The Suzuki Cappuccino is a small Japanese sports cabriolet whose name, borrowed from the Italian coffee drink, was chosen apparently to lend the car a touch of exoticism, since its rounded, compact shape had little in common with Italian sports car tradition. It was built to the maximum dimensions then permitted under Japan's kei car category, which carried tax and parking advantages, measuring 319.5 cm long and 139.5 cm wide. Its front styling echoed earlier Suzuki sport concept cars, while a retractable panoramic rear window rose from the short, tall tail.
Despite its size class, the Cappuccino was engineered with sporting intent, using a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout rather than a front-drive setup. It weighed only 480 kg, achieved through a carbon-fiber monocoque underbody and a body combining carbon fiber with Tekmilon, a lightweight plastic developed jointly by Kanebo, Mitsui Petrochemical Industries and Suzuki, said to be lighter than Kevlar or carbon fiber. Tekmilon was also used for the seat shells. Weight-saving extended to a carbon-fiber propshaft and aluminum suspension components, double wishbones front and rear, four-wheel disc brakes with front ventilation, ABS, and Kevlar-reinforced 165/65 R14 74H asymmetric tires.
Power came from a longitudinally mounted 547 cc turbocharged three-cylinder F5B engine with DOHC, 12 valves, an intercooler, and some ceramic pistons, producing 64 hp at 7500 rpm and 77 Nm at 4000 rpm. Features included concealed fog lamps, side air outlets behind the front wheel arches, a urethane-laminated windshield, a removable hardtop, four-point seatbelts, electric windows, and a CD audio system. A production version was unofficially mentioned in 1991.
