Honda Reportedly Considering S660 for America, but Will Any of Us Fit in It?
Honda may bring its small, two-seater S660 to the United States, Edmunds is reporting.
The car, which is much smaller than Mazda’s MX-5 Miata and categorized in Japan in the “kei” class, is powered there by a small, 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder.
In case you’re not picking up what I’m putting down: the S660 would be fantastically tiny on American roads.
According to the report, the S660 won’t be a direct competitor to the Miata, but it could have a bigger 1-liter, turbo 3-cylinder for the U.S. market, which produces 127 horsepower compared to the Mazda’s 155 hp.
“We’re looking at it intently for North America,” John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda, told Edmunds. “We want some spice in the lineup.”
The tepid CR-Z doesn’t do much apparently, and the “Baby NSX” rumor could be true-ish (the S660 is mid-engined, after all).
Mendel added that the car would needed to be complemented with a somewhat sane business case — “It’s got to be commercially viable,” he said — but he should just dig in the Honda archives for that. Check under “S2000, Honda.” We’re sure it’s there.
More by Aaron Cole
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I'm a fan! I'd fit in it, and leave the roof on most the time, but I would enjoy having t-top like removable apparatus.
I honestly hope they'll bring it over lock, stock and barrel. In all it's 63 HP glory. I'll buy it. Put a deposit down on announcement, even. Fly to Japan to take delivery, and leave plenty of recently valuable again US dollars at their ever expanding parade of Michelin rated eateries, too.... As fun, and comparatively practical, as the Miata might be; for urban driving, which is really the only place in America any Kei makes much sense, the 3 cylinder Geo metro is just much more properly powered than even the Mazda. It soothes the soul to be gunning it everywhere you go. And, urban driving consisting of being stuck behind idiots anyway, it's much less frustrating to be so in a vehicle that doesn't make it so plain obvious how slow everyone in your way is actually going.
I like it and all, but how can anyone afford the payments if you can't use it as an Uber car?
Next year, it becomes legal to import first year Honda Beats into the US, so Honda's biggest competition will be Honda.