Autozam AZ-1 Mazdaspeed Review // Size Doesn't Matter, OKAY?
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- The Autozam AZ-1 Mazdaspeed ($34,000 CAD, ~$27,286 USD converted) is a unique and peppy little kei car with unlimited charm and a rev-happy 3 cylinder turbo engine. Since it is a Mazdaspeed edition, it has been upgraded with all sorts of goodies that intend to improve its driving performance. Thomas and James take the AZ-1 Mazdaspeed out on the streets to see just how this gull-winged Kei car performs as a road car and errand-runner. Let’s see what they think! SUBSCRIBE!
A massive thank you to Fawaz and Eclection Auto for loaning us their AZ-1 Mazdaspeed. Check out their inventory here! www.eclectionauto.com/inventory
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Post-production by Karston Chong and Thomas Holland
Music from Epidemicsound.com and Artlist.io
#Autozam #AZ1 #Mazdaspeed - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I totally LOVED my K-car when I lived in Japan. I still remember the agony of having to choose between having the A/C on vs. getting the car over 50mph. You couldn't have both.
We used to cry "activate turbo mode!" (and switch off the AC) for extra power.
That is hilarious, I will be adopting this when the AZ-1 arrives.
If only it has aftermarket electronically controlled AC Compressor
Any issues registering or insuring it?
@Miles Doyle dude....WTF?
@@littleherms3285 Either Myles Doyle enjoys some drugs or that was cut and paste from an e-book or something.
The most incredible thing about this video is the leaf that stayed on the hood during the whole review, shout-out the real mvp
15 Characters Who Could Defeat Thanos (Even With The Infinity Gauntlet) In Seconds
But it didn’t, though…
@@lucasblanchard47 why you gotta be a Debbie downer, of course it wasn’t but you know damn well in real life that shit was on there for a hot minute, it’s in like 3/4 of the shots my guy
@@MotocrossXMayhemX damn didn’t mean to make you so mad.
@@lucasblanchard47 not mad, just disappointed son 😞
Intro was hilarious 🤣🤣🤣😂🤣😂
I make that exact same joke with my 1991 Honda Beat :P
Yeah. I love the intros and this was the best one yet.
The end credits as well :))
@@darkmugetsu6572 Do you have difficulty walking?
@Miles Doyle bruh you trippin😂
As the owner of a '93 AZ-1 Mazdaspeed Version myself - of 3 and a half years - this review hit a lot of great points that other reviews don't - the enjoyment of using a lot of the car without going excessively fast, the attention and looks of bewilderment from the general public, and the whole essence of driving such a vehicle in modern North America with everything being so much bigger. I feel like a kid in a gokart that made his way off track and onto streets with adults and joyriding hoping to not get caught - even when I'm actually commuting somewhere no matter how mundane. It feels wrong... but that's a feeling that makes every drive special.
Thanks for the great content!
I'm jelly! I'd really like one but can't afford it. Mazda should produce these again & even as a plug in hybrid. Australia sorely needs something this great.
Say it don't spray it put0
Your avatar is the icing on the cake for the comment.
how much did you initally pay for it 4 years ago
@@Revvdied This may be upsetting, but shouldn’t be surprising because of today’s market - I paid $13,763usd delivered to me in St. Louis, Missouri, with a Florida title. This included 11 months of storage in Japan while the car aged to 25, importer’s service fee, all transportation, all brokerage, fees, taxes, etc.
It's like an adorable mini-Ford RS200.
Yeah it was a overlooked comment it could have been a short sentence lol
If only I could share memes on the comment section, I found a meme of an RS200 next to an AZ-1 and it just says "Don't talk to me or to my son ever again"
That's what i thought as well, when i saw the hood
okay glad im not alone
Ford rs20
A turbo 0.6 liter engine with a higher redline than a Lamborghini V12. Sounds about right.
A Dutchman owns a rare version of a 2000s honda today that does 11k revvs
Smaller engines=higher revs
@@GuestUser18 Smaller and lighter pistons have less inertia so they can handle higher piston speeds before the reciprocating force becomes equivalent to a larger engine.
