Vintage Views: Honda Beat

Two seats, a mid-engine layout and individual throttle bodies. Redline: 8700 rpm. Styling by Pininfarina.

Sounds exotic and expensive, right? Well, only part of that is true. Welcome to the Honda Beat, where starting prices currently hover around the $5000 mark.

The Beat was built to take advantage of Japan’s kei car regulations. Since 1990, kei cars have been limited …

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I wonder how easily old parts can be obtained? I know it’s a 3 cylinder, so some parts may cross over to usdm civics. Body parts, I’m sure, are long gone. There doesn’t seem to be a cult following for performance for these. But it was never intended to. Honda had cup races for them in the 90’s in Japan. A turbo would surely make it really fun. 

Edit: check this out. https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopnik.com/honda-to-produce-new-parts-for-the-beat-so-it-can-be-wi-1797733968/amp

I saw one of these buzzing around the Boston area over the weekend! When the wife asked what it was, I told her it was a "sports car for ants". 

Very cool to see these little things over here! 

So...who in Japan makes swap kits?

In reply to Appleseed :

‘Busa engine. 

I'm thinking 1 liter 5 valve Yamaha snowmobile engine that was based on a generation or two ago R1. No integral transmission. 

Am I misremembering, or did this get posted about on here recently? Could have sworn how I posted that I wanted one, but the zebra print seats were almost a deal breaker.

Beat vs Cappuccino? Who has real world experience.

Wah choo talking about, mang?

In reply to Trackmouse :

The Beat engine doesn't have a lot of crossover to US Honda models from similar era. 

In reply to te72 :

Per Honda Beat designers: it's not Zebra print upholstery, it's the Siberian White Tiger / Snow Tiger skin pattern that was the concept for the Beat interior.

New convertible tops have been available for purchase in the US well before the car was elligible for import.

In reply to Trackmouse :

There was a large performance parts aftermarket for Beats in Japan for many years. Suspension parts, headers, cams, ECU mods, body panels, wheels, etc. Many of those parts are still available via Japan Yahoo auctions, Amazon Japan, Rakuten, etc.

didget69 said:

In reply to te72 :

Per Honda Beat designers: it's not Zebra print upholstery, it's the Siberian White Tiger / Snow Tiger skin pattern that was the concept for the Beat interior.

Well that just made the car even cooler! All about perspective, I suppose... Thanks for sharing.

Soooo... how long before somebody has a K20 swapped in? Would be a frightening little thing if you could figure out how to get it to fit.

Went for a short ride in one of these today.

- That 3cyl noise is hilarious... in a good way.

- Shifting left handed is less weird than I would have thought. 

- Not many cars make my NA Miata look that big

This is not helping my Beat/Cappuccino/Autozam infatuation.

thestig99 said:

- Not many cars make my NA Miata look that big

NA?  They make an Elise look big haha:

Appleseed said:

This is not helping my Beat/Cappuccino/Autozam infatuation.

That kinda is the trinity of cool kei, isn't it? On the plus side, they're all reasonably affordable, if you wanted one of each, and small enough that you could put all of them in a shoe box in the corner of the garage with the rest of your Hot Wheels haha!

If I lived in a more urban area I'd probably have one of them, but it's all highways and high speed roads around here, not enough curves to make one of these fun. Nearly hard to justify a Miata, actually.

To be fair, I daily an FR-S, which is supposed to be underpowered.

Appleseed said:

This is not helping my Beat/Cappuccino/Autozam infatuation.

Join the club. Last month I went to see some friends perform--they both sing and play guitar. On the way to the club, figured I'd stop for a pit stop. The "car" side of the rest area was under construction, so I had to park with the trucks. This was on the first truck that I saw:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

There is so much win in that picture. 

Tony Sestito said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

There is so much win in that picture. 

Thanks. Here's the rest of the trailer:

(Photo taken at the northbound I-95 rest area just south of Jacksonville, Fla.)

And, for the full effect, that night's attraction--my friend Jack, the saddest (yet also most awesome) person ever.

Also, a little while back we came across this one on I-95 heading south towards I-4. (Don't worry, I wasn't driving when I took this photo.)

Do want. I’d feel completed in life to order a cappuccino, from my cappuccino. Of course, I wouldn’t be the person ordering. Being right hand drive and all. Lol.