If you’re one of the many people who believe vehicles have gotten far too large these days, it doesn’t get much better than an imported kei car. Even compared to the smallest new cars on sale in the U.S. today, kei cars are still tiny, and that’s a big part of why we love them. For example, take a look at this 1997 Suzuki Alto Works RS-Z that’s currently listed for sale on Cars & Bids. It’s adorable! But wait, what’s that? A hood scoop? Oh yeah. It’s functional, too.
Now, before you get too excited, while this Alto does have a turbocharged engine and a functional hood scoop, it still doesn’t make much power, and it isn’t going to be fast. The 657-cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine makes 63 horsepower and 66 pound-feet of torque, all of which gets routed to the 14-inch front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. So if you have a thing for drag racing, this isn’t the car for you. Then again, who in their right mind buys a kei car for straight-line speed?
The fact that this Alto is short on power doesn’t mean it won’t still be fun to drive, though. Kei cars are truly tiny by modern American standards, which means this car should be quicker than you’d think. After all, it only weighs about 1,500 pounds. It’ll be quicker than you’d think until you turn on the air conditioning, that is, but at least it comes with air conditioning. 2025 is not a year to plan on cool, temperate summers lasting for long if they even still exist somewhere in this country.
What’s much more important is the part where this is no regular Alto. It’s an Alto Works RS-Z, which is basically a hot hatch variant of the Alto if you’re willing to play a little fast and loose with the term “hot hatch.” You know, because of the 63 horsepower. At the same time, if you live in a city, this car should be an absolute blast. Small, light, fuel-efficient, fun to drive, rare and special? That’s everything you could possibly want in a city car and maybe even enough to get you to overlook the steering wheel being on the right.
Will you be able to register it in your state if you win the auction, and if you’re able to, will you be able to keep it registered? No one knows. Really, though, that’s half the fun — the other half being the joy of finding and importing parts all the way from Japan when things break or wear out. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even end up suing the state. Did you have that on your bingo card for 2025? I bet you didn’t. At the end of the day, though, you’ll still own a seriously cool and rare little kei car. Fingers crossed the people who make those decisions let you drive it.