@@GuestUser18 5.0 coyote can rev a bit over 8k rpm
But it doesn't revv any higher than my scooter that revvs over 12k rpm and that is just 1 cyclinder
To the “3rd leg guy” from the intro: Adding that slight limp when you walked off was a nice touch!😂👌🏾
The Japanese Kei car designation was mostly about pushing smaller car sizes to fit better within the cramped cities of Japan. They also provide better gas/petrol millage. They are limited in top speed/horsepower but you do get a tax break for buying one vs a normal sized car. Another benefit for Kei cars is that when buying a normal sized car in Japan you must prove you have a paring space for it at time of purchase but Kei cars are exempt from this regulation.
O wow you have to prove you have somewhere to put your car lmfao
Finally, a car that James is better at driving than Thomas!
Did you hear that gear change 🤣🤣🤣
@@RRSmurf if you’re talking about 15:31, that’s the car going over a bad bit of road, hence why you hear it twice as it hits both pairs of wheels
Ah, was that it? I hereby restore your manhood to you 😁
@@jamesengelsman9369 is used to working with smaller equipment
He probably has more drag wins than Thomas :))
I was going to say LS swap it but its the same size as an LS
Oh well, a hayabusa engine is the next best option
Rotary swap
OMG a Hayabusa would be beyond epic
@@edgiestofcars busa or h2 swap would be REDICULOUS
@@kens8903 Rotary swap would be the most pure thing for this car as it's a Mazda.
The credits at the end... "Well Endowed Man....Harrison" LOL
Endowed meaning?
@@vauxhallfan676 did you watch the exchange in the video? If it has to be explained you didn't get the joke.
@@markhatch7549 I heard him say it during the video.
But am guessing it related to the men slong
16:54 - THIS is THE THING that matters in a road car. The faster and more capable a car is, the LESS you get to enjoy it on the road. Two cars can travel the same distance, and the drivers can experience vastly different amounts of "driving". I didn't understand this until I drove $150k high end sports cars with huge power and aero, and then realized that none of them even came close on the road to being as fun, engaging, and rewarding as a hot hatch or a lightly modified NA Miata. You can drive those cars like a maniac without endangering those around you, or breaking the law. Try that in your supercar!
There is an old adage that you may not be familiar with that puts it more succinctly: It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
@@mescko Very familiar. Figured it was worth the explanation since it seems that adage mostly resonates with people who already know it to be true. Either way, we're in agreement - cheers 🙂
@@Bacciagalupe I savor the essence of the adage whenever I take my MG out, which I have just returned from doing. 👍
Absolutely right! I had a 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV which wasn't fast but it convinced you that it was.
I remember roaring up Bayview Avenue in Toronto behind the Loblaws where there was a quick left/right and I downshifted like Senna while a cab passed me in the outside lane but I really didn't care. This. This was fun!
@@jwrarmstrong How I felt in the Fiesta ST
One of the coolest cars ever.
When i saw the gullwing doors i knew it was special😂
Lil baby mr2!
It's kinda BaddAss .
They taxed high displacement so japam dodged their own tax by making very small cars and frankly i just wish they never stopped making them
First 15 seconds and I'm dieing.
"Size don't matter"🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
rest in peas
@@maulanachaerul5048 HAHSHAHAHSAJSHSHSHA YOU HAD ME DYING
@8:00 When James opens the door, I was awestruck to see AZ-1 also has a sunroof! 😂😂
Kei cars are brilliant. They're fun, good on fuel, and so, so usable; great cars for learning driving dynamics.
If we're judging cars not by the horsepower but by the joy they produce, this may be the greatest we'll see in our lifetimes.
That would be the Fiat 500 Abarth.
@@hugolafhugolaf Mx-5 by far
@@TheAdatto Debatable, but a worthy contender for sure. I like the way you think.
@@hugolafhugolaf i have 2 turbocharged mx-5's and they beat any of my other cars.
