On our YouTube channel we try to review as many different types of interesting (and preferably classic or modern classic) cars as possible. So when we got an offer to review a Japanese ‘Kei’ car, we couldn’t refuse, especially after seeing how it looks like. Kei cars are small and low capacity Japanese cars from the 90’s where they are regulated to have less than 660cc capacity.
The car we have here today is called the Mazda Autozam AZ-1. The concept of the car actually originated from Suzuki, who conceived the idea but due to capacity issues, Mazda took over and realized the project instead. The project leader at Mazda was also responsible for the hugely successful MX-5 project, so the AZ-1 was bound to be good right at the get go. In 1992, Mazda officially released the car under the Autozam brand, which is the sub-brand of Mazda. Production lasted two years until 1994, and only 4,300 units were built. The low production numbers was partly due to Japan hitting an economic recession at the time, and the AZ-1 was also more expensive than other Kei cars at the time, such as the Honda Beat and Suzuki Cappuccino, which proved to be unpopoular. This means that today, the AZ-1 is considered a rare car and values have been rising, although parts can be hard to come by.
With 660cc, three cylinders, and 64 horsepower, the car was never meant to be fast, even with a turbo. However, it does weigh only about 700KG, which should mitigate its underpowered nature. Sitting in the car, it is roomier than expected. The pedals are biased towards the left, this is due to the car being so small and narrow and therefore the right front wheel takes up a lot of space in the footwell. The gullwing doors are without doubt the highlight of the car, providing such a bizarre feeling of being in a tiny Japanese car but opening and closing the doors in such an exotic fashion. The five speed manual gearbox is as easy to use as you would expect from any 90’s Japanese car. Setting off, immediately you notice the engine sound – it does not sound like the weak, dull, and two-dimensional engine note that you would expect from a 660cc three cylinder car! The engine sounds so potent and exotic it actually sounds like a proper sports car! That was completely unexpected and there could not have been a more pleasant surprise.
Because of the awesome engine note, you are constantly tempted to step on it. While stepping on it, however, the pick up unfortunately did not surprise me. I was expecting the pick up to be more impressive than expected given the light weight nature of the car. However, under load the car does reassure you that it only has 64hp. Nevertheless, that is not an issue as Kei cars are supposed to be fun, not necessarily quick. The steering is extremely direct and the car literally feels like a go-kart when cornering at speed. Lots of cars are described as go-kart like, but this one does so literally. Finally, I don’t normally write about it as I passed the age where I care about what passerby’s think, but the attention this little car gets from other road users and pedestrians are unbelievable. People just love it, which is great.
All in all, I had loads of fun test driving my first ever Kei car and I have a whole new appreciation for them. A big thank you to the owner for lending out his toy, which he only acquired a week ago and had barely enjoyed it himself before passing us the keys. Also a big thank you to Alex C. (IG: @nofishshark) for helping out with the video.
See our review video here: