Honda S660
wow, this looks sweet... esp. the lights (see video)
Honda S660 Concept: Nearly Ready For Production
1 Liter Turbo Possible For Rear-Drive, Sub-2000-Pound Car
In 1991, Honda launched a radical, 660cc mid-engine minicar called the Beat. Built exclusively for the Japanese market, it was the last car that company founder Soichiro Honda green-lighted before he died. The Pininfarina-penned car was powered by a 660cc, 3-cylinder engine generating around 64hp. And yes, it was rear-wheel drive. Now, 22 years later, Honda is revisiting that small, mid-engined notion again with the sharp-looking S660 Concept, slated for a debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in late November. This time, though, Japan's No.3 automaker is targeting a global market.
Honda has a rich heritage when it comes to sports cars with small engines. The company started experimenting with tiny coupes like the 360cc-powered S360 in 1962 and the S500 in 1963, around the time that the Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit opened and the company started racing in F1. The last 'S' series sports car of that early era was the S800 in 1966. To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1999, Honda brought back the 'S' prefix with the cult-favorite, high-revving S2000 that finally went out of production in 2009. By 2010, Honda had already started designing its next 'S' series coupe, a concept that debuted at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show called EV-Ster. Those six letters referred to its all-electric powertrain: two motors driving the rear wheels. Given the positive feedback the EV-Ster's garnered, it makes sense that the S660 concept is almost identical to the original concept.
First impressions are telling. The EV-Ster's exaggerated grille design, edgy bonnet and rear lighting scheme have been replaced by an exterior that can only be called 'near-production.' Cornering senior designer Ryo Sugiura at the preview event in Tokyo, we learn that the S660 will land in showrooms by 2015 pretty much as-is. That's good, because we think it's a real looker. "The only addition will be a fully retractable roof which you don't see on the concept," he says. "Oh, one other thing. We put more angle on the windscreen, that is, we laid it down more because we felt that an upright windscreen is old fashion," says Sugiura who admits his favourite cars are the Ferrari Dino 246 and the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33. With the knowledge, however, that electric cars are struggling to find their niche in virtually every global market, Honda opted for a turbocharged, 3-cylinder, 660cc gas engine powertrain to power the S660. And that should bode well for this mini sports car. Because apart from its great 50:50 front-rear weight distribution, and the 64hp plus engine, the coupe will get a 7-speed CVT with paddles for manual shifting.
(THE VIDEO)
Honda S660 Concept: Nearly Ready For Production
1 Liter Turbo Possible For Rear-Drive, Sub-2000-Pound Car
In 1991, Honda launched a radical, 660cc mid-engine minicar called the Beat. Built exclusively for the Japanese market, it was the last car that company founder Soichiro Honda green-lighted before he died. The Pininfarina-penned car was powered by a 660cc, 3-cylinder engine generating around 64hp. And yes, it was rear-wheel drive. Now, 22 years later, Honda is revisiting that small, mid-engined notion again with the sharp-looking S660 Concept, slated for a debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in late November. This time, though, Japan's No.3 automaker is targeting a global market.
Honda has a rich heritage when it comes to sports cars with small engines. The company started experimenting with tiny coupes like the 360cc-powered S360 in 1962 and the S500 in 1963, around the time that the Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit opened and the company started racing in F1. The last 'S' series sports car of that early era was the S800 in 1966. To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 1999, Honda brought back the 'S' prefix with the cult-favorite, high-revving S2000 that finally went out of production in 2009. By 2010, Honda had already started designing its next 'S' series coupe, a concept that debuted at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show called EV-Ster. Those six letters referred to its all-electric powertrain: two motors driving the rear wheels. Given the positive feedback the EV-Ster's garnered, it makes sense that the S660 concept is almost identical to the original concept.
