[Video] Kei Car racing around a sopping wet Fuji is the best | GRR
We recently published an article proposing that there’s no replacement for displacement. We often celebrate big-banger cars and big-banger classes – the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512S for example, are Group 5 over 5.0-litre cars. But with that said, we love anything if it involves racing, even going to the other extreme. Take the Japanese K4GP Series, for example, a video of which we’re sharing today.
The K in that name might be a clue to what is a series for under 1.0-litre cars, or Kei cars and they’re so much more fun for being as diminutive as they are. These tiny, lightweight, screaming machines are simply incredible fun and look even more-so, fully unwound on a track, where it’s all about daring to brake later, maintaining speed and keeping momentum.
In this clip, we’re riding on board with a Honda Beat, with a three-cylinder engine that in this race-spec preparation, sounds almost indistinguishable from a Porsche 911. It sounds absolutely fantastic, as it slithers its way around Fuji. And slither it (and its fellow competitors) do, given it’s clearly a fairly tropical day out on track. Tiny tyres and a wet circuit don’t mix well, at least for the driver. For the spectator, it’s bags of fun as we watch the driver grapple with his steering wheel. And it’s not like this is a 20-minute sprint race. It’s a full seven-hour endurance race. Lock in and watch it all unfold.
Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Racing a GT40 in torrential rain at Goodwood