A revised engine switched to chain drive, weighed less than the previous unit, and increased torque from 63 to 76lb ft.
CAPPUCCINO SUZUKI UPDATE
Japanese models were offered in eight further shades.ġ995 brought about the most significant update for the Cappuccino. Of the 1100-or-so units, which were sold here, colour choices were limited to red and silver. First deliveries of the UK-market examples began in 1993, and ran for approximately two years. Shortly after the car was released in Japan, Suzuki UK attempted to seek type-approval to allow the Cappuccino to be officially imported into the UK. Otherwise, it’s a fun, reliable, cheap to run – and not to mention, pretty adorable – sports car. Living with the Cappuccino is fairly stress-free, with one or two minor caveats: if you’re very tall or need to cover motorway miles, it might not be the car for you. The narrow body allows you to pick a desired line within your own lane – an ability all but lost in wide, more modern machinery. The skinny tyres offer up an impressive amount of grip, while the steering (power-assisted, depending on spec) feels sharp and precise. It’s at its best, predictably, on twisty roads. Even if Suzuki’s claims of an eight-second 0-60mph time were perhaps a little ambitious, there’s more than enough poke to make the Cappuccino feel genuinely exciting, particularly when the driving position places you inches from the ground. Thanks to a miniscule mass to lug around (barely 700kg, depending on model), performance is still sprightly despite the modest power output. Governed by kei-car rules, the double overhead cam three-cylinder engine – an earlier version of the unit used today in the Caterham Seven 160 – displaces only 657cc, with power supplemented by a turbocharger.
CAPPUCCINO SUZUKI FULL
The hard-top roof can be either partially dismantled for a T-bar style configuration, or removed altogether for a full cabriolet experience. The dinky two-seater boasts the classic sports car layout: the rear wheels are driven by a longitudinally-mounted engine sitting ahead of the driver. To this day, the Suzuki Cappuccino remains one of the finest examples of the breed. The combination of low kerb weight and modest power serves up the ingredients for a hugely enjoyable sports car. However, the tiny footprint allows for a different approach. Measuring a maximum of 3.4 metres long, 1.48m wide and up to 2m tall, the general result is a quirky four-seat box which rarely sees success outside of its homeland. This interesting niche has been driven by the Japanese Kei-car regulations, which dictate a very specific set of requirements from a car, to qualify for significantly reduced tax, as well as increased city driving privileges. Today, you can even buy the Honda S660 – a modern interpretation of the brilliant Beat.
Occupying the space below the likes of the comparatively large MX-5, Japan has produced a good number of sports Kei cars, from the Honda Beat and Autozam AZ-1 to the later Daihatsu Copen. One that did however, was the Suzuki Cappuccino. Did you ever want a sports car? One that’s smaller, lighter and can fit into the smallest of parking spaces? Japan has been building cars like this for decades, many of which fit into the country’s strict Kei car regulations, but these intriguing machines very rarely come to the UK officially.
0 kommentar(er)
