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[snookey]

My favourite Kei car is the first one about which I read, probably in Fast Lane, in the late eighties.  The Mitsubishi Minica Dangan ZZ-4.  Three-cylinder DOHC 550cc 15v Turbo 4WD, 0-60 in 8.7 and 100+mph.  Impressive for a tiny city car in 1989.  It's great fun in Gran Turismo too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Minica#/media/File:Mitsubishi_Minica_Dangan_001.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Mitsubishi_Minica_Dangan_002.JPG

The small Japanese car of the era which I really would have liked to own, though, was the Daihatsu Charade GTti.  The forfour Brabus of its day in some ways, it was small, unassumingly styled, not much different to the rest of the range, quicker off the mark and up to sensible speeds than many of the better-known hot hatches around at the time, and particulary similar to the Brabus in its rarity on the roads of the UK.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ff/ac/78/ffac7823a40e3f695a5bdd57b1e9715e.jpg
https://www.carspiritpk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/autowp.ru_daihatsu_charade_gtti_1.jpeg

[Problemchild]

I had a daihatsu charade turbo but the turbo had blown so just had a right angled pipe connecting the manifold to the head

Still handled really well and was faster than my mates
Nova SR

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/classic-car-weekly-uk/20171206/282364040009278

The gtti was a great car

JJ

[CrazyG]

JJ.....Re your post on/about the AZ-1...

.....Yes I want that now

There are a couple for sale in the UK....
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/79/az1/

4 of them at that site...1 at £13,999   3 at £14,999

I'd rather buy a secondhand EV if I had that much to spend.

[Problemchild]

Yeah - fresh imports

JJ

[snookey]

Looks really good in white.  Agree with G though, very expensive for what they are.  Starting to get into Lotus Elise territory there.