A T1 or T2 VW bus… of the things I’ve driven, nothing has ever come remotely close to getting people to smile at me and my car as much as the bus did.
Also, if yall get the chance, yall should totally take it on the track just for giggles. I can't imagine just how fun it would be to drive at the limit like that.
Might be tricky to find good tires in the right size
@@aaaaaalanoneil Might be even trickier finding someone that'll let them thrash theirs around like that.
@@aaaaaalanoneil Wider fender and bigger wheels might do maybe 14.5 inches rims might do but that's kinda hard to find you have to make it custom which gonna cost a lot
@@mayuravirus6134 you say destroy the factory standard, wtf dude.
My
"We're in the tiniest car ever."
"Amateurs!" -Me, getting out of a Peel P50, slinging my giant dong over my shoulder
As the cheaper option I'm looking at Ape 50's for a motorbike engine conversion. Peel prices are silly.
@@reecedrury4145 An ape 50 is basically a humvee compared to a peel though😂
Jeremy Clarkson in his P25: pathetic
me with no car, amateurs
Ding dong
Many places in Japan have a very high tax for cars with motors over a liter. It isn’t just about being a cheap car, but avoiding the high tax rate and having a little fun.
The panel falling on James’ head was too funny
@Leonardo Santuario who pissed in your Cheerios?
It's amazing how small they are when you see something like a cappuccino back to back with an Mx5
Dougdemuro is awful elon musk awful dougdemuro is a traitor and elon musk advertsses his cars in other manufacturea for example he said that his awful tesla Model 3 performance can outrun an m3 I mean who does these kind of things when was the last watching dougdemuro gave you benifits he doesn't even use a camera these guys have team and outstanding production quality Doug de muro is very rich like really rich and he doesn't give the viewers about production quality and he is traitor he betrayed auto trader
@@seemaprathapan7354 ummm...u good bro?
I am good
@@seemaprathapan7354 please see a psychologist
Who are you to tell shut up
Funny, I came to the conclusion some years back that it is more fun to drive a slow car fast then to drive a fast car slow. I came to this conclusion while driving a friends 1993 Miata versus my 650 HP C6Z06. I was having a blast on some back roads and staying within “speeding ticket” speeds in first 3 gears. Try 3 gears in the Vette and I’m going to jail if I encounter a trooper.
I would die for that car... So awesome... I have driven a 3 cyl Honda Beat... Nothing beats the small car fun factor. You think you're going fast but you just aren't. They are great.
Funny intro guys lol 😂. Y’all should make a shirt call it “manual Moron”.
He did say it tho!!😂
Please tell me there will be a TH Extra for the GR Yaris... Even if And I'm James just talks about it.
Dang. Thought there was. Just Top Gear and a few other channels. We need a GR Yaris review. Heck, I need a GR Yaris.
Nope not available in North America
@@vipe650r same. Baffles me that Toyota would make a Yaris faster then their own sorts car. Heck it can give the supra a run if not beat it. Lol.
James wrote a quick review on their ThrottleHouse Instagram profile.
@@QKvox they sell it in Mexico 🇲🇽
Thank you for introducing AZ-1! I was happy to see you guys driving so much fun in the video. This K-CAR is very attractive. I hope the number of AZ-1 fans will increase all over the world.
From Japanese car lovers
Does anyone do engine swaps? 🤤
I bought one. So yes, a new AZ-1 fan lives in SoCal.
"You get to shift it twice....before you reach the speed limit" LMAO Greatest sales pitch ever
James Hunt (RIP), former F1 world champion, used to drive around in an Austin A35 van (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_A35#/media/File:Austin_A35_van.jpg) for pretty much that reason. He could drive it on the limit with no risk whatsoever of getting a speeding fine.
@@abarratt8869 LMAO that's pretty smart TBH. He can drive like he's racing and never loose the touch of driving on the limit.
