Mitsubishi Dangan - Daihatsu Mira - Honda Beat - BBC Top Gear - YouTube.FLV
Everyone knows the BMW Isetta and P50 Peal these days for some time, people have ignored them and if they were just novelty items for collectors, too strange and impractical for use by real drivers on their daily commute but the financial crisis began to hit hard, credit tightened in the Europe and America, while fuel prices never leave with that since about 2010 or so, people have been calling the most famous revolutionary bubble cars and ahead of their time, they are, but they're not alone.
The idea of a small car came just after the Second Wold War Almost every major country has been left hungry for resources that all steel and gasoline had been used by tanks, bombers, guns and artillery shells the need for small, inexpensive cars that you can use to travel for short distances happened.
Countries such as France, Germany, the UK and Japan found that they had the expertise and especially the need to develop small boxes on wheels that could be implemented using very little fuel.
Today we will talk about Japanese kei cars, which at first seem like a clown car versions of full-size vehicles Once we have deepened and learned about these diminutive engines, we realized there its long story that needs to be heard.
Today, the kei cars are very small cars vehicles, vans, sports cars and vans that benefit from certain tax regulations and insurance that make them much cheaper than vehicles running regularly in Japan.
These cars have been redesigned and have been on sale in other markets, including India and even in Europe, especially the Suzuki models but their success is limited mainly to Japan, and that is where we will start our journey of discovery.
As we mentioned earlier, many countries have been affected by World War II, and the devastated Japanese nation was among the worst off after the war, the nation's economy was in tatters and income levels people were very low like China or India there ten years before scolded, Japan after the war was filled with people who could not afford motorcycles, not personal automobiles.
The concept car has kei on the ground in the early 1950s as a kind of utilitarian transport for private owners and boost the economy ground by offering to small businesses as a practical working tool and cheap.
The first time the class was created was in July 1949, but the restrictions have been a bit harsh on the engine Initially, manufacturers could make the 150 cc four-stroke or 100cc two-stroke engines has was revised to 300 cc and 200 cc, respectively, in 1950 the following year, it was revised again to 360 cc and 240 cc, but it wasn t until 1955 when the two classes were allowed 360 cc engines that market really took off.
The first micro car a success sold in Japan is widely regarded as the Subaru 360 This is also the first car in mass production built by Fuji Heavy Subaru brand Industries The car entered production in 1958 and was dubbed the ladybug shape its original form was only 2990 mm length 118 inches, could accommodate up to four passengers and of course was powered by a small 356cc air-cooled engine in two stages that started with 16 horsepower This rear engine , RWD kei car came with three transmission -Speed, and as you can expect performance was iffy.
The Subaru 360 is considered a success story, because more than 300 000 of them were sold until the model was eliminated He even made it as far as America as a kind of alternative to the Volkswagen Beetle Sporting 66 MPG and a price tag of less than 1300, the Subaru 360 was the cheapest car you can buy, but ultimately it was considered a hospice and has been removed.
As interest began to peak, engineers gradually become better cars and better kei throughout the 60s, the introduction of features such as disc brakes, larger carburetors for more power and even automatic transmissions.
The Japanese government regularly stripped the benefits of kei cars in the early 70s, also imposing strict emissions regulations companies have gone through a bad, as the market fell sharply.
In early 1976, automakers got what they were wishing for the new law says the engines could become larger, 550 cc, and the cars could become 10 mm wider, reaching January 4 m 4 and 6 feet 20 mm, for 2 to 3 m 10 5 feet.
Kei cars are as we know them today did not become a reality in 1990, when engine capacity ceilings were lifted 660cc automakers have been increasing by forced induction to get more power to keep them clean air authorities in Japan imposed a restriction on the power to 64 hp at the same time, these small boxes are increasingly asked to become a lot safer than ever So who really goes for this kind of engines Honestly these days, now you should have realized kei cars are not as they seemed strange at the beginning, since some actually roll around European cities and Japan, they are primarily purchased by women are small cars large with housewives who do need to shop they are also used by drivers for the first time and young girls Japan actually consider a fashion statement, like the Fiat 500.
The cars are handy around the city, cheap to run and also to ensure Japan also gives you a break on parking fees and other charges.
Japan has always been known for the way he teaches other people designs, so let's end this interesting story on a fun note, with a list of kei cars that resemble shrunken versions of others, Car full-screen mode.
