Honda Beat
ManufacturerHondaProduction1991–1996
ClassKei carBody style(s)2-door
roadsterEngine(s)E07A 656 cc (40.0 cu in)
I3,
SOHC 12v
Transmission(s)5-speed manual transmission
Wheelbase2,280 mm (90 in)Length3,295 mm (129.7 in)Width1,395 mm (54.9 in)Height1,175 mm (46.3 in)
Curb weight760 kg (1,700 lb)
DesignerPininfarina
The
Honda Beat is a
mid-engined two-seat
roadster kei car produced from in May 1991 to February 1996. The Beat was the last car to be approved by
Soichiro Honda before he died in 1991. The total number of cars produced was around 33,600. Most of the production (around two-thirds) occurred in the first year, and then production and sales fell drastically. The design of the car originated from
Pininfarina, who then sold the design plan to Honda.
There were two mainstream models of the Beat (the PP1-100 and the PP1-110) and a couple of limited edition versions. Variations on the first model were just cosmetic updates. Only the second model had any real mechanical differences. All cars were offered with the option of a driver's side
airbag.
In typical Honda fashion, the Beat's engine did not utilize a
turbocharger or
supercharger. The 656 cc (40.0 cu in) engine was modified with the MTREC (Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control) system, which included one throttle valve for each of the three cylinders, to produce 64 PS (63 bhp) at 8100 rpm. Only a
manual transmission was available. The MTREC design would filter down to the 1993
Honda Today kei car.
The Beat was part of a wave of kei car-sized sports cars in the early 1990s; its competitors included the
Suzuki Cappuccino and Mazda's
Autozam AZ-1. Together they predicted the arrival of the
Smart Roadster over a decade later, while Japan would not see a new model of the genre until the recent
Daihatsu Copen.