Highly recommended. Another vehicle pushing kei proportions to their practical limits, the Scrum’s panels are wafer thin to ensure as much load space as possible has been scalloped out of a kei-shaped box.
Bentley Mulliner review: an extra-posh Continental GT. They made it easy from point a to b. What about people who buy cars that are much too big for their requirements? I plan to order more vehicles in the near future! Yup. Been a pleasure dealing with him and was kept informed every step of the way and super fast communication kept the whole process stress free! Many enthusiasts consider it their favorite kei car. fresh import. When driving into central London, I do so via the M4 and A4.
Kei cars, fresh in concept and innovative in design, make the Smart irrelevant and superfluous. They are great and I think that locally-produced ones would be wonderful in urban areas but Brussels doesn't agree as it likes cars bulky to protect pedestrians instead of keeping pedestrians out of the roadway. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – The most expensive car ever? Serena Highway Star. Not a kei car but my Smart has been useful quite a few times for squeezing through gaps and into odd short parking spaces. The exact and official engine capacity of most K-cars is 658cc. ), Nissan Pao/Figaro. When I changed my direction, Mathew helped me wrap things up and wished me well. Trustworthy group here! In fact, with many Kei models already in production, who needs Up? JCD made it seamless.
I purchased three vehicles from auction with Matt, he made it extremely easy and was available whenever I needed him throughout the entire importing process. The engine revs high like a motorcycle’s with an exciting 3-cylinder rumble that combines with the low riding height and wind flowing through your hair to make driving feel fast and exciting at 84mph. The final kei car is not one we pine for because it’s a crackpot, or because it looks like an NSX that shrunk in the wash. He was quick to respond, answered way too many of my silly questions, and worked diligently to find the right van for me. Super easy to deal with and transparent with all the details involved in bidding and winning auctions, the import process, and everything in between. Get Top Gear news and reviews in your inbox, Enter your email address to receive regular Top Gear newsletters. The Copen’s arch rival, if you will, and a successor to the kei-complying Honda Beat of the 1990s. My kids, and my wife, love to drive it:).
The best cars in the Kei sports category are mostly from the Nineties (think Suzuki Alto Works, and Cappuccino, Subaru Vivio RX-R, Daihatsu Mira TR-XX) and the early 2000s (Alto Works again, and Daihatsu Mira Gino). everything went perfect!!!. Almost every manufacturer has "K Car" in their line-up. It’s kind of a subjective issue because some guys want the low end grunt of the super charger, even if it comes at the expense of a bit of top end power (I’m in this group); other sports car drivers want that high ultimate boost that the turbo is best at. Import Kei cars direct from Tokyo. Now if only everyone was driving around in such wonders as the Daihatsu D-Base concept, the Nissan Teatro for Dayz, the Suzuki Mighty Deck or Air Triser, then Londoners could waft around in their narrow lanes as much as they liked without impeding motorists in others. Wider roads would simply mean more idiots filling them up with their faux by faux. Each to their own, and all that. Dude put me at ease and really walked me through the whole process. It has significantly fewer kilos to shift, too, despite its paddleshift gearbox. 137k miles. Micro sports cars, quirky camper vans, teeny tipper trucks: we want these midgets over here. automatic. Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ-4
Log into your account, and lets start working together today! BBC Studios is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). This page is updated regularly so please check back often for new stock. Discovered KEI vehicles about a year ago and spent many hours searching the internet in hopes of finding an affordable van state side, to no avail. i want one of the SR models, i just think think look cool and also fit into the lower tax/insurance bracket.
Mathew at Japan Car Direct has been a HUGE help and continually went above and beyond with assisting me.
I was so afraid to import a car myself. Thanks Mathew, the little truck is a fine addition to the farm. For I, like many other commentators, genuinely feel kei cars have huge potential in London and Europe’s over-crowded urban hotspots.
Go old kei truck. Suzuki Cappuccino So glad this was the first group I tried as I have heard horror stories about the import process. Mathew was right there to offer direction and assurance along the way. The Beat’s naturally aspirated, mid-ship 656cc E07A engine with 3 inline cylinders, 12 valves and a single overhead camshaft features an 8,500 redline, 10:1 compression ratio and drive-by-wire MTREC with one throttle valve per cylinder for smoother intake, sharper throttle response and more linear power delivery. Daihatsu Mira L200 TR-XX They have been sold here before - the Suzuki Capppucino, Daihatsu Copen, etc. Yoshi and team were patient in helping me find the right car (green 2016 Prius 4WD) and get me through the process. And, well, it’s got Turbo RS decals. And even among the turbo Kei sports cars made by Suzuki there are differences in power delivery and feel: The SOHC F6A with the 2-valve head gives a bit better low end push than the DOHC version of the same engine with the 4-valve head. I was like that with my Kei sports car, a Mitshibishi Minica Dangan (Bullet) ZZ; And if the condescending pictures of handbags and shopping trips in the marketing bumf don’t hammer the nails into its sexist coffin, the optional Cocoa cushions, slippers and necklaces ought to.
