Japan Kei Car Life
Discussion
5 months into living in Japan and I’m embracing the Japan Kei car culture while trying to do a few little mods on the cheap whilst keeping the student budget in check (UpGarage is a big help!)
Back in the UK I had 2 Kei previously - an Autozam AZ1 & Honda Acty truck - however you can’t appreciate the awesomeness of these cars until you appreciate them in their natural habitat. They really do fit their design brief perfectly.
This one is a 2013 Suzuki Wagon R Stingray, with its 660cc 3 Cylinder and full 52bhp of power (with small assistance of the tiny inbuilt battery). When I say tiny, think the sort of thing you’d use to jump start your watch.
If you fancy following my adventures keep an eye out for my YouTube channel. I can’t like it but it’s similar to my username here!
Mods so far have been a set of RSR lowering springs and a (somewhat divisive!) set of seat covers.
Back in the UK I had 2 Kei previously - an Autozam AZ1 & Honda Acty truck - however you can’t appreciate the awesomeness of these cars until you appreciate them in their natural habitat. They really do fit their design brief perfectly.
This one is a 2013 Suzuki Wagon R Stingray, with its 660cc 3 Cylinder and full 52bhp of power (with small assistance of the tiny inbuilt battery). When I say tiny, think the sort of thing you’d use to jump start your watch.
If you fancy following my adventures keep an eye out for my YouTube channel. I can’t like it but it’s similar to my username here!
Mods so far have been a set of RSR lowering springs and a (somewhat divisive!) set of seat covers.
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:48
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:49
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:49
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:50
I love all these Kei cars. I'm dithering over Shed or another Kei Car.
Mrs V. already has a a 660cc turbocharged Mitsubishi i-Car. It's either an extended Smart Car with 2 extra doors or a 911 junior (rear engined, rear wheel drive, turbo, it even does a little of the front suspension patter like a 911). It really is my favourite car. The only time you can't use it is on motorways in strong winds when your sphincter clenches.
We drive it regularly from Maidstone to Folkestone, Dover, Dungeness, Hastings and Eastbourne along A & B Roads. People are surprised by the acceleration from standstill with lightweight and a turbo. It's the fastest thing to errr.... 30mph!
And every time I park it somewhere I come back to people taking pictures of it. If a JDM crowd turn up they park around it. Even better was the time a guy in a Ferrari parked and stood next to his car, and everyone had their attention on the i-Car next to it!
Mrs V. already has a a 660cc turbocharged Mitsubishi i-Car. It's either an extended Smart Car with 2 extra doors or a 911 junior (rear engined, rear wheel drive, turbo, it even does a little of the front suspension patter like a 911). It really is my favourite car. The only time you can't use it is on motorways in strong winds when your sphincter clenches.
We drive it regularly from Maidstone to Folkestone, Dover, Dungeness, Hastings and Eastbourne along A & B Roads. People are surprised by the acceleration from standstill with lightweight and a turbo. It's the fastest thing to errr.... 30mph!
And every time I park it somewhere I come back to people taking pictures of it. If a JDM crowd turn up they park around it. Even better was the time a guy in a Ferrari parked and stood next to his car, and everyone had their attention on the i-Car next to it!
Get loads of them in Sri lanka and quite popular as Taxis
How is the boot space and what about driving out of town especially in hilly terrain with passengers, how did you find that?
em177 said:
5 months into living in Japan and I’m embracing the Japan Kei car culture while trying to do a few little mods on the cheap whilst keeping the student budget in check (UpGarage is a big help!)
Back in the UK I had 2 Kei previously - an Autozam AZ1 & Honda Acty truck - however you can’t appreciate the awesomeness of these cars until you appreciate them in their natural habitat. They really do fit their design brief perfectly.
This one is a 2013 Suzuki Wagon R Stingray, with its 660cc 3 Cylinder and full 52bhp of power (with small assistance of the tiny inbuilt battery). When I say tiny, think the sort of thing you’d use to jump start your watch.
If you fancy following my adventures keep an eye out for my YouTube channel. I can’t like it but it’s similar to my username here!
Mods so far have been a set of RSR lowering springs and a (somewhat divisive!) set of seat covers.
Back in the UK I had 2 Kei previously - an Autozam AZ1 & Honda Acty truck - however you can’t appreciate the awesomeness of these cars until you appreciate them in their natural habitat. They really do fit their design brief perfectly.
This one is a 2013 Suzuki Wagon R Stingray, with its 660cc 3 Cylinder and full 52bhp of power (with small assistance of the tiny inbuilt battery). When I say tiny, think the sort of thing you’d use to jump start your watch.
If you fancy following my adventures keep an eye out for my YouTube channel. I can’t like it but it’s similar to my username here!
Mods so far have been a set of RSR lowering springs and a (somewhat divisive!) set of seat covers.
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:48
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:49
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:49
Edited by em177 on Friday 11th November 03:50
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