The engine seems to turn everywhere!
We began our test drive at low speeds in the city. This was Rami’s first time driving an MT kei-car. What were her first impressions of the Beat?
“It’s light! The very beginning of driving and turning seems light! Sometimes I feel that the torque doesn’t catch up with the vehicle, but since the vehicle is so light, I don’t feel it’s that much of a problem. I also like the vibration and sound coming from the back, which is very midship-like! What surprised me was the surprisingly comfortable ride. I would like it to be a little firmer for my taste, but the suspension is very comfortable for city driving.”
And so, while experiencing the lightness of the car, the course took us to the Metropolitan Highway. From this point on, the Beat’s different character seemed to come into view.
“Oh, wow! It feels so good when I turn the engine! It’s so much fun! It’s like it shows its true potential from 4500 rpm and above 6500 rpm is where it’s really good. It is an engine that makes you want to turn it, or rather, it seems to turn everywhere. When you hear the sound, it sounds very fast, but when you look at the meter, it’s not so. The good thing about MT in a light car is that you can enjoy the feeling of racing at low speeds! I wish more cars let you enjoy the fun of driving with such low hurdles.”
“I want to commute to work in a car that gives me a racy feeling at low speeds!”
Her impression of the Modulo’s sports suspension, which had provided a comfortable ride in city driving, seemed to change dramatically on the metropolitan roads.
“It seems to take high-speed corners well, or rather, it seems to stick with me. It’s not simply a comfortable ride, it’s a suspension with deep pockets. This surprised me. It has a sense of stability, and combined with the character of the engine, it’s a foot that makes you want to step on it. Also, even when the load is applied to the front, the front end feels light, which is a unique feeling only a midship car of this weight can have.”
This was the first time for her to drive a manual transmission in a kei-car, but she had many smiles on her face during the latter half of the test drive.
“I want to commute to work in a car with such a low speed and racy feel!”
If Rami were to make the Beat her personal car, it would be very useful as a foot passenger car.