Did Nissan invent the sensible sports car with the AP-X? Though, given its size, it might do it in many, many small stages. You only need a daydreaming National Express driver on his way to Exeter or an errant Land Rover Freelander to go walkabout to be on your brakes, thereby causing all those behind you to do the same. This lightweight, high-performance kei car combines the advantages of all-wheel-drive with a turbocharged, intercooled DOHC engine and 5-speed manual gearbox. Clearly the hatchback type sports Kei cars that seat four people and have good luggage room are going to be a lot more practical than the mid-engine Honda Beat with two seats and a little compartment at the rear behind the engine where your wife or girlfriend can store her purse; that is, if she’s modest about purses and knows the difference between a purse, (I went out with this girl once, she was a very stylish dresser and a total babe, but she always carried these huge, dumpy, sacky purses. No Honda Beat for her….But that’s not why we broke up, by the way.). A clean, fresh RX-R like this one here that we recently exported to the USA is what I want now. If Scrum doesn’t do it for you, there’s always the Mitsubishi Town Box, Suzuki Every and Honda Acty…. The top-end Mira L200 is powered by a 3-cylinder, 12-valve engine that is not only turbocharged, but electronically fuel-injected to provide both quick response and fuel efficiency.
I use my truck almost daily around our farm moving things and as a work surface. Suzuki Alto Works RS/R Japan Car Direct [email protected] All Rights Reserved. The Daihatsu Leeza Spider And most parking is in marked bays so having a smaller than average car is no advantage. Think it was in readers cars? They are not “old” (I’m in a 1995 Japanese Kei car at the moment, and he’s very solid), but they are not brand spanking new, either, so parts are key. uk kei cars. Opinion - Why can't we drive kei cars in the UK? On the objective side, I would say that parts availability is key. All these engines are great in a Japanese Kei sports car, however, whether they are in the Alto Works, the Cappuccino, or in the Mazda Autozam AZ-1. Cars around two metres in width are becoming the norm.
Last week a car in front of me was turning off to the right, waiting over on the right side of the lane to turn in, I squeezed through and looked behind in the mirror, the Astra behind me followed but went up the kerb to do it. For ten year old cars with a manufacturer that has pulled out of the country that's pretty good going. The Honda S660 is a sports Kei car produced by the Japanese carmaker Honda, the car production started in 2015.The technical specification features contained the engine 660 cc (40 cu in) S07A l3, transmission was 6-speed manual CVT transmission, layout transverse mid-engine, rear wheel drive, body style 2-door roadster, wheelbase 2285 mm, length 3395 mm, width 1475 mm, height 1180 mm … Highly recommended! The world’s smallest super car is waiting for you at the Japanese auto auctions today! fresh import. And while 63bhp isn’t even half the output of Suzuki’s still-tame Swift Sport, the little Alto Turbo is also roughly half the price, starting at the yen equivalent of just £6800. Brilliantly bonkers. We’ve picked the Scrum for its quite magical name, but in truth it’s one of several minivans that look nigh-on identical, each wearing the badge of a different Japanese carmaker. He was quick to respond and most importantly, his word was good. You ought to know the name Copen. You can also buy the Kei version of the Caterham 7 here. On the subjective side, there are things to consider like “looks.” For me, if I were to buy an Alto Works here in Japan now, I’d go for the 1990 to 1994 models. Matt put the breaks on that and used his experience and knowledge to weed out the potential problems. tax & mot . The Copen’s arch rival, if you will, and a successor to the kei-complying Honda Beat of the 1990s. Thanks guys!! Now, for something to help you decide what may be the best kei truck for you to import from Japan, we have some articles over on … I’ve written about these lovely cars in the same post here.
Looking at what I call the Pre Nov. 98 Exotics, like the Suzuki Cappuccino and the Honda Beat (on our blog here). Every Tokyo motor show seems to throw up new models that show off Japanese automotive creativity at its weird and wonderful best. 01652 610004-07809 376072. nissan elgrand - highway star. Shame. Suzuki released this beautiful 2-door roadster with the promise of “fulfilling one’s dream of owning a stylish and very affordable 2 seater sportscar.” The turbocharged DOHC engine is mounted behind the front axle to achieve an impressive 50/50 weight distribution that contributes to great handling. All you have to do is sit back and relax whilst we take care of everything. Thanks to all those in question on the A4 on Sunday night….
Or those who seem take up the roads for small journeys that could be accomplished on foot? Getting toward 280,000km (over 170,000 miles), I had to retire the car when the engine was finally well and truly worn out. Their recommended partners for shipping and entry into NZ were on the ball too.
Kei is the name given to cars with an engine no larger than 660cc in capacity, no more power than 63bhp, and a footprint no greater than 3400mm long and 1500mm wide. Enthused by the Tokyo motor show offerings, Mark Tisshaw dreams of driving kei cars on London's roads, Haymarket Media Group, publishers of Autocar takes your privacy seriously.