Honda Beat
The Honda Beat is a small sportscar, that fits the regulations of a keicar. It is a convertible and has a midengine. The production began in May 1991 and finished in February 1996. The total number of cars produced was around 33,600. Most of the production (around 2/3) occurred in the first year, and then production and sales reduced drastically. There were two different models of Beat (PP1-100 and PP1-110), although there were a couple of different limited edition versions as well. 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 drivers-side airbag. In typical Honda Fashion, the Beat's engine did not utilize a turbocharger or supercharger. The 660cc engine was modified with the MTREC system, which included one throttle valve for each of the 3 cylinders, to produce 64 horsepower. Only manual transmission was available. The MTREC design will filter down to the 1993 Honda Today keicar. The Beat is part of a wave of keicar-sized sports cars in the late 80s -- 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 wouldn't see a new model of the genre until the recent Daihatsu Copen.
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