When talking about a car with a design that is almost similar to the BMW Mini Cooper, the Daihatsu Mira Gino is one of the names that should be mentioned. Have you ever heard the name of this car? If not, that’s understandable as this car is only present in the automotive markets of Japan, Germany, and European countries.
In addition, the production of this Mira Gino car from the Daihatsu manufacturer has also stopped. So, it’s only reasonable if the name of this car seems unfamiliar to your mind. But worry not, for those of you who want to know more about this compact car from Daihatsu, this article is going to help. To that end, read on until the bottom!
Get to Know Daihatsu Mira Gino
The Daihatsu Mira Gino is a city car or kei car that features a distinctive retro style which was first introduced in 1999 in the Japanese automotive market. After all, this car was born with tiny dimensions of 133.7 inches in length, 58.1 inches in width, and 56.1 inches in height.
In addition, when it was first launched, the Mira Dino car featured a retro style that was similar to the design of cars from Compagne and MINI Classic. The retro style of this car can be recognized from the classic hatchback exterior design and the fitted fascia design with rounded headlight housings.
As we said before, the Daihatsu Mira Gino was first introduced to the automotive market in 1999. It was also the year when the first generation Mira Gino was born, known as the Mira Gino L700. Then in 2002, the Mira Gino 1000 version was released with a larger engine than the previous version.
Is the Mira Gino 1000 still the first generation of the Mira Gino series? Yes, that’s right. The Mira Gino 1000 is still the first generation car of the Mira Gino series but with more power and engine. For this reason, the Mira Gino 1000 version no longer falls into the kei or city car class.
Then, does the Daihatsu Mira Gino only have one generation? The answer is no. This mini retro car from Daihatsu has two generations and the second generation was born in 2004 under the name Daihatsu Trevis.
How is it? Are you still curious and want to know more about the first and second generations of Daihatsu Mira Gino? If so, try to grasp the explanation below!
1. First Generation of Mira Gino
The first generation of the Daihatsu Mira Gino first appeared in 1999 through the L700 Mira series. In its initial release, this car was available in two types, namely three-door and five-door. Not only that, the car was initially only available with the 658 cc EF series inline-three gasoline engine and turbocharged.
Then in August 2002, the Mira Gino 1000 appeared on the European automotive market. This series car was born thanks to the unusual development of the 989 cc EJ-VE inline-three-cylinder gasoline engine mount. Due to its larger gasoline engine than the L700 version, the Mira Gino 1000 no longer belongs to the kei class.
Apart from the larger engine, the dimensions of this car are also longer and wider due to the installation of bumper over-riders and fender trims. So, the difference between the Mira Gino L700 and the first-generation Mira Gino 1000 was the engine and the dimensions.
After all, during its release in August 2002, there were about 1,290 units of the Mira Gino 1000 sold in the market. Production of the Mira 1000 series of mini cars finally stopped in June 2004, marking the end of the first generation of Mira Gino cars.
2. Second Generation of Mira Gino
Next is the second-generation model of the Daihatsu Mira Gino. This second generation series was born in 2004 through the city car or kei car class model with the L650-L660 series. In the introduction process in the automotive industry, the L650-660 series only comes with a hatchback body shape with 5 doors.
Design-wise, the mini car still comes in the same shape as the first-generation Mira Gino. That’s indeed true as the L650-L660 series is still equipped with round headlights. After all, the only difference between the first-generation series and the second one is the height and shape of the front bumper.
However, this second-generation series of the Daihatsu Mira Gino still carries a stunning retro design. In terms of construction, the second generation of Mira Gino is related to the Daihatsu Trevis car, which is said to be only available in the European market.
The end of Daihatsu’s Mira Gino series ended in 2009 which was then replaced by the Mira Cocoa. Mira Cocoa itself is a mini car manufacturer from Daihatsu that still comes with a distinctive retro design.
The First and Second Generation Specifications
For those of you who are curious about the specifications of the Mira Gino car in the first generation and the second generation, the following explanation is for you. In this case, we will compare one Mira Gino series in each generation. So, take a look closer!
1. Mira Gino L700
First up is the Mira Gino L700. What are the amazing specifications of this car? Check out the bullet points below.
- Production: March 1999 until November 2004
- Body Style: 3-door hatchback and 5-door hatchback
- Engine: 658 cc EF-VE I3 (petrol) and 658 cc EF-DET I3-T (petrol)
- Power Output:
- 658 cc EF-VE I3: 43 kW (58 hp; 58 PS)
- 658 cc EF-DET I3-T: 47 kW (64 hp: 64 PS)
- Transmission: 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, and 4-speed automatic CVT
- Dimensions:
- Wheelbase: 2.360 mm or 92.9 inches
- Length: 3.395 mm or 133.7 inches
- Width: 1.475 mm or 58.1 inches
- Height: 1.425 mm or 56.1 inches
2. Mira Gino L650
Next up is the Mira Gino 650. Are the specifications the same as the first-generation series? You will find the answer by checking the bullet points below!
- Production: November 2004 until March 2009
- Body Style: 5-door hatchback
- Engine: 658 cc EF-VE I3 (petrol) and 989 cc EJ-VE I3 (petrol, Trevis)
- Power Output:
- EF-VE: 43 kW (58 hp; 58 PS)
- Transmission: 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual
- Dimensions:
- Wheelbase: 2.390 mm or 94.1 inches
- Length: 3.395 mm or 133.7 inches
- Width: 1.475 mm or 58.1 inches
- Height: 1.515 mm or 59.6 inches
Have You Gotten to Know the Daihatsu Mira Gino Mini Car?
This is an explanation of the Daihatsu Mira Gino, a mini car which design is similar to the MINI Cooper. This Daihatsu mini car with retro style was first introduced in 1999 through the first series L700. Then in 2002, the L700 series was replaced with the L650 series. The Mira Gino, however, has ceased production in 2009.