Autozam AZ-1 Is A Gull-Winged Two-Seat Bundle Of Joy

JDM kei car, exotic style.

Weight is the fun killer. Everything gets better when you cut weight - acceleration, handling, even fuel economy. Not infrequently, the lightest rides out there are also the smallest, packing in the automotive entertainment without the need for excess metal. Such is the case for the Autozam AZ-1, a tiny, sporty kei car manufactured by Mazda with gull-wing doors and a mid-mounted turbo Suzuki engine.

Produced between 1992 and 1994 exclusively for the Japanese market under Mazda's Autozam sub-brand, the AZ-1 was designed by Toshihiko Hirai, the same engineer responsible for creating the Mazda MX-5 Miata, another prime example of Japanese-flavored automotive fun. The Autozam AZ-1 hails from the kei car segment, which limits vehicle size, engine capacity, and engine output in order to provide owners with certain tax and insurance incentives, while also easing the pressures of urban driving.

To that end, the Autozam AZ-1 measures in with a diminutive 88-inch wheelbase and 129.7-inch overall length, while overall width is set at 54.9 inches and overall height is 45.3 inches. Curb weight is a feathery 1,587 pounds. Motivation is sourced from the 657cc (0.66-liter) Suzuki F6A gasoline engine, a turbocharged, 12-valve three-cylinder producing 63 horsepower and 63 pound-feet of torque, revving to a sky-high 9,000 rpm. Power is fed to the rear axle through a five-speed manual transmission.

Although the engine specs may result in a few smirks in the modern age of four-digit hypercars, the true appeal of the Autozam AZ-1 has nothing to do with peak output. Power-to-weight means this thing still has decent poke when you get into it, while the mid-engine layout and ultra-short wheelbase make it extremely engaging to drive. Then you have the tight dimensions, which make it feel a bit like a two-seater motorcycle with a roof.

It's a joyous, exuberant little machine with enough charm to make anyone with a heartbeat smile, rolling down the road with a zinging 9,000-rpm exhaust note and arriving with buckets of gull-winged spectacle.

Now, Throttle House is climbing behind the wheel of the Autozam AZ-1 with the following review. Check it out right here: