Most car enthusiasts are well-acquainted with the 25-year law on the books in the U.S. that opens up non-U.S. market cars for import after a quarter-century from their model year. This has become a Big Deal to Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) fans, who have started throwing money at Nissan Skyline imports like crazy. That said, there’s plenty of other great stuff that can now be brought legally to the United States from what many consider the beginning of the golden era of Japanese auto manufacturers in the 1990’s. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t checking the killer Japanese Classics site to see if they have a baller Toyota Crown or Toyota Century in stock (They usually don’t), but in one of my many CraigsList journeys, I stumbled across two tiny, imported Suzukis that are worth a round of “Would you rather?”
If you’re like me and you spent a few hundred hours of your youth clocking hours upon hours playing Gran Turismo 2, then you probably already know all about the Suzuki Alto Works. The Alto was one of Suzuki’s kei cars, which are JDM city cars that are limited in size and horsepower and some other stuff that I’m going to gloss over. Basically, they’re tiny and slow and, in this case, this one got a proper Hello Kitty paint scheme.
However, the miniscule Alto got a “hot” version, called the Alto Works. The Works was an all-wheel-drive version that pulled somewhere around 60 horsepower from the 657 cc inline-three engine.
The seller doesn’t mention anything about tuning the engine from its legally capped 63 horsepower output, but it does have a sweet Hello Kitty headliner to match the roof and hood decals.
And you can row the Hello Kitty shift knob with your left hand, since this is a proper JDM car that is right-hand drive, on your way to what must surely be well north of 40 miles per gallon in extremely conspicuous fashion.
If the super-adorbs Hello Kitty isn’t your style and you just need to get some work done, this Suzuki Carry kei truck can do some parts hauling around the farm or around town.
There’s not much information on this one, but these came in both rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Either way, it probably came with a 657 cc engine, the same one used in the Alto.
The interior is fittingly spartan since it’s a working vehicle, not looking unlike a fleet Ford Ranger or rental van.
And the kei truck comes with a set of knobby tires for off-road work.
So what suits your fancy: A properly Japanese Hello Kitty kei Alto Works or a gettin’-it-done Carry truck?
That little truck is just crying out for a screaming Mazda rotary whilst the Alto is for screaming faggots….
We have the truck its a handy little dude and it falls under the farm equipment rules so no plates or tags.
It will run the speed limit if you have the balls to do it…
CHMG nails it, with his usual aplomb. We had severla of those litltle trucks at Boeing and I’d have one of those in a New York minute! Yeah, a little more power’d be nice. They have 650 CC versions with 4WD, and the aftermanrket serves them well with lift kits, etc.
They’ve been letting the JDM’s into Canada for quite awhile, and there a few of those little trucks (suzuki & others), and they are often seen @ the racetrack to tow racecars back after a pass,
“”Also plenty of Skylines & other stuff, but I don’t care for the trying to make a left turn at traffic lights in traffic, when sitting on the right side of the car, pretty much like Russion Roulette:)
Tough choice. The Alto looks like it would be so much fun taking to an autocross that it would be totally worth leaving my helmet on all the time so nobody recognizes me. But I could use a truck, and that Carry would make a great parts chaser.
They have so many better Kei car options than that alto. The 25 year rule sucks for you. haha
Honestly the trucks are way better, and they make a van version also. They are sold by all the brands too. Suzuki, Toyota, Mazda, etc..
A few years later they have supercharged version and fuel injection which are way way better.
The skyline is over rated in all forms, sorry. Not impressed by any of them.
Give it a couple years and you’ll be able to get the good Toyotas, the FC3S RX7 and the like. Until then, meh.
We’ve had them in Canada for a decade already. I’ll stick to the euro market or domestic market stuff.
Got a customer at the garage who owns a little Daihatsu truck like the one above and he swapped over a Honda Valkyrie engine…he created some custom parts to allow a reverse gear…it hauls ass….
Oh, man. I’d love more information on_that_.