Suzuki Cappuccino JDM Sports car

I was very fortunate when I imported this Cappuccino last year in having developed a rapport with an agent in Japan who steered me clear of the "bargains" with corrosion, damage history, and other issues. I don't know the actual history of this car before I got it less than two years ago, but it is obvious that the owner took pride in it. It features many quality aftermarket accessories including a Cusco LSD and competition coil-over shocks adjustable for height and stiffness. It also features front & rear strut braces, a Momo steering wheel, a polished stainless steel performance muffler and a chromed roll/style bar. The tires needed replacing when I bought it so I put new Bridgestone Potenza tires on it along with new wheels which match nicely with the paint scheme. The old wheels are included with the car if you need winter tires or a set of sticky race/autocross tires for those occasions.

• The stock Cappuccino reminds me of the 60s era Sprites and Midgets with Miata styling added, but get inside and there's power windows, air conditioning, and a fairly quiet ride free of wind noise with the top up or down and back window up. Hit the starter and the 3 cylinder engine immediately roars to life with its turbocharged, inter-cooled engine ready to blow the doors off any MG. And it has no problem quickly getting to and maintaining pace with 75 mph Texas traffic. Aggressive driving on curvy backroads, gas mileage is still close to 40 mpg.

Full disclosure. If you are over six feet tall, you had better sit behind the wheel of a Cappuccino before consideration. It's quite comfortable for my 5' 8" frame, but they tell me that these weren't built for the big folks. If you are planning an overnight trip with the top stowed in the trunk, you have no luggage space with both seats occupied, except for a small shelf behind the seats. "Mileage" is in kilometers, so you'll have to start thinking in terms of 100 k = 60 mph (62 actually) and 50 k = 30 mph. Notreally high math, but you do have to think a bit, something many people don't seem to do while driving. Japan is pretty strict about honest odometer readings and this one shows just 89420 kilometers (55,563 miles as of the date submitted). With the 6 digits, no worries about the odometer being on its second trip around, like the earlier 5 digit models.Designed for the Japanese domestic market, of course, the steering wheel is on the right.The only thing not working on the car is the air conditioner. It is apparently a leak in a refrigerant line but I'm not experienced with A/C and just flat haven't gotten to it. The engine, five speed transmission, differential, clutch, brakes, and all other systems work fine as designed.

Cosmetically, it has a few minor paint flaws not noticeable to casual observers. Mostly the flaws are just a few rock chips, but there's one spot about one by two inches that could use a good paint touch up. There's a close-up photo included and it looks huge, but if I had thought to put a quarter coin over it, about half would be covered up. Overall, I'd call the exterior a very good 10 footer and a great 20 footer. The new wheels are perfect and have no nicks or scratches. The interior looks very nice with all gauges and controls working as they should with the A/C exception. A turbo boost gage is installed on the dash to the right of the steering wheel. The interior is exceptionally nice for its age. Pretty nice, in fact, for any age. The pictures show the car with the many unique configurations. In a matter of minutes the car can change from a full open car to a targa, then to a rain tight coupe. It's an elegantly designed system and seals flawlessly.

If I was as young as I used to be, this would be a "keeper" for me and I would be driving this car at every autocross within a hundred miles of Waco, Texas. As a retired senior citizen who considers beautiful or unique cars to be works of art, I've had my fun with this one and will look around until I fall in love again. Feel free to come inspect the car or ask any questions you may have. The car is here in Waco, Texas, right in the middle of the state. It has a clear Texas title in my name and I've got a hard to find factory shop manual reprint for the winning buyer . I'm retired, so If you use a shipper, I'll be happy to help them load. If you want to drive it home and need to arrive here by commercial air, I can pick you up at the Waco Regional Airport (KACT) or the Killeen/ Ft.Hood Regional Airport (KILE). For arrivals by private aircraft, I live right next to the McGregor Executive Airport (KPWG). Thanks.