Coffee is an essential ingredient of modern life, almost as much as affordable transportation. Automakers have joined forces to stop selling efficient cars, so let’s sip on Cappuccino to contemplate why.
Last week, a Land Rover Defender Classic won top honors in our Budget U.S. import battle. Rough and ready SUVs are certainly practical, but what if you live in concrete canyons? Next year, Americans will be able to import cars from the 1997 model-year, so this week we figured smaller is better. A quick search yields 35 examples for sale, so it truly is a buyer's market.
The Suzuki Cappuccino debuted in 1991 to meet Japan’s revised Kei car laws. The new laws allowed manufacturers to offer a maximum of 63 horsepower from 660cc engines. The car must be shorter than 3.3m (10.8’), and it can’t be wider than 1.4m (4.6’). Top speed is limited to 87 mph, even though it would take you a minute to reach that speed.
Photo: Public Domain
At first glance, it looks rather boring. But it's not a coupe. Instead, the roof panels stow in the trunk while the rear glass folds away under the tonneau cover. Under the hood, you might anticipate a tiny turbo-4 mounted east-west. You will be one cylinder short, but the turbocharged K6A is capable of chunky torque.
Yes, many of them were sold with 3-speed automatics that seriously hampered acceleration. That’s why this gem is right for you. A quick search on carsfromjapan.com shows us that fun doesn’t have to be expensive. Depending on which bottlenecked American port you choose, you could be driving a Cappuccino for under $13,000.
Since you will have ample room in a 20’ container, we would utilize the remaining space with crates of Manga, Pachinko, and Minidiscs to satiate American fascinations. The real treat is getting behind the wheel. In stock form, they are more fun than a barrel of monkeys. That’s because you have 4-wheel disc brakes, coil-over suspension, and an independent rear. To cut every gram of un-sprung weight, the control arms, spindles, and sway bars are very light. It all adds up to a curb weight of 1,598 pounds.
Photo: Public Domain
In order to keep power below the government mandate, the stock injectors only flow 225cc. Because the car is intercooled from the factory, a few minutes of work will yield 120 reliable horsepower. Suzuki states the optimal speed for good mileage is 56 mph. It will offer 52.3 mpg in stock form, and probably a little more once the intake and turbo are optimized.
Sharing the same engine with the Suzuki Jimmy has allowed the aftermarket to embrace this platform. In honor of our Tuning Month, here is a fun scenario. Because these are simply “old cars” in Japan, find another example in need of a little love. You could sell the other car upon arrival, but here’s a better idea.
Make a budget to replace or restore everything in your car and put the decent parts on the other one. Not only will it save on costs, but it will convince the next owner they are getting their money’s worth. At this point, owning two Kei cars can become addicting, so we suggest parting ways with one or both to keep peace with the significant other.
Miata people can’t have all the fun, so it's time to invade their events with an even-smaller, better handling Japanese Pocket Rocket. Thanks to the car’s small size, it can be painted in your garage with decent results. A cold-air intake can be made using parts from the hardware store, and a generic catalytic converter will keep the police happy. Did we mention it has Variable Valve Timing? We’re waiting for you to grind a custom cam and leave the liter-bikes in your rear view. For under $20,000, you will have a cute & confident corner carver, so stay with us for more import insights.
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