First impressions are telling. The EV-Ster's exaggerated grille design, edgy bonnet and rear lighting scheme have been replaced by an exterior that can only be called 'near-production.' Cornering senior designer Ryo Sugiura at the preview event in Tokyo, we learn that the S660 will land in showrooms by 2015 pretty much as-is. That's good, because we think it's a real looker. "The only addition will be a fully retractable roof which you don't see on the concept," he says. "Oh, one other thing. We put more angle on the windscreen, that is, we laid it down more because we felt that an upright windscreen is old fashion," says Sugiura who admits his favourite cars are the Ferrari Dino 246 and the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33. With the knowledge, however, that electric cars are struggling to find their niche in virtually every global market, Honda opted for a turbocharged, 3-cylinder, 660cc gas engine powertrain to power the S660. And that should bode well for this mini sports car. Because apart from its great 50:50 front-rear weight distribution, and the 64hp plus engine, the coupe will get a 7-speed CVT with paddles for manual shifting.
(THE VIDEO)
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Honda S660 to be built in Japan starting 2015 - report
To be built in Yokkaichi
Based on a report coming from Japan, Honda has apparently decided to put the S660 concept into production.
It was November 2013 when Honda unveiled a spiritual successor for its legendary Beat kei car at the Tokyo Motor Show and now it seems they made up their mind to start assembling the vehicle at home in Japan at the Yokkaichi factory. Hopefully the production version will keep the concept's design intact as it was a very pretty little roadster drawing its styling cues from the EV-STER concept.
The Honda S660 is programmed for a 2015 market launch and will have to compete with another resurrected popular kei car, the Daihatsu Copen. There are also some rumors about a Suzuki Cappuccino reboot for 2016 so we might see more of these models but chances are the automakers will offer them only in Japan.
Based on a report coming from Japan, Honda has apparently decided to put the S660 concept into production.
It was November 2013 when Honda unveiled a spiritual successor for its legendary Beat kei car at the Tokyo Motor Show and now it seems they made up their mind to start assembling the vehicle at home in Japan at the Yokkaichi factory. Hopefully the production version will keep the concept's design intact as it was a very pretty little roadster drawing its styling cues from the EV-STER concept.
The Honda S660 is programmed for a 2015 market launch and will have to compete with another resurrected popular kei car, the Daihatsu Copen. There are also some rumors about a Suzuki Cappuccino reboot for 2016 so we might see more of these models but chances are the automakers will offer them only in Japan.
Honda S660 Heading to Production Next Year
Honda has reportedly green-lighted a new sports car; one designed for fun, but not necessarily performance.
First shown at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, the Honda S660 concept will be built at the Yokkaichi factory, a facility owned by Yachiyo Industry Co., Ltd. and builds compact cars for Honda. It is being reported that Yachiyo will be setting up to produce the S660 sometime in 2015 at the same factory that currently produces numerous kei cars for the Japanese automaker such as the Life, Vamos and Acty commercial vehicle.
Little is known about the production Honda S660, but in concept form it featured a turbocharged three-cylinder powerplant 660-cc in size with 64 hp and 77 lb-ft of torque. The small powerplant is mated to a seven-speed CVT with paddles for shifting and the vehicle itself has 50:50 front-rear weight distribution. It has been speculated that if the S660 is exported to the U.S., it will likely be powered by a larger 1.0-liter turbocharged engine with upwards of 100 hp.
It is however, unknown whether or not the Japanese automaker plans on bringing the S660 to the U.S.
First shown at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, the Honda S660 concept will be built at the Yokkaichi factory, a facility owned by Yachiyo Industry Co., Ltd. and builds compact cars for Honda. It is being reported that Yachiyo will be setting up to produce the S660 sometime in 2015 at the same factory that currently produces numerous kei cars for the Japanese automaker such as the Life, Vamos and Acty commercial vehicle.
Little is known about the production Honda S660, but in concept form it featured a turbocharged three-cylinder powerplant 660-cc in size with 64 hp and 77 lb-ft of torque. The small powerplant is mated to a seven-speed CVT with paddles for shifting and the vehicle itself has 50:50 front-rear weight distribution. It has been speculated that if the S660 is exported to the U.S., it will likely be powered by a larger 1.0-liter turbocharged engine with upwards of 100 hp.
It is however, unknown whether or not the Japanese automaker plans on bringing the S660 to the U.S.