At the end of the year I would want your intro's compilation 😆
Great review. Whats fun about small, low powered cars like the kei car is you can burry your foot, row through the gears, feel like a race driver and your still not exceeding the speed limit in most towns. Smiles for miles.
I never thought Thomas and James could look more like a cute couple than they already do.
I always wanted a Cappuccino. Just don’t want to get hit in one. I find it fascinating that the Mazdaspeed AZ-1 has even the steering wheel, shifter, pedals, and interior pieces from the Miata. An awesome little thing
Be a better driver then?
@@samusaran7317That won’t help you if you get rear ended because a tractor trailer is tailgating you, though.
@@unconventionalideas5683 If someone else on the road wants to be reckless while having intention of hitting me, they better give it the beans and mean it. Interesting how your mind drifted towards that exposing your shallow ego from within.
That thing is an absolute damned delight. I love it.
james and thomas always compete each other
So amazing. I’m happy to see how much fun you were both having!!
This is one of the coolest cars I have ever seen.
when you guys review all those new cars I get depressed. yes! more fun reviews!
The way that guy walked away!🤣🤣🤣🤣 You guys always totally nail the intros🤣🤣🤣🤣
James and Thomas should make a full-length feature movie about cars. Their humor is awesome!
"Walking up to tables as a kid"
You invoked feelings I thought I never had anymore
Reminds me of the 84 Honda CRX I put a lot of miles on, and the 3 cyl 88 Daihatsu Charade that I drove even more. Those were such fun cars, and great in LA traffic, back when you weren't surrounded by SUV's.
That intro absolutely cracked me up 😂😂
I actually love this thing, had to double check that you guys made this video when I saw it on my feed. Great video!
Is there a 12-step program for this channel? Discovered you a week ago, and cannot stop watching. Thanks for rekindling my love of cars!
My first cars were Fiat 850 spider, MG Midget & Opal GT's ... I'm a sucker for small great handling cars & I love this one. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
Watched this whole vid with a smile on the can 😁great vid guys❤️👏🏿👏🏿
I love the styling and proportions. It legitimately looks good and must be a blast to drive. Tune it or put a high performance motorcycle engine in it and it would be perfect.
Rotary engine swap?
What amaze me is that some tuner in Japan could tuned these 660cc engine to about 100ish hp, crazy.
My NA 600cc motorcycle with a 20 year old engine that makes over 100hp without tuning ;)
@@basmca1 but it's kinda different isn't it? I am no mechanic but it's easy to make ton of power if it revs so high but the lower rpm power would be sucks which is not suitable for cars right?
@@danielanju960 Ehhm yea that sums it up, the torque is down on low rev's, because even with my fat ass the combined weight is barely 300kg(The AZ1 with 2 large adults would be more like 900-1000KG), so it doesn't need as much torque to get moving.
But yea the upside is 100hp at 14.000rpm.
What that thing needs is a Hayabusa engine. That would rip!!
They put one in a Suzuki cappuccino.
Honda K Swap
Rip the chassis yea 😂
It's not AZ-1, but it's a Hayashi engine K-car.
czcams.com/video/Nn2Mh9EmUhA/video.html
@@brabass773 that thing is awesome!!!!
I’ve never seen them smile that much, fun looking little car
You guys have done a lot of videos lately that are all about muscle and horsepower, giant trucks and track vehicles. Then all of a sudden you go and be all adorable and funny again. I actually enjoy this kind of content the most. You guys are awesome
That opening was hilarious....I love it!
The start of the credits... XD That's so cool - glad we're seeing some of these cool cars here now. It's really too bad that NA misses out on a ton of really neat small cars.
Just remember, Canada has had these cars 10 years before the US, except Quebec!
@@sva60_cyyz59 Whoa.... I didn't realize that - thought it was the same wait period. O_O Cool!
@@sva60_cyyz59 so what happens if I wanted to go to Montreal in an R33?
@@andrewduong2740 You can store the car, but Quebec wont allow you to register it...Edit: You mean driving the car to Quebec? It's not a problem if you'll only be visiting.
