It can be argued that the Mazda AZ-1 is a Japanese domestic market hidden gem. It is a weird looking car and yet it is hard not to like it. It is a tiny sports car that can go faster than you think it can. The small sports car has a lot of power.

This is a car that is ideal for someone who wants to have something that is so unique, you cannot help but want to get your hands on it.

We are going to look at the features of the car, the history as well as the overall consensus about this car and if it is worth taking up space in your garage.

A tiny sports car that looks unique, provides a unique driving experience and is becoming more popular in America.

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The history behind the small sports car

Via: Grassroots Motorsports

The AZ-1 is known by its framecode which is PG6SA. This is a mid-engined Kei-classic sports car that was designed and manufactured by Mazda. The car was placed under the Autozam brand name. The engine in this car was provided by Suzuki.

The Autozam AZ-1 was manufactured from October 1992 to 1994. The key feature on the car that everyone noticed was the gullwing doors. The car was available to the public in January 1992. It only came with two color choices which were Siberia Blue and Classic Red. The car came with sick looking Venetian Gray lower panels and was sold through the Autozam dealer network which was based in Japan.

Due to the recession that hit Japan, the cars were only selling at around $ 12 400.00. The car was unfortunately considered to be too expensive as well as too cramped for the Kei car label. The target was to sell 800 of these a month and they did not reach the target.

A total of 4,392 cars were made and sold over a year. This fact makes the AZ-1 one of the rarest Kei sports cars that you can find on the market today.

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The engine of the Autozam AZ-1

Via: Motor1

The engine on this sports car is rather unique. It is a 657 cc F6A DOHC 12-valve turbo I3. This is the same engine that was used in the Mazda Carol at the time. It is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. The engine is placed behind the driver and it produces 64 Horsepower at 6 500 RPM and 63 lb·ft at 4 000 RPM. This does not sound like a fast engine, however, due to how small the car actually is and if you take the weight of it into consideration, the car can go faster than you think. It is a fun little car to drive.

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Should you buy an Autozam AZ-1?

Via: Speed Hunters

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind before buying one of these sports cars.

First and foremost, if you can get your hands on one, it is one of the rarest Kei sports cars that you can find at the moment. This will increase the value of your car collection tremendously.

When driving the car, it is not so easy to see what is happening because of the weird shape of the windows. That means that you cannot really drive this car long distance safely. It is more of a car to take on a Sunday slow drive to your local breakfast spot and come home.

The car is rather small. A tall person or an average size American might have a bit of trouble getting into the car. Some have reported that they have had to take their shoes off to reach the pedals because they are that small.

Road & Track Engineering Editor Dennis Simanaitis got to drive one of these cars and this is what he had to say about his experience:

“Explore the car's handling limits and you're reminded of a 1/2-scale Lamborghini Diablo”

If you can fit into the car, the interior of the car is tasteful. It has a classic look and feel to it and even though the sports car was cheap, the material that they used does not feel cheap at all which is nice.

If you want to buy a sports car and you cannot afford one of your more conventional sports cars, then you should definitely look into buying yourself an AZ-1. It is unique, heads will turn when you drive by and you feel like you are driving a piece of history. With that being said, make sure you can fit into the car before you buy it.

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YouTube video featuring the AZ-1

The YouTube video above shows you the Mazda AZ-1 in action. You get to see this tiny yet uniquely funky car drive around town.

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