1994 Daihatsu Mira RV-4

A spicy little hatchback with off road pretensions before the term ‘crossover’ was conceived, the RV-4 is an uncommon edition of the classic turbo Mira. Completely original and untouched, with an incredible 52,876 km on the clock and a flawless interior.

Metallic black with silver accents wrap the exterior, with the bullbar, roof rack and spare tire on the back dominating the details. Thick steel skid-plate underneath the front chin protects the engine. Yellow projector fog lights in the front bumper add extra cool points. The stance is tall and confident, with a sizable (and functional!) scoop in the hood. Sweet ‘RV-4’ spare tire cover as well.

Sear your eyeballs and charm your friends, the inside is pretty special. Best described as “flawless”, the original bright red seats with E.T.-style headrests are perfect. All interior plastics, floor mats, door cards, switches, everything is in fantastic shape. The original steering wheel shows virtually no wear, same with the gear shift knob. Period-correct Kenwood aftermarket head unit is installed powering a couple of rad Panasonic six-inch speakers in the back. Air conditioning works wonderfully. The back has the same bright red pristine fabric of the fronts, and can be folded down giving you a nice flat floor to haul a bit of cargo around. Headliner is perfect. Included in the storage compartment of the driver’s seat is the original owner’s manual, warranty booklet and complete maintenance history (in Japanese, of course).

Darting through the city in this RV-4 Mira is a fiesta for the senses. All the right turbo noises, the light flickability of the chassis, the precise feel of the transmission, and the confidence of that AWD system makes this a great car, the exterior and interior details make it rad as heck.