Honda S660

Honda S660
Honda S660 Commercial model front view (Japan)
Overview
Manufacturer	Honda
Production	2015
Assembly	Yachiyo Plant, Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan
Body and chassis
Class	Kei car
Body style	2-door roadster
Layout	Transverse mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Related	Honda N-One Honda N-Box
Powertrain
Engine	660 cc (40 cu in) S07A I3 1,000 cc (61 cu in) I3
Transmission	6-speed manual transmission CVT
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,285 mm (90.0 in) 2,435 mm (95.9 in) (S1000)
Length	3,395 mm (133.7 in) 3,545 mm (139.6 in) (S1000)
Width	1,475 mm (58.1 in) 1,675 mm (65.9 in) (S1000)
Height	1,180 mm (46 in)
Curb weight	830–850 kg (1,830–1,870 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Honda Beat

The Honda S660 is a two-seat sports car which fits in the very small Kei car category. It is manufactured by the Japanese manufacturer Honda. The car weighs approx 830kg with manual transmission and 850kg with CVT auto. A prototype was shown at the November 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, the major Japanese auto show event. It is the successor to the Honda Beat. The naming convention of using the letter "S" followed by the engine displacement is a long held Honda tradition going back to Honda's first production car, the Honda S500.

Concept and prototype

The prototype Honda S660 car

The S660 is a very lightweight, mid-engined, roadster sports car. It shares a platform with the Honda N-One. Its dimensions, because of kei car Japanese legislation, is almost identical to the 1990s Honda Beat, and uses the same three cylinder engine with mechanical improvements.

The Japanese Kei car model would be powered by a 660 cc motor with approximately 47 kW (63 hp) and 104 N·m (77 lb·ft) torque to meet Kei regulations. An export or US market version was hinted to use motors such as a turbocharged 1.0 liter motor with around 95 kW (127 hp). Its introduction signals a return to two-door sports coupes from Honda, taking the smallest position below the larger Honda CR-Z and the top level luxury Honda NSX. It is a modern version of Honda's first mass-produced car, the Honda S500 introduced in 1963.

The mid-engine design balances weight on the front and rear of the car to provide good handling qualities. The design is claimed to have 45/55 front/rear weight balance (exactly even between the axles).

Cars in this size range are not currently regularly sold in the United States. The S660 would be smaller and less powerful than the Mazda Miata, currently one of the lightest production sports cars available in the US.

The development team of the S660 was led by Ryo Mukumoto who beat out 400 other participants in Honda's in-house competition. Honda made him the youngest lead engineer in the company's history even though he had no engineering experience. He was 22 when he was chosen and was given 5 years to develop the sports car.

Reception

The prototype and proposed production announcement were widely covered in auto enthusiast news sites and blogs. Initial reactions to the concept were favorable.

The first driving review was a June 2015 review of a Japanese market prototype driven by Top Gear in Tokyo. The author felt the car was "supremely manoeuvrable" but lacked power, something he hoped an export model with a larger motor would cure. He felt that such an export model might be a potential Mazda MX-5 competitor.

First photographs

The prototype S660 was photographed by car enthusiasts at a wintertime car event in early 2015 and published in the Japanese car enthusiast magazine Mag-X, and subsequently republished in the US car blog The Truth About Cars. The pictures included several exterior photos and one of the engine compartment open.

Production

File:HONDA S660 JW5 03.jpg

Honda S660 interior (Japan)

Honda Motor Co. president Takanobu Ito indicated that the S660 was planned for production in 2015. It is not clear if this referred to the Japanese market model or a world market version. American Honda Motor Co. president Tetsuo Iwamura was quoted as saying "I would personally fight for it," to come to the United States if the US market asked for it.

Specifications

The roadster measures 3,395 mm (133.7 in) in length, 1,475 mm (58.1 in) in total width and 1,180 mm (46.5 in) in height in order to be within limitations for Japan's Kei car. It comes with a choice of a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT with paddle shifters, both options being offered on the two trims available (alpha and beta). Only one engine is available - the S07A borrowed from the N-One, although it has been modified to fit the S660's more sporting image.

External links

• Tokyo Auto Show 2013 S660 press kit (in Japanese) pg 1 2