Called by its slogan as the "midship amusement", the Beat is Honda's affordable kei sportscar ever to emerge from the 90's and it was well respected from the holy trinity of kei sportscars such as the Autozam AZ-1 and the Suzuki Cappuccino. Because of its little sizing, midship layout, and a turbocharged 660cc engine, not to mention some zebra-striped seats to make it look unique, the Honda Beat has became the ideal cure for their everyday boredom and it really behaves like a rat from the sewers, scaring away the fat cats.
Although Honda stopped making the Beat a few decades ago, its cult classic status remains and it really is a collectible for speedo boys who want to collect the rarest JDM sportscars from the 90's. Because of the Beat's cult classic status, Honda decided to revive the magic the legendary Beat kei roadster delivered and it was worth the wait for people who can't afford an NSX.
And this could be the successor Japan has waited for...
This is called the S660, the modern-day take of the legendary Beat kei roadster and it was appeared from the recent GT SPORT content update. It's also becoming one of the cars I'm starting to grind my gears as I shall now explain.
Cars like the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Lexus LC 500 are labeled "Gran Turismo exclusive" ever since it popped up on GT SPORT since day one and the new Honda S660 joins the list of "Gran Turismo exclusive" cars and all "Gran Turismo exclusive" cars, well there's no other word for it, sucks. But since this is GT SPORT, things are a little different as a quick drive with the S660 will tell all.
First of all, the turbocharged 660cc engine only produces 64PS of power and 77.2ft-lb of torque so it is spritey but when taken to the straights, the droning really bores me down and you'll be having a hard time catching other cars from above. However, when taken through the corners, its small size and sport-tuned suspension really shows the S660's fun side and you can really slide past other cars without knowing. That is the wonder of a small sports car like this because the David and Goliath effect really shows that even the small guys can prevail over the biggies. Don't forget that this is a proper kei sportscar for the real world and such handling won't go unnoticed.
Of course, the S660's design can be easily mistaken with the NSX but unlike the NSX, the S660 is an affordable kei sportscar that is as tasty as medium sized fries and it shows that you don't need an expensive supercar to enjoy driving like you mean it. All you need is this.
It really is a beginner level car to get started with but the main question is; is the S660 a worthy successor to the Honda Beat? I went to Tsukuba to find out.
Both the Beat and the S660 are mid-engined kei roadsters that shows definitely no problems at all when getting through the corners and it doesn't need all the effort and all the struggle to get through the corner. They behave like what these cars are meant for and they really are proper sportscars made for the real world. Although it's too much Moca Aoba-esque on the straights, the cornering is something these cars should be thankful for.
Since this is Tsukuba Circuit, the proving ground for JDM sportscars as shown in those Best MOTORing videos, it's time to do what the Best MOTORing folks do in their time, comparing these cars and let's find out if the S660 is a worthy successor to the Honda Beat. Roll the tape.
And now the results...
Beat - 1:22.965
S660 - 1:20.282
And there you have it, the S660 really is the worthy successor to the Honda Beat, and although I don't like this car for being "Gran Turismo exclusive" cars like what happened to the Peugeot 208 GTi, the Lexus LC 500, and the new Alpine A110, its dynamics is what I should be thankful for and this could be your favorite kei car at the moment.
The Honda S660 - A GRAN TURISMO EXCLUSIVE CAR.