Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules
most fun car under 1.0L
Options
-
19-07-2007 9:14am#1
Comments
-
-
-
It would have to be the Suzuki Cappuccino!!
The Cappuccino is a superb little car to drive.
The handling is unbelievable! Had it on a track day in Mondello and it was a blast – keeping up with much faster traffic on the twisty bits and in the rain!
The best bit though is the roof. 5 arrangements are possible. Very ingenious and you will get attention. Do not buy if you are a shrinking violet. I have already had people shouting and staring!
Practicality is not a strong point. 4 Bags of shopping, but if you can keep the passenger seat free, the foot-well can take quite a large bag. You will learn to pack with bags, forget suitcases.
Safety is an issue as well. You need to be extra careful in the wet!!
Watch insurance. Although it has a 660cc engine, it can be very expensive for anyone under 21
Parts are expensive. Turbo = 2500, headlight unit = 500. You get the idea.
It looks are cute, the performance is spectacular, considering the fuel consumption (45MPG+) and it's a real hoot to drive - even at 'sensible' speeds.
For those who appreciate automotive design, check out some of the features:
4 roof configurations, light-weight aluminium panels, double wishbone suspension, rear wheel drive and an 8500rpm red line on its 3-cylinder engine.
I wouldn't recommend a Cappuccino though to the following groups of people:
1) Large ones
2) Shy ones
3) Those who need boot space
4) Those who think of car as phalic symbols
To everyone else, you (probably) don't know what you're missing.
0 -
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
Stephen wrote:Never heard of these cappucinos before - are they JDM imports or something?
Not exclusively, they were sold here alright but in very small numbers. More plentiful in the UK however.
BTW this could be considered fun
:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=Car&carID=717649&message=You%20searched%20for%3A%20BMW%20C1%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%2E%20Your%20search%20returned%20one%20vehicle%2C%20which%20is%20shown%20below%2E&CFID=53960763&CFTOKEN=523571460 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bit of background on the Cappuccino
"The public first saw the project car in 1989 at the Tokyo Motor show. Built in Japan from 1991-1997, this car was a successful entrant in the Kei-class sector of the Japanese market. Body length less than 3.3m, body width not exceeding 1.4m, engine under 660cc. This means that it’s diminutive dimensions and engine size fall into a category created by the Japanese government called the K-Class or Kei-class. This class carried car tax incentives, to encourage car owners to buy smaller machines, leaner city vehicles for the congested and polluted streets of Japan. Benefits include access to certain small roads, on-street parking free of charge, and other things which are normally forbidden to the motorist in Japan.
Various other car models flourished in this sector of the market, all invariably boring, square-shaped shopping carts.
However, Suzuki, Mazda and Honda came up with a few variations on the theme when they created their sports models. Honda came up with the mid-engined Honda Beat, an attractive little soft-top roadster. Mazda sold a rare model named the Mazda A-I, a gull-wing coupe using the Suzuki engine. But Suzuki came up with the much celebrated class-beater - The Suzuki Cappuccino. Technically the car won huge critical acclaim, deservedly heaped upon the car’s designers.
Compliant with the K-class specification requirements, the engine was kept under 660cc. Suzuki produced the 657cc unit, and added a turbo. It’s a three-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder, producing 63.1 bhp at around 6,500rpm. Turbo interjection is at 2,000rpm. but all the action is
carried out far above that figure. The tachometer shows 12,000rpm (!), red-lining at 8,500. It takes the 700kg machine there courtesy of a rear-drive chassis that is beautifully balanced, allowing the tail to ease smoothly out to the side on it’s double-wishbone suspension setup, only to be easily gathered up both cleanly and accurately with a flick of the wrist. The car’s low centre of gravity, combined with absolute minimal overhang at each end, provide for kart-like handling through the precise, non-powered rack and pinion steering. Disk brakes are provided on all four wheels.
Such was the acclaim and demand for the car, Suzuki (GB) imported as many units as they could get their hands on for the European market (about 1,200) including very small numbers for Belgium, Holland, Germany and Sweden. In Ireland, I estimate there is about 20-25 cars – all personally imported from the UK or Japan.
The brilliant hard top is removable in 3 segments, leaving the driver with 3 choices: Coupe, Targa, or full open-top motoring. These tuck away ingeniously into the boot, each roof piece into it’s own cover. Once the roof is safely stowed away, the heated rear windscreen slides back in to the car body.
Performance
Owners have debated long and hard over the stats! The truth is, a standard un-modified Cappo takes from 8 to 10 seconds approx to reach 60 mph, it needs third gear to do this, so physically changing up through the gears adds
dramatically to the time.
Top speed is electronically restricted to 87mph, but de-restricted it will reach 110mph, and highly modified cars can apparently hit 130mph and a 0-60 in 4.5 seconds!
Fuel consumption.
Cappuccino achieves 40mpg easily around town, about 58mpg at a constant 56mph. Again this is a key element of what the K-class car was intended to be, fun, highly economical and environment friendly."
Be careful buying UK versions as they tend to be very prone to the dreaded rust due to the salt used in winter in the UK
Suzuki Cappuccino Owners Register for Enthusiasts (a UK based club).
www.score.org.uk
www.cappuccinosport.com
0 -
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement