In the early 1990s, three Japanese makers squeezed proper sports cars into the kei class: the Honda Beat, the Suzuki Cappuccino and the Autozam AZ-1. They are tiny, rare and huge fun, and plenty of UK enthusiasts want one. The worry is usually whether something this small and this Japanese can be made legal, and what it will cost in tax. All three are right-hand drive, all are well past the age for IVA, and most are now old enough to be considered for the reduced classic rate.
- Engine
- Up to 660cc, the kei limit
- Shipping from Japan
- From £3,575, shipping only
- Typical journey
- About 5 to 8 weeks
- Test
- MOT, as every car is over 10 years old
The three cars
Japanese kei cars have to fit tight limits, including an engine of no more than 660cc and a body no more than 3.4 metres long. Each maker took a different route to a sports car inside that box. Our main guide to importing a kei car covers the class as a whole.
| Feature | Honda Beat | Suzuki Cappuccino | Autozam AZ-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built | 1991 to 1996 | 1991 to 1998 | 1992 to 1994 |
| Layout | Mid-engined, rear-wheel drive | Front-engined, rear-wheel drive | Mid-engined, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | Naturally aspirated, high-revving | Turbocharged | Turbocharged, Suzuki-built |
| Roof | Soft top | Removable roof panels | Fixed, with gullwing doors |
| 5% tax rate | Possible on every car | Possible if built before 12 October 1996 | Possible on every car |
Honda Beat
The Beat puts a small, free-revving engine behind the seats and a soft top over your head. It has no turbo, so it relies on revs for its performance. It was the last car launched with the approval of Soichiro Honda, which adds to its appeal for Honda fans.
Suzuki Cappuccino
The Cappuccino is a tiny front-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster with a turbo. Its roof comes apart in panels, so it can be a coupe, a targa or a full open car. Later cars use a different engine from the early ones, so check which you are buying.
Autozam AZ-1
The AZ-1 is the most extreme of the three: mid-engined, turbocharged and with gullwing doors. It was sold under Mazda's Autozam brand, with a Suzuki engine, and Suzuki also sold it as the Cara. Very few were built, so it is the hardest of the three to find.
What age means today
All three are over 10 years old, so GOV.UK exempts them from vehicle approval. There is no IVA test, and the speedometer does not have to be converted to mph, as that rule applies to cars under 10 years old.
Working from 12 October 2026, every Beat and every AZ-1 is over 30. Cappuccinos built before 12 October 1996 are too, and the last ones from 1997 and 1998 reach 30 over the next two years. None of the three is old enough for the 40-year MOT exemption yet.
What to check before you buy
These are small, light cars, and rust and neglect hit them hard. Many are also over 30 years old with high-revving or turbocharged engines, so the history matters.
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 8 done
An independent inspection pays for itself on a car this rare. Our guide to Japanese auction grades explains how to read the sheet, and the Japanese import checklist covers the paperwork.
Import tax and the 5% rate
A car from Japan normally pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus the shipping, with the VAT charged on top of the duty. A car over 30 years old can instead pay 5% VAT and no duty, which takes in most of these cars.
Age is the starting point, not the whole test. HMRC treats the reduced rate as being for collectors' pieces of historical interest, and GOV.UK's guidance expects the car to be in its original state. Restoration and like-for-like repairs are fine. A car with a bigger engine swapped in, a performance turbo or a reworked body can be refused. Our guide to the historic vehicle 5% VAT rules sets out HMRC's conditions in full.
Modified kei car? Plenty have tuned engines or aftermarket parts. Send us the details before you buy and we will tell you whether the 5% rate is likely, and price the job both ways.
The import tax calculator will run your own numbers, and our cost of importing from Japan guide works through a full example.
Shipping a kei sports car
From Japan, RoRo is the usual route and costs less than a container. The car has to run and drive, and it should be empty, with any spare roof panels secured as part of the car. A non-runner goes in a container.
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from Japan starts from £3,575, shipping only. Door to door, the journey is usually about 5 to 8 weeks. The documents are the Japanese export certificate, the purchase invoice or auction paperwork, and your passport.
Getting it road legal
All three are right-hand drive, so the list of changes is short. The usual one is a rear fog light, fitted in the right position if one is missing. Japanese cars are no longer checked for headlight compliance. The car then takes its MOT.
We do the work and the MOT on our own site in Castle Donington, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car within 10 working days. For the full route, see our guide to importing a car from Japan.
Living with one
A 660cc sports car is happiest on country roads, where you can use all of its revs. It will do a motorway, but it was designed for Japanese roads and Japanese speed limits, so think about how you will use it. Being so small, it is also worth thinking about visibility in traffic.
Some mechanical parts are shared with other kei cars from the same makers. Body panels and trim, especially for the AZ-1, can take time to source from Japan. Our guide to parts and servicing for imported cars covers the options, and insuring a Japanese import explains what insurers ask for. For bigger Japanese sports cars, see our JDM cars to import guide.
Questions people ask
Does a Honda Beat, Cappuccino or AZ-1 need an IVA test?
No. All three are over 10 years old, so they are exempt from vehicle approval. They take an MOT after a rear fog light is fitted if one is missing.
Do kei sports cars qualify for 5% import VAT?
Working from 12 October 2026, every Beat and AZ-1, and Cappuccinos built before 12 October 1996, are over 30 years old. HMRC also expects the car to be in its original state, so a heavily modified car may not qualify.
Is the Suzuki Cara the same as the Autozam AZ-1?
Yes. Suzuki sold the same car as the Cara. It follows exactly the same import route as an AZ-1.
Do I need to convert the speedometer to mph?
Not for registration. The mph rule applies to cars under 10 years old, and all three cars are older than that.
Can a kei sports car go on the motorway?
Yes, but a 660cc engine and a very small body make them happiest on country roads. Think about how you will use the car before you buy.
Found a Beat, Cappuccino or AZ-1? Send us the auction lot or the seller's details on the quote form and we will price the whole job.
