Honda S660 baby sports car goes on sale in Japan

Honda has finally put the S660 on sale in Japan a year and a half after unveiling it for the first time at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The S660 conforms to Japanese Kei car standards but makes sure that while you are buying an entry level car, you don’t miss out of the fun of motoring in style.

Kei Cars, for those who are unfamiliar, is similar to the sub 4-metre cars on sale in India. In Japan, these cars are restricted to a length of 3.4 metres, width of 1.48 metres and a height of 2 metres. No wonder then that we see plenty of oddly shaped Tall-boy hatchbacks from Japan. There is also restriction on engine capacity and power – 660cc and 64PS.

The S660 as a result conforms to these restrictions but places a mid mounted engine sending power to the rear wheels making for a light and fun roadster set up. Weight distribution is rear biased 45:55 and the engine is an inline-three with a turbocharger bolted on. Gearbox choices are a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. There is also a Concept special edition limited to a run of 660 units but Honda aims to sell 800 units of the standard car every month.

The S660 will be sold in six colours, gets a fabric roof, two tone interior with the driver and passenger seat is available in different shades. Brake based torque vectoring keeps the S660 in check but gives its RWD playfulness some leeway.