The Volkswagen Golf has marked the history of the German carmaker is the best ever made by Volkswagen car sale the first generation was launched in 1974 and became known around the world six years later, Subaru launched the second generation of Rex it was sold as a three and five door hatchback, like the Golf the engine was in the front, like the Golf I, however, the most striking thing is the similarity of the two eyes look on and on side.
Obviously, Subaru didn t make a clone Golf Rex was very interesting for its time it has four-wheel drive in 1984 and a turbocharged engine shortly after this very model of the car was finally sold in Europe under the name Subaru 600 or 700 when it was imported more, it has more power and larger wheels Suzuki Cappuccino some Dodge Viper, a little MX-5.
You thought smart invented the lightweight sports car with two seats with a small engine Think again it is the Suzuki Cappuccino, two-seater, two-door car with a rigid roof that you can take off Depending on the market, it was equipped with a 660 cc, 3-cylinder DOHC 12 valve engine with turbocharger and maximum power of 64 hp.
Because they were driving on the right, cappuccinos have been imported into the UK market easily and about 1100 of them were sold From what we understand, they were also distributed in Germany, although still in RHD.
What's striking is how much this car looks like a small Dodge Viper, the original Although they could copy that really since it came out in 1992, so the likely source of inspiration was the Miata .
Cappuccino is cute but not sporty yet, it is amazing thing that is half the weight of the Viper and comes with an engine that is 12 times smaller You just want to grab and put it in your pocket.
Yes, all the Japanese narrowed even commercial vehicles This is the stage of life Van and was launched in 1972 with a 356 cc engine of 30 hp He has a striking resemblance to almost all Ford van or Dodge that time.
This sexy little machine could cary half its own weight The Van stage of life may cary up to 300 kg 661 lbs with two passengers, but if you had a full tank of gas that had not been possible.
Like all other kei cars, it is quite cute The van working clown little wheel, and the front end somehow almost seems like it's hard to make a serious face Oddities Honda Vamos Spirit of the VW Bus .
The history of kei cars is filled with oddities addition to the cars themselves, it is also a kei truck class and Honda have thought it was in 1970 it the ideal vehicle for this rugged Jeep Eastern was sold in limited numbers, but not because of the lack of innovation.
He had a 2-cylinder 356 cc engine, which was mounded in the middle of the Honda car was set on the popularity of its robust bikes, but it didn t work, you can take over and the rear seats, and all the instruments and dials are waterproof.
Vamos has a spare tire on the front as the Volkswagen Type 2 bus, and it looks like it can attack a jungle but it didnt AWD and not many people in Japan wanted to be exposed to the elements Suzuki Jimny Kei Truck Spell worldwide success.
Most of you have probably heard about the Suzuki Jimny, and art because it is the Japanese automaker first globally successful model today, it Sá available with a large Renault diesel engine 1 5 liters, but in Japan, it is actually a kei truck.
The first generation of Jimnys are LJ10 models built from 1970 with a 356 cc two-stroke engine that produced 25 hp delivered by a 4-speed manual The best part is that it came with four-wheel drive and wide tires in diameter.
This and shape as the speed somewhat compromised brick, because it would only 75 km h 47 mph but there were obvious advantages, and it served as a platform for global models.
The engines were gradually increased in size and the largest that we know is the Peugeot sourced 1 Diesel 9 liters used in the second generation Improved suspension, full interiors and high-end features were gradually included, and we are now in the third generation, which began production in 1998 and will soon be replaced by a fourth Kei the Electric Car.
Obviously, the Mitsubishi i is not the only kei electric car in the world, but it is interesting to note that what people in America or Europe believe to be a dedicated EV is actually a kei car converted into one .
Mitsubishi i has been launched on the Japanese market in 2006, five-door hatchback with a futuristic styling and powered by a 660cc MIVEC 12-valve, three-cylinder engine and equipped with a standard automatic four-speed Like all modern kei cars the power is limited to only 64 hp 47 KW.
We also like the i because it's got its engine in the rear and is constructed from aluminum, while providing legs and McPherson front suspension and a longer wheelbase that we have seen in a car So kei the electric version is almost a flop, i itself was a great success which has won numerous awards and exceeded Mitsubishi EV version of the sales expectations came in 2010 in Asia and Europe, and in 2012 for States United is even a french couple that twins are actually also produced in Japan, the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero.
History of Japanese Kei car, history, Japanese.