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  • DOCUMENTED: 31.03.2011 | 14:46 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    Thinking Big | Daihatsu Copen

    Our guest writer David, ponders about the cute little Daihatsu Copen.

    Photos: Low Fai Ming The original Copen was not really very handsome. It was slightly cute on the outside, slapped with a plain grill ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Daihatsu, Copen, Kei
    • The Copen's economically friendly JB-DETi engine dishes out a measly 63 bhp worth of power on a FF drive train sheltered by an impressive body structure that is intelligently equalized with lightweight components and vehicle rigidity. All these contributed to an extraordinary curb weight of only 810 kg and I assure you that it would be an uphill task for the Copen to even hit the one-tonne mark.
    • To the enthusiast, the Copen could have been faster. The turbo-charged DOHC engine pushes the car to the max of just touching 140 km/h. The luckier Europeans get the naturally aspirated K3-VE engine that you could floor all the way up to 170 km/h, but the turbo charged JB-DETi on the other hand equates to higher-revving fun courtesy of the snail, which presents a potentially interesting tuning factor, but then again one could always fit a YRV turbo engine in. As for handling, what lies beneath the chassis are performance braces coupled to the key under body joints. The steering is amazingly responsive for a Daihatsu, all thanks to some neat performance modifications done to the advanced suspension system by Magna Powertrain (Austria).
  • The two-door soft-top roadster sits two, and was in production from May 1991 to February 1996. I have to say that it is not particularly handsome for a cabriolet, but if you do realise where I’m coming from, the Keis were meant to be cute and friendly. Four bright color variants are available in white, yellow, red and silver. The limited edition Version F and Version C comes in metallic green and blue, respectively. Mechanical upgrades like ABS and LSD were optional features on the Version Z.
    DOCUMENTED: 07.12.2010 | 16:03 GMT +8 | 0 COMMENTS

    On The Beat | Honda Beat

    I went online hoping to rediscover one of the fascinating Kei cars in the 90s. My search returned with a Marian Rivera on a two-wheeler arousing my fantasies of topless riding. Well, not really...

    Photos: Low Fai Ming There is the other namesake that gives you the liberty of driving it with or without the top. For a start, the Honda ... MORE

    ARCHIVED IN : Honda, Beat, Kei, 660, Convertible
    • The two-door soft-top roadster sits two, and was in production from May 1991 to February 1996. I have to say that it is not particularly handsome for a cabriolet, but if you do realise where I’m coming from, the Keis were meant to be cute and friendly. Four bright color variants are available in white, yellow, red and silver. The limited edition Version F and Version C comes in metallic green and blue, respectively. Mechanical upgrades like ABS and LSD were optional features on the Version Z.
    • Tipping at 656cc, it offers good bargain in terms of regulatory taxes against rising transport costs. The miniature rear mid-engine was developed based on a near obsolete E07A MTREC (Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control) platform that compliments sensitive throttle control and better torque. It would be impressive to know that the specific output is 96bhp per litre despite running on SOHC and 12 valves. In simple engineering terms, it is as efficient as your neighbour’s Integra GSR.
    • And I assure you, the electronically limited speed limit of 134km/h will not affect the optimal ranges of your local overhead gantries. Honda’s ideology of naturally aspirated supremacy suggests that the Beat would be bold enough to harass the under-660cc forced induction technologies of today a little. For starters, the car weighs 100 kilograms lighter than its counterparts, has a five-speed gear stick ahead of those four-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel discs for better braking control. The mid-engine placement and independent Macpherson struts for the front and rear makes for some good nimble handling.