All thanks to Mercedez-Benz who lobbied for the import ban.
“We’re gonna go to the most Japanese place”
“Oh, the Sushi place?”
“No, we’re gonna go to McDonald’s.”
“Oh…”
*”ok.”*
Most Japanese place would have been KFC, they love it
@@Lasergun74 Fun Fact: KFC is Popular in Japan during Christmas.
@@misterjersey5460 yes that’s exactly why I mentioned Japan: the Kentucky For Christmas tradition
Have you seen Japanese McDonald’s? It’s way better than what we have in the US. actually most McDonald’s are better then the us
@@dcrz Not mine sadly even if you ask for 20 chicken nuggets they won't let you have it
Your videos are gold and your intros are amazing 😂 just a fun fact though, the “testarossa” vent is only functional on the passenger side of the car (left side because it’s right hand drive) on the drivers side it’s blocked off plastic 😂
The into cinematic universe lore goes deeper. Who knew they both were compensating for something? This is a gripping story with great character development
You guys definitely picked some good roads for the test drive. Surprised I haven't seen you two filming lol. Keep up the wicked content!
I would love to just sit around in the backseat and ride with y’all listening to all the back and fourth! I looooove you guys and the channels!
This was so much fun! More like that, pretty please!
That thing sounds great going by the camera! And thank you for pointing out that high dollar doesn’t always equate to driving enjoyment or satisfaction!
My first car was a 1983 Honda Civic S, and it had 65 horsepower and it was loads of fun. I would buy it again right now if I could.
I always wanted a 4th gen sedan.
I had an ‘84, unfortunately got rear ended on the FDR Drive in Manhattan, and that was the end of it. I then bought a 1991 Civic hatchback, in 1992, passenger side mirror was a $92 option, and again, rear ended upstate NY. I then bought a 2007 Civic, still going.
What a fun car. What a fun video! Great job guys!
This is the closest that the GoPro to windshield ratio has ever gotten to 1:1. This would be such a cool project for converting to electric drive, assuming you could find somewhere to stash some batteries. Awesome review!
I legitimately love that I never know if Thomas is gonna say Zee or Zed.
These intros never fails 😂😂❤️❤️
I learn something new most every day - today I learned that there’s more than one “K-car” besides the model line that Lee Iacocca led at Chrysler in the 80’s, its Suzuki engine is smaller and hp lower than my Suzuki GSX-R, and it’s smaller than the Miata, and looks like a baby first-gen MR2 … dope.
Yes, there's quite a difference between a Chrysler "K Car" and the Japanese class "Kei" cars 👍
Former K-Car owner (Lebaron GTS) and also GSXR owner 🤣
if they scaled this car up to a normal size, it would still be absolutely beautiful.
I had a thought about getting an AZ1 with a blown engine and putting in the engine from a Triumph Rocket 3, it doesn't rev as high but it's still a 3cyl and it's 3 times the power. Could make for a very exciting car
It's also 4x as big. Would it even fit?
Such a cool car! Must be really fun to drive! And those doors are awesome!!!
"I thought you guys just went to pubs"
Same
This was immensely entertaining. Good job fellas.
I love the styling and proportions
I'm not sure I could take the stress of making left turns in Toronto intersections in any right-hand drive car - let alone a car this small
I've seen the occasional kei truck around. And a Figaro or two. Those people are legends
Of course that is an awesome toy.
Maybe not very useable in the US because of long distances and whatever. But in Europe this would be amazing fun.
Shifting twice before the speed limit is common really when driving normal cars guys...
Also love the credit roll for the well endowed man, that man deserved it
You guys are one of the best things that have happened to the internet in the last few years! Don't drop the ball!
What a brilliant little bundle of joy :D
The fact that McDonald’s in Canada has donuts is the most Canadian thing ever.
Only took them 50 years to sell donuts in Canadian McDs.
So cool seeing you guys drive in the area I grew up in
What a great and unique car! ( I mean bike) That intro was the funniest ever. Keep the great content coming guys.
