Love the Loti - great colours too.

The Beats look like so much fun. I've seen a couple around and they are tiny. Like a modern day Austin Healey Sprite. I came very close to buying one but having two impractical convertibles in Canada was too much even for me. Haven't seen an Eunos out in the wild yet.

B.C. has some cool cars. On a recent trip, I saw a RHD 4WD Delica van with brush guard, etc. with New Zealand plates!

Europa! Day made.

I am so jealous that Canada gets to enjoy cool Kei cars like the Beat and the Suzuki Cappucino, yet I do not. :( I want my turbocharged 3 cylinders of cramped deathtrap that will wrap around me like a cold, jagged, loving metal coffin when I meet my eventual end due to being sandwiched between two Ford Expeditions.

just cross your fingers and hope that the 15-year importation rule does not get bumped to 25 anytime soon

[www.thestar.com]

I wonder how many B.C. babes have had their asses burned...
whilst munching on 'Shrooms...
and being deflowered on the back deck of that Europa?

@PAPAL POLAЯ:
Polar, it's no wonder you were on triple secret star probation.

I'd import a Lancia Integrale. Although that Mazda is cool. Maybe I should go visit my sister in Victoria.

@Al Navarro:
I wasn't made aware that I'm not still on triple secret star probation?!?!

Ahhh! A Nissan Figaro and some Tim Hortons...I need to visit Canada

This makes me want to move to Canadia real bad!

All those cars look like they're real peaceful...like the circus animals(=exotic cars) who's been freed from the shackles of the tormenting ringleader (=city congestion) and relocated to the countryside meadows...

Lotus Europa, my eternal love, we shall frolic in the sweet shade of British Columbia someday, together at last!

The coolest Keis were made about 15 years ago, too. That rule rules.

C'mon, America! Let's solve the gas/traffic/parking crunch once and for all. S-Cargos and DanganZZs for everyone!

Umm, that's not a 'Mazda Eunos', that's a 'Eunos Cosmo'.

Eunos is a Mazda badge in Japan, most commonly seen on Roadsters. Eunos Roadster = Mazda MX-5 = Mazda Miata depending on market.

And Cosmos are where all the 3-rotors come from. :D

Nice Cosmo.

There's a good chance that the Beats were sourced from here: [www.japanoid.com]

I found that while looking for other Kei goodness.

The first time I ever laid eyes on a Europa, in a manner of speaking, was in Gran Turismo II.

I thought it was a mythical beast... a Lotus El Camino... El Lotamino. Add lightness. Truck beds are light (if they're empty).

I was in BC about a month ago for the first time in a while and I was truly shocked about how many right-drive Japanese cars are booting around. This was in the interior too, not even on the coast. Twas awesome. This just furthers my thoughts that I need to move out west!

I think we all need to visit Canukistan. You can even buy a Japanese Land Cruiser with a diesel V8! Only oddity I saw lately was a Pontiac G3 with Mexican tags (I live in Florida).

The JDM stuff is always cool to see kicking around the GTA, but I especially like Kei cars. If vehicles had emotions, they'd be happy.

I've seen a Nissan S-Cargo near Dufferin and King in Toronto, I oughta make the trek down with my camera some day.

The 15 year rule sucks, because anything 15 years old in Japan is JUNK. All the good stuff would already have been shipped off to places like Australia and Britain, or third world countries. So you have hordes of kids driving around in beaten-to-crap, written-off cars designed for the wrong side of the road. Make the rules more reasonable, say 3 or 5 years, or just scrap it.

Dear Jalopnik,

Why is the back of a Lotus Europa so high?

Your diligent reader,
Voodoojoo

Reppin the 604!

@M0L0TOV: if you are in Florida head over to the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum. Lots of odd and wonderful cars. I even have some pictures to tease you with: [flickr.com]

Also interesting to note the clean and seemingly stock AE86 in the same driveway as the Eunos. How in the hell did that happen?

@Dave7:
Oh wow, thanks Dave! I do need to check it out, I live in South Tampa, so it's pretty close to me. We should get some Jalopnik readers to get together and go to the museum.

that 69 chevelle made me touch myself

Yes, the Honda Beat is the other car that I'd love to get my hands on. First, I'd like to figure out how to get a Toyota Sera across the border.

Hmmm. This flies in the face of my narrow and oversimplified images of Canada.
And Chevelle, beautiful wild Chevelle, please come back across the border! All is forgiven!

@Maymar: check this site out.kei-cars.com . He's from the Kitchener Waterloo area, I saw him in Oakville. He's willing to import anything. I'm amazed at the prices, but am seriously turned off at the right hand drive

.

@sliderule:
You're having your period?

Great to see that someone can still import themselves some Midship Amusement. No chance of bringing a Beat into Australia anymore. The laws were tightened a few years back, to prevent the flood of cheap Skylines, Supras, Silvias & such that were making our young hoons altogether too happy. My Beat was a personal import (i.e. someone brought the car with them when they moved here) from a few years ago, registered in New South Wales, with all the appropriate paperwork and approval - and they still made me jump through hoops to re-register it in South Australia. When it comes to JDM goodness, the Canadians & New Zealanders don't know how good they've got it, enjoy it while it lasts.

@Jorsh: Turbo Firefly not enough for you? Geo Metro don't got your name written on it?

@keicar: Actually the Canadians don't have it that good for JDM narcotics.

Why are we saving what Japan is scrapping?

@Jorsh:

I sooooo agree. I relly want to import a Beat in a few year. Worst comes to worst, I could probably have it licensed with my family in Canada.

*years

The Europa looks to have some odd modifications - it's a twin cam (type 74) but it has an early S1 front end (low headlights, no "warts", and early style turning signals).

The definitive source for all things Lotus Europa:
[lotus-europa.com]

I drive an 1970 S2 Europa every single day that doesn't have snow, sleet, or rain in the forecast. It's a '70's British sportscar, and a Lotus, so it takes, um, lot's of preventative maintenance and re-tightening things that don't get loose in, say a Beat.

Breaking down the number, simply:
type 46 = S1 w/ Renault motor
type 47 = race car w/ Lotus-Cosworth motor
type 54 = S2 w/ Renault motor
type 74 = twin cam w/ Lotus Twin Cam motor

Many modification available, my S2 has a Gordini breathing thru twin Weber 40 DCOEs.

Enjoy.
[marcgoldleaf.com]

/marc

I'm still dying for my Ontario friends' Sierra Cosworth. Damn what a wonderful car.
I would SO rock a kei-car as well. When people look at me in shock I say that even the most basic car offers a whole hell of a lot more protection than my scooter. And a heater.

@Euromobile: Checking out the Kei cars link (and why do I do these things to myself?), I forgot all about that Mazda Autozam AZ-1. I could go for thrashing that thing around.

@Chairman Kaga:

The Europa's "bed" is full of engine.

What we need is to see fuel prices rise (I didn't say that!) so we can have easy access to the low mileage (kms) kei cars being dumped from the JDM. I'd love to have cheap gas so I can drive my Roadmaster again and put a Toyota Sero in the back.