the perfect sports car, but suddenly Suzuki spilled Chemical-K, and then the Cappuccino was born. It’s basically a mini miata, and it’s no bad thing. It has perfect 50:50 weight distribution, a 3-stage open top which is great for relaxing drives. Thanks to better distribution, the Cappuccino is more settled on the track, and it can just make up the time it lost to the AZ-1 in the straight line. Unlike the other two there’s more chance that you’ll own one, because Suzuki imported them to the UK, which is good. And you can pick one right now for about 2400 pounds. The Suzuki is more precise to the AZ-1, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. It’s still a hell lot of fun. It can even make an NA miata just feel a bit “dull”.

ABC : The Trinity

As one, these three cars serve the same purpose, to give the driving thrills and experience of a sports car, while the kei car DNA remains. They’re all respectably fast, they’re all fun to drive, and they’re all rewarding, but they all have their own ways on giving the excitement of driving, which makes it tough to decide which is best.. While the Cappuccino is well sorted around all round, the AZ-1 is just a slight little bit more unsettled and may be more exciting, and the beat is just a hell lot of fun in the mountains. Styling? Well they all look good, they all stand out from the crowd, it all depends on your taste. Really, the thing that can win one of these cars is your own opinion. They’re all equally matched, they all serve the same purpose in their own ways, and they all do very very well. If I can take all 3, I’d do it as soon as I can.

The Future of Kei Sports

As the three stopped production, there had only been 2 kei sports ever made, the Daihatsu Copen and Honda S660. Mazda stopped on making kei cars, Suzuki just never went back on 2 seaters anymore, and it took Honda 19 years to come up with a car that can just be the successor of the beat. Daihatsu came to join the club with the Kopen Concept in 1999, and with the production Copen in 2002, and it was quite a success, with the car going production for 10 years. People loved it, including me. It was simple, fun, adorable, affordable, and it’s quite practical with the roof up. It was punchy and it encourages you to step on the gas.

Fast forward to the present, the kei sports class are dominated by two cars, the new Copen and the almighty S660. Both great cars, both still serve the same purpose as the trinity, and they both do it in their own ways. Much like the Beat, the new, more refined Copen is better suited to those who’d like weekend trips on mountain roads, as it is a lot more practical than the S660. On the other hand, the S660 has lots of goodies to support you to tear of the circuits of Suzuka, with all the mechanical grip and the electronics to get the power down better. People even say it has too much grip for a 63hp. But that doesn’t mean that the S660 is only a track monster, it’s still a fun car to throw around the mountains, you just won’t go too far with it because there’s absolutely no luggage at all.

Q : Which of the trinity would I take?

If I get to choose one of the trinity, stock, for free, and I’m not allowed to modify any bits out of it, it’s going to be a tough choice. Even though the Cappuccino is a great car and it can just outhandle a miata, but I just never seem to really love it. I’ll probably own it someday, but it won’t be the first of the three. So there leaves the Beat and AZ-1, these is the toughest decision. While the AZ-1 is very cool looking and it has a punchier engine compared to the Beat, I will surely enjoy the responsiveness of the beat and also those “tiger skin” seats. So which would I take home? It’s a tough decision, but I think I’ll go with the AZ-1, with a 0.000000001 margin over the beat. Reason? Well, I know this is probably the stupidest reason, but the reason why I chose the AZ-1 over the Beat, is because gullwing doors, that’s about it. There are no strong arguments I can make to choose the AZ-1.

Nevertheless I’d take all three if I can.

That’s about it for the trinity, the cars that changed the game in the early 90s. These three shows a lot on how good things come in small packages. For next week, I’ll be discussing about kei cars in the motorsport world, whether it’s in Japan or worldwide. Despite being utterly small and underpowered, the are kei cars out there that still do appear in motorsport stages.

By the way, let me know in the comments which would you pick from the trinity, and if it gets a decent amount of votes, I’ll make a chart to show which do Ctzens love the most.

Just in case you missed, here’s last week’s Kei Cars in Depth, talking the cars from Daihatsu, from minivans to sports cars.