Kawaii JDM: 1997 Subaru Vivio Bistro


The 90s must have been a strange time to be a Japanese car designer. The biggest consumers of their car’s were Americans, so they spent most of their time designing stuff that would be palatable to the Wonderbread and Velveeta crowd. But then they also had to product cars for their home market, which was limited with engine size and horsepower rules that made everything compact and slow. So what do you do to differentiate from the thousands of other slow and boring economy cars…? You make it look insane. Like Nissan did with their Pike cars (S-Cargo, Pao, Figaro, Be-1, etc) or Honda with the Beat, or Subaru with the Vivio Bistro. Yes. This is the kind of Bistro I want to see when I look outside my window each morning. Find this 1997 Subaru Vivio Bistro offered for $7,500 in New York City, NY via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

From the seller:
1997 Subaru Vivio Bistro 1997
condition: like new
fuel: gas
odometer: 9740
paint color: grey
size: sub-compact
title status: missing
transmission: automatic
type: hatchback
This is a kei class sub-compact Subaru Vivio Bistro imported from Japan. Right wheel drive, automatic transmission, seat belts and and airbag for the driver seat, AC. Mileage = 9,740 miles.
Mint condition, super cute and rare classic car. Easy parking anywhere!
The car is not titled or registered as of the date and located in NYC but may be registered in NJ, MA, PA (?) and NH in the Northeast region. Before purchasing, confirm with your DMV.
Buyer is responsible for delivery.
Sold as is.


See a better way to drive something funny looking but sweet? tips@dailyturismo.com
I would recommend you get them to complete the paperwork first, or you might be in title hell.
“Right wheel drive”
Sounds like just the thing for American oval track racing, but I don’t see this in NASCAR.
Punch the brakes going into a turn while still at full throttle, rotate into the corner, release the brakes , rotate a little more, and drive right into the infeild.
Hmm, perhaps not.
gotta love semantics. well played.
I cant figure this thing out.
kinda like it wants to the be the “let”s stick a nice (aka traditional look) grille on a MINI and pretend it is a different (riley, wolseley) design.”
but these guys forgot to tart up the back end. now we effectively have a nose jobbed Yaris that went thru the dry cycle far too long.
Agreed. Also reminds me of those kits from the ’70s that would add a Rolls Royce or ‘40 Ford grille on the front of a VW Beetle. Same level of elegance.
The value of a title-less car is somewhere between free and them paying me!
+1, unless it is a race car and you have photos/friends/race records showing you racing the car.