I wanna see the day when all the super car brands figure out they could make something like this and it would sell, just imagine essentially a scaled down tiny Lambo, I'm sure it would still be expensive but it'd likely still be the cheapest Lambo, man that'd be amazing.
This is THE greatest video ever 😂 I want that car!
I first saw this car in the Jackie Chan movies from the 90s.
My introduction to this channel was the introduction to this video. Priceless 👏👏
my neighbor has 1 of this but my other neighbor has a second generation Suzuki Alto and it is smaller, Mazda 2235mm long and 720kg, Suzuki 2175mm long and 630kg. I used to have a Subaru Vivio GX-R 660cc I4 supercharge 64hp, 3295mm long and 656kg, it was a really fun little car until I blow the transmission. I paid like $3000 USD back then now they are around $11000 here in Japan.
I used to own a 2001 Smart ForTwo.. and this car is shockingly similar.. 600cc engines, around 60hp, around 700kg, both turbo-charged 3 cylinders with very high revs that have a kick-back when the turbo kicks in... etc
Hahaha. Yeah, same look, same driving characteristics...
Woud have been fascinating to park this thing next to a first-year Honda Civc CRX, and see how big it made the CRX look...
James, your endowment aside, you and Thomas give us a good ride.
I love LOVE K Cars. I drove a Cappuccino while stationed in Okinawa and fell in love with them immediately. The AZ1 is a beacon of amazement in motoring! I just wish I wasn’t a 6’2, athletically built US Marine. I do NOT fit in these cars at all. So I’m relegated to admiring them from a distance.
"Yes well as we learned earlier I'm not very well endowed so there's nothing to get in the way!"
🤣😂🤣😱💀
That thing is packed with exotic car goodness, it must've retailed for more than the Miata.
Maybe the cost was close because having everything smaller reduced production cost so they could fill in the price gap by adding additional features like the gull wing doors.
Could've been close as keicars aren't necessarily cheap, the Honda N-One ( a keicar hatch ) costs about the same as a Honda Fit, but much lower in taxes. I can imagine the AZ-1 probably costs pehaps quite close to miata money, but running cost would be much lower.
I’ve owned M3, 911, S4 and many others and a Honda Beat. It puts a smile on your face listening the TB’s screaming in your ear to redline. Just a fun car to tool around in
30 seconds in and (once again) I'm on the floor laughing my arse off 🤣.
.
Thanks fellas - you nailed another one
"Mom i want an RS200"
"We have one at home"
*The one at home*
Swap the AZ-1's engine with a LS and now you get a death coffin
Well the car’s as big as an LS motor, strap a hayabusa engine in the back and it’s an absolute rocket
Yeah, you might swap a ls if you have absolutely no taste whatsoever (and you cut out half the car), OR you might swap something from a sportsbike.
You could fit an LS motor easily. You just wouldn't have room for the driver and passenger. Lmao
A very fast coffin 😂😂
These guys having so much fun with this. That's actually kinda cute. Like 2 lil boys finding a new toy they like
Great fun review! Thanks TH!
I love this thing. Slightly prefer the Cappuccino but the doors are so cool. Wish they made stuff like this in the US.
My back hurts watching this. Literally. I winced when I saw him climb in the driver's seat.
This is still my Favorite Episode. Pure!
I love your passion of Japanese Cars! Thank you for those videos!
I honestly love this car, it reminds me of a tiny version of the Ford Rs2000. I think with some slight upgrades (For example, upgraded turbo, suspension, wheels, tires, exhaust and a small tune) would make this thing a perfect weekend cruiser, mountain/canyon driver, hell, even a sick little track toy. There is some serious potential here, but most importantly is how I can imagine just having a huge grin/smile across my face, constantly while driving this thing. Only downside for me personally, would be the cost. Imports, or anything that's remotely different from the majority of cars here, cost insane amounts of money (Living in down under). Although, great video, I died from the introduction and keep up the good work TH! 🤘🇦🇺