Next month’s Tokyo Motor Show is shaping up to have lots of exciting stuff for sports car enthusiasts. Along with the possible Nissan Silvia successor we shared last week, Honda will also be using the 2013 Tokyo show to return to its sporting roots. Meet the Honda S660 Concept.
As its name and profile suggests, the S660 is a small, mid-engined sports car with an open roof. The name, of course, brings to mind the S2000 – and more specifically, the fabulous Honda S600 and S800 variants of the 1960s.
But with its compact size and mid-engine rear-drive layout, the S660 Concept is essentially sounding a lot like a modern version of the Honda Beat. Rumors about a new Beat have been swirling for years, and the S660 could well be it.
While Honda hasn’t released any official specs on the car, the S660 designation clearly shows that the car will be powered by a 660cc motor to meet Japan’s kei class regulation, much like the original Beat.
A report by Motoring also says that the S660 could be exported with larger engines and further changes to suit international markets.
Best of all, despite its ‘Concept’ designation, the S660 appears to be production-ready. The report suggests the car could be in Japanese showrooms as early as spring 2015.
We’re certainly looking forward to finding out more in Tokyo.
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This is very exciting news. The rebirth of the cheap, lightweight sports car!
MartinBrandan Lightweight yes. Cheap? Only in Japan and the US. Unfortunately, if this car was to find it's way into showrooms down under, we'd more than likely be slugged witha $30000+ price tag...
How exciting ! Sounds and looks like it's going to lots of potential!
What's this!!?? After all that CR-Z and Insight nonsense, there's somebody at Honda with oil in their veins? This looks very good.
i can't wait to see this in streets. imagine this with k20 swapped in.
if it's really a true lightweight, Honda might just as well surprise everybody and equip it (for export markets) with a beefed-up motorcycle-derived 1400cc engine/gearbox.
now that would be a REV-olution !
So excited about this. I doubt it's a car I would buy personally but just seeing Honda move in this direction again makes me so happy.
About time Honda did something cool and affordable again.
Type R with a 1L turbo, that would be some serious fun, almost Elise like.
I might want one!! Next few years could be interesting
I was talking about it with a friend lately ... WE NEED A NEW AUTOZAM / BEAT. Well, it looks like we could have it. DO WANT. : >
please honda No heavy hybrids
As long as it's not a hybrid, I will support this.
I think most people who hate on hybrids are too young to own a car and/or have never driven a CRZ.
I hope this thing is something weird and interesting like a 660cc IMA (turbo/supercharged would be lovely).
Embrace the future luddites
K20 IT.
Will speedhunter team dispatch for Tokyo Motor Show coverage..??
This looks just like the Honda Ev-Ster concept I saw at NAIAS earlier this year. Hope it makes it into production. The world needs more 2-seater cars on the road.
Please God bring this automobile to N/A and I will forever be faithful.
I'm thinking give us a sport model (rwd, n/a, ~2.0L, 5-speed) and then come out with a type-R (awd, turbo, 6-speed). If something like that happened, I'd be converted to a honda guy
About time Honda!!!! Thank You for bringing back a little bit of light back to us enthusiasts. The NSX, now this. Hopefully we start seeing a pattern here and Honda slowly goes back to the heyday 90s when the line-up was made up by something more than a bunch of Hybrids.
@themunganator I totally agree. But am in denial at the same time haha. K-series engine was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this