Has an all out performance Kei car ever been made?

"Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls" (internerdstuff) 02/05/2016 at 08:05 • Filed to: None

1

11

Ok ,i’m sure we all know that Kei cars have certain rules they must be built to.
To my limited knowledge these are mostly about maximums of the following: Horsepower,Engine capacity,Length and Width.No doubt there are some others i dont know of.

So here’s the thing. We often see opinions of which one was the sportiest,fastest or best.Usually the most radical technology or coolest style wins the argument -turbos ,4WD, flip up doors,cute convertibles or race car styling.

However there’s one Kei car design i’ve never heard of. That being a genuine mini race car for the road. Obviously it would be as light as possible with the lowest center of gravity and the widest stickiest tyres.
Naturally it would be constructed of composites, * possibly single seat only* , have a motor tuned for acceleration (as all K cars are limited to 64PS ,why not add torque!!), great brakes and of course it must look like a sports car.

So does anything like this exist? Maybe some small manufacturers have done it?Is it even possible within the Kei rules,does anyone know?

Flavien Vidal > Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls 02/05/2016 at 08:18

1

I think RE-Amemiya got that beaten... It’s an AZ-1 :)

Notice the space for the license pplate... It is road legal lol

Flavien Vidal > Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls 02/05/2016 at 08:20

1

Also, once they’ve been manufactured, it is up to the owner to add more power to the car as this is not limited. As long as the engine size doesn’t change, the owner can add more power to his kei-car and still pass Shakens if it still emissions limits. It is not uncommon for a Suzuki Cappuccino to get over 100hp...

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls 02/05/2016 at 08:56

2

The closest thing is the concept that eventually wound up being the Autozam AZ-1/Suzuki Cara, the AZ550:

Which is awesome. I mean, super tiny 550cc (it was before the law allowed 660cc engines) LMP car!

As far as tuned Keis go, nothing will likely ever top the RE Amemiya VI-AZ1.

It’s an Autozam AZ-1 with a 20B in the back, a bunch of Porsche 962 suspension bits and Ferrari F40 brakes.

The thing about keis is, like you said, the only limits are size, engine displacement and engine output, not how fast he thing goes. Somebody could go and, say, build a superkei with a lightweight carbon tub and some kind of trick transmission for both acceleration and top speed and nutzo suspension stuff, but the kind of person who could afford a car like that could also afford to park a larger, not-stupid, non-kei car, so the market isn’t really there. That’s the whole point of keis, and the market for them: people who need a car but can’t afford a garage or other permanent parking space for it. That’s why the law exists.

dailydoseofmindlessness > Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls 02/05/2016 at 09:52

1

Subaru Vivio RX-R

A cheeky interpretation with a rare Vivio Targa.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls 02/05/2016 at 10:15

1

The New Suzuki Alto Works is pretty much that.

Not the prettiest but the specs don’t lie.

64hp, 74ft/lb, AWD, MANUAL!!!, Recaro seats, 1350lbs pocket rocket!

WiscoProud > dailydoseofmindlessness 02/05/2016 at 11:27

0

I almost never use this word, but that mini-STI is adorable. Probably a hoot to drive too

nerd_racing > Ron Calls on his years of experience....and freezes at the controls 02/05/2016 at 11:39

0

Autozam AZ-1?

nerd_racing > PanchoVilleneuve ST 02/05/2016 at 11:53

1

I had no idea these had 20B’s in them! That is amazing. I can’t wait until 2017 so I can import a stock one legally. I will be selling my AW11 MR2 to help fun this later on this year.

dailydoseofmindlessness > WiscoProud 02/05/2016 at 12:15

0

Can’t say much about the Vivio Targa but the RX-R is an absolute joy for hooning on tight gymkhana courses and B-roads. The only concern is snapping driveshafts if one fail to upgrade accordingly after fettling with the engine. :D

JSKC > Flavien Vidal 07/17/2017 at 22:17

0

To get that 100hp for an average 2017 or newer kei car turbo engine, does that just involve tuning? Or do you need extra boost bigger turbo ect..

Flavien Vidal > JSKC 07/17/2017 at 22:24

0

No, you need lots of work... even more for newer keicars actually... It’s easier to make power with older ones like Cappuccino or AZ-1... Very high compression NA engines like the Honda Beat are about as good as they can get though...

And it will require work. New turbo, new injectors, new ECU... Unless the car is new enough, then you can just retune the ECU...