Honda S660
Honda S660 (JW5) | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Honda |
Production | April 2015 – present |
Assembly | Japan: Yokkaichi, Mie |
Designer | Ryo Sugiura[1] |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Kei car |
Body style | 2-door roadster |
Layout | Transverse mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Related |
|
Powertrain | |
Engine | 658 cc S07A Turbo I3-T |
Power output | 47 kW (63 hp; 64 PS) |
Transmission |
|
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,285 mm (90.0 in) |
Length | 3,395 mm (133.7 in) |
Width | 1,475 mm (58.1 in) |
Height | 1,180 mm (46.5 in) |
Curb weight | 830–850 kg (1,830–1,874 lb) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Honda Beat |
The Honda S660 is a lightweight two-seater targa sports car manufactured by the Japanese manufacturer Honda with a transverse mid-engine and rear-wheel-drive layout. It is the successor to the Honda Beat (segment-wise), and the Honda S2000 (nomenclature-wise, as it also belongs to Honda's family of "S" models).
Overview[]
The S660 is a lightweight mid-engined roadster with a targa roof. Its dimensions, due to kei car size restrictions, are nearly identical to the 1990s Beat. It is sold with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed CVT with sports paddle shifters, both options being offered on the two trims available (Alpha and Beta). The S660 weighs approximately 830 kg with the manual transmission[2] and 850 kg with the CVT, and have a front/rear weight balance of 45/55.[2]
The naming convention of using the letter "S" followed by the engine displacement is a long-held Honda tradition going back to Honda's second production car, the Honda S500 (from which the S660 draws inspiration).
Performance[]
The S660 is powered by the same turbocharged 658 cc S07A Turbo engine used in the N-One with some mechanical improvements. In the S660, this engine is mid-mounted and produces 47 kW (63 hp; 64 PS) at 6,000 rpm and 104 N⋅m (77 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 2,600 rpm with a redline of 7,700 rpm for the manual transmission and 7,000 rpm for the CVT.[3]
Development and launch[]
A prototype was shown at the November 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.[4] The prototype and proposed production announcement were widely covered in auto enthusiast news sites and blogs.[5][6][7][8] Initial reactions to the concept were favorable.
After the S660 entered the market, its first driving review was in June 2015 of a Japanese-market prototype driven by Top Gear in Tokyo.[9] The author concluded that the car was "supremely maneuverable" but lacked power, something he hoped an export model with a larger motor would amend, and 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.[10] The pictures included several exterior photos and one of the opened engine compartment.
Production[]
The development team of the S660 was led by Ryo Mukumoto, who beat out 400 other participants in Honda's in-house competition at the age of 22. Honda made him the youngest lead engineer in the company's history in spite of his lack of engineering experience, and he was given 5 years to develop the S660.[11]
Discontinuation[]
On March 12, 2021, Honda officially announced that it will end the production of the S660 in March 2022.[12]
Gallery[]
Honda S660 Concept Edition
Honda S660 α
Honda S660 Modulo X
Honda S660 Modulo X
Honda S660's Interior
S07A Turbo engine
References[]
- ^ "Honda to Go Small, Gas-Powered at Tokyo Motor Show". Wsj.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ a b Oagna, Alex (11 August 2015). "2016 Honda S660". TopSpeed. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Honda S660 公式情報ページ". Honda公式ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ Miersma, Seyth (20 November 2013). "Honda S660 Concept Portends a New Kei Car for 2015". Autoblog. AOL. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ "2013 Tokyo Motor Show: Honda S660 Roadster Revealed, May Get Turbo One Liter Three For Export". The Truth About Cars. AutoGuide.com. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ George, Patrick (23 October 2013). "The Honda S660 Concept Is A Sporting Return To Form For Honda". Jalopnik. Gawker Media. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (20 November 2013). "Honda S660 Mid-Engine Sports Car Concept Debuts In Tokyo". Motor Authority. High Gear Media. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ Glon, Ronan (3 January 2015). "Honda'S Next Roadster – The S660 – Will be a Mini NSX Smaller than a Chevy Spark". Digital Trends. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ Dobie, Steven (30 June 2015). "First Drive: Honda S660 0.7 2dr (2015-2015)". Top Gear. BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ Kreindler, Derek (16 February 2015). "Your First Look at the Honda S660". The Truth About Cars. AutoGuide.com. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
- ^ "Meet the 26-year-old design prodigy behind Honda's subcompact roadster". The Japan Times. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Honda S660 Modulo X Version Z Marks The End Of The Sporty Kei Car - Motor 1.com(04/24/2021)
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Honda S660. |
- Honda vehicles
- Cars introduced in 2015
- 2020s cars
- Kei cars
- Roadsters
- Sports cars
- Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles
- Vehicles with CVT transmission