GT5 Transcripts/Mazda Carol 360 Deluxe '62

In the era of the 360 cc lightweight K-cars, the first full 4-door saloon that debuted in 1962 was the Mazda Carol 360.
The gentle, rounded body-lines and unique headlights were the design of Mazda's Jiro Kosugi. While the body was available in both 2 and 4 doors, both were designed with an emphasis on the rear seat.
This design concept was apparent in its reverse-inclined window. This window was a cliff cut design, used around the same period in other automobiles such as the Ford Anglia and Citroën Ami. Even with a limited body size, this design allowed a trunk and spacious headroom for the rear passengers. Especially because the Carol was an RR, this was the best possible solution.
The engine, mounted horizontally in the rear, was also a first for K-cars, a 4 cylinder OHV. It was all aluminium, and revved smoothly due to the 4 cylinder configuration. But it redlined too quickly due to the low ratio gearing of the 4-speed MT. The suspension used rubber springs, and was fairly comfortable.
When this Carol appeared, tuning of K-cars was very popular. People reverse-mounted the two-piece separate wheels to spread out the tread, tweaked the rubber springs to lower the body, and you saw many Carols on the street with negative camber. There was also a 'standard car' class Carol 600, and many of the 360's were secretly swapped out for the bigger engines. In the end, 260,000 or so Carols were produced by 1970.
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