GTP Cool Wall: 2014+ Suzuki Alto / Mazda Carol

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wiegert
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2014+ Suzuki Alto / Mazda Carol

  • Total voters
    86
  • Poll closed .
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Ah, okay. There are some cool little cars in that period, but not sure I'd call them quirky as such.

Kei cars are an interesting petri dish in the automotive industry because hugely decisive factors like physical size or power output have remained static for years, but design, engineering and technology has moved with the rest of the industry.

So whereas cars elsewhere are growing physically, getting faster etc, Japanese manufacturers making kei cars have to find other ways to improve them and differentiate them from competitors. I think that's partly what's brought back stuff like the Honda S660. And for me at least, I'd say design is improving all the time because it's one of few things makers can really do differently from their peers. This little Alto looks great to me (as do a few of Suzuki's other keis - Hustler, Lapin), Honda has got several crackers, and there's some neat stuff from Daihatsu too.
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Maybe quirky wasn't the word I wanted to use. Charm possibly? I could just just be stuck in the 90's... but the current generation of kei cars definitely holds its own though in such things like design as you've said.
 
Asymmetry and other period cues make this a far more interesting package than the hopelessly uncool Maruti derivative that also bears the Alto nameplate. But much like how certain '90s kei cars were attempting (albeit awkwardly) to reignite a sense of '60s style, this tries in a similar vein to look like a '80s/'90s econo-block. Not exactly the coolest era to pay homage to, though it does at least get some points for not blatantly xeroxing one of its predecessors.

I can warm to it without a second thought, but it isn't cool.
 
That weight is insane for a car these days, most owners in japan that buy the Turbo RS models etc just need a simple, exhuast/intake ecu remap combo to get this to 100hp(it would probably get close to 100hp just from the remap as the factory boost would be aggresively low to stay under the power limit)
Thats the funny thing about the Kei car regulations, it's extremely strict at the point of sale but then the owner can do what they want afterwards.
 
Hmmmm kinda like the Alto series but this one should have been released at least 2012 or 2013.

Cool to Meh.
 

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