The Latest Breaking News from KEI

Kei cars are awesome. The tiny, Japanese-market runabouts have diminutive proportions and puny engines, often delivering no more than 80 horsepower. Having driven one in its home country, it’s easy to see why people are so obsessed with them; they’re cute, charming, and in a jam-packed city like Tokyo, ideal…

Update: In an emailed response to Motor1's questions, a Department of Transportation spokesperson told us:

There's a reason Americans seem increasingly fascinated with Japanese Kei vehicles: It's amazing to see small cars winning. The past two decades have seen Americans completely scorn anything small, cheap and simple, moving towards ever-bigger, ever-more "premium" options. That's why our three best-selling EVs are all made by Tesla, a…

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Liberty Walk certainly knows how to turn heads with its projects. The Japanese tuner has been working its widebody magic on sports cars, supercars, and Kei cars since the early 1990s. Now, the shop is taking its scalpel to an Italian icon: The Lamborghini Miura.

A Kei car is the only way to experience Japan.

It's not every day that American politics goes the way of the little guy, but 2024 could be considered the year the tide turned for mini truck owners and enthusiasts. Advocates in Texas and Massachusetts have successfully changed their state policies to allow registering Japanese Kei trucks 25 years and…

The state also said it would continue to "review safety implications of Kei Vehicles on the public roadways."

I drove Japan's Nissan Sakura EV and found it nails the minimalist, affordable electric template.

It is currently for sale by a dealer in Portland.