Stopped at the traffic lights somewhere near downtown Machida in Tokyo prefecture, there’s a pause for consideration. There’s really no getting away from it: from a dynamic point of view, the Suzuki Jimny is... rubbish. The steering has a yawning dead spot from centre to about a quarter turn, presumably to prevent people hoofing them into a corner and immediately flipping onto the roof, the ride is choppy, the ‘handling’ mildly alarming and the brakes mediocre. It probably doesn’t help that this is a four-speed auto taped to the back of a 658cc three-pot petrol, and the beam axles have the ride comfort and spinal sympathy of a paving slab. And I love it. I really, genuinely love it. Which makes zero sense, until you see the outside.
This Jimny is not special because of how it drives, but because of how it looks. It’s been modified by Japanese company Damd Inc, and it’s a kind of chunky homage to the original Renault 5, as bizarre as that sounds.
There’s the flat front and slightly right-handed trapezoidal headlamps, the grille, the bumper – soft-focus cues that stretch all the way back to when the 5 was launched back in 1972. Then there are the arches and graphics that sort of resemble 1985’s GT Turbo – although you have to get close to see the ‘non’ above the big ‘TURBO’ lettering – and the motorsport wheels. It’s blatantly obvious what this is, and also what it isn’t. A beautiful, weird, original remix.
Denne historien er fra Annual Issue 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
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Denne historien er fra Annual Issue 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR KARI FT. EUROGRIP
What happens when you do track days in the name of pushing the limits of a tyre
ROOKIE BLUES
Acosta Urged for Patience as KTM Chases Ducati
THE VALUE OF TIME
Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen
DJI Osmo Action 4
Being an automotive journalist, our job entails us to ride motorcycles of all kinds and not to forget, the life behind driving some exotic set of wheels as well.
WAR WORDS WORLDS
Indians might not have played a deciding role in the previous world wars but now, our participation is much more evident
XTREME MACHINE
Maserati's racing history is a patchwork of epic highs and long absences, so can the MCXtrema - a track only version of its latest supercar-bring back the glory days?
WET AND WILD
No doors, no roof, no boot, but at least there's a windscreen... Paul Horrell pulls on his waterproof trousers and takes the Nomad 2 for a spin
STREAM W0RKS
This is an MG. Yes, really. Turns out it's got form in streamliners too...just ask Stirling Moss
A map and a compass.
Dacia got a foothold in the UK with cheapness, now it wants toughness on its CV. Can the new Duster handle Morocco's heat and locate a Dakar team in the desert - no GPS allowed?
A RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT?
Farewell, V10, this is the new Lamborghini Temerario, a 907bhp V8 hybrid. A worthy Huracán successor, or a misstep from the Italian firm?