My GT7 Log: A cup of Cappuccino, you like?

In beverage terms, a cappuccino is a hot beverage consisting of espresso and foamed milk often served with powdered cinnamon and topped with whipped cream. In car terms, the Cappuccino is the name of Suzuki's kei roadster that is smaller than a Mazda Eunos Roadster and one of the ABC kei roadsters that gained popularity in the early Heisei years.

The ancient Suzuki Cappuccino returns in GT7 via Update 1.13 and fans of the franchise are delighted to see this icon back in the game so they can compare it alongside the Honda Beat, another 90s kei roadster that emerged from the early Heisei years. So, what's it all about the Suzuki Cappuccino?

Launched in November 1991, the Suzuki Cappuccino kickstarted the trend of sporty kei cars that was followed by the Mazda Autozam AZ-1 and the Honda Beat. Unlike its mid-engined rivals, the Suzuki Cappuccino is a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster that provides near-perfect weight distribution. It uses the same 657cc turbocharged 3-cylinder engine from the Alto Works, generating up to 63HP of power output while mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Production of the Cappuccino ended in 1998 with no direct successor but it remained one of the all-time greats and a real collector's item for speedo boys around the globe.

Believe it or not, the Cappuccino appeared in one episode of the Initial D Fourth Stage TV series and it was one of the most formidable cars Takumi and his AE86 Trueno ever faced until his lights-off tactic made the Cappuccino driver in confusion and barely defeated it.

For a tiny little kei roadster that emerged from the early years of the Heisei era, it's rather impressive, judging by its noteworthy credentials as a small-but-terrible sportscar that can out-corner the fat cats on racetracks like classic Minis slipping through Ford muscle cars in touring car races in the past. It's no wonder why speedo boys worldwide are taking a liking to the Suzuki Cappuccino because with such size, it's almost easy to drive.

Speaking of which, to find out just how easy-to-drive the Cappuccino is, I went to the eastern section of Suzuka Circuit to find out if the Cappuccino really is one of the best handling cars in ages. Roll the tape.

After a quick lap with the tiny little Suzuki, the Cappuccino did it in a modest 1:12.547, which is a bit of a beginner's attempt as such but by demonstrating the Cappuccino's handling capabilities, it really is a big deal.

It's a shame Suzuki never made a 21st-century take on this Heisei classic to take on the front-wheel-drive Daihatsu Copen and the Honda S660 but since the S660 is dead now and the Copen is nearing its extinction, it would be too late for Suzuki to join the party. 

Still, despite the signs of the times in the world of motoring, the Suzuki Cappuccino has shown the world that small cars can be as fun to drive like the big ones and it really is one of the all-time greats.

The Cappuccino is available only in Gran Turismo 7's Used Car dealership for a very limited time.