New Honda S660 Concept Headed to 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

After discussing the Mazda MX-5 GT yesterday, it seems appropriate that today we’d discuss another roadster. However, exactly whose roadster we’re discussing may surprise you, because this Japanese brand isn’t typically known for their fashion or flair. You guessed it – we’re talking about good ol’ reliable Honda and their new S660 Concept.

Even more surprisingly, the Honda S660 Concept actually looks really good, at least in picture-form. Take a look below to see for yourself:

To me, the Honda S660 Concept is pretty clearly aimed at the same drivers who’ve fallen in love with the jointly developed Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ twins. It’s no secret that the dually branded coupes have made waves throughout the automotive community, and Honda, like many others, wants a piece of the pie.

This might seem hopeless, except that with development of Toyota’s convertible GT86 put on hold, Honda is actually in a very good position. And if they can turn the S660 Concept into a fun and affordable production model before Toyota launches their convertible GT86, then their position goes from good to great. Since the S660 is based on a previously-existing production model (more on that below), this is actually quite feasible.

But first, to see just how reminiscent the Honda S660 is to Toyota’s idea for a GT86 convertible, here’s the FT-86 Open Concept from this year’s Geneva Motor Show. This was meant to preview an open-top Toyota GT86:

Obviously, Toyota’s FT-86 is a four-seater based on a coupe, and the Honda S660 is a two-seater kei car, but there’s no denying that the two concepts look similar. They may be different in how they function (the S660 reportedly will have a very small, mid-body engine), but chances are that if you like the Toyota FT-86, you’ll also like the Honda S660.

You may also notice that it bears a family resemblance to the Honda Beat, another kei sports car of yore with a 660 CC engine. Here’s a Beat for comparison:

Unfortunately, other than to whom Honda is trying to appeal to with the S660 Concept, as well as some rumored specs, we don’t know much about the new roadster.

We do know that the S660 is also related (at least in name) to the Honda S2000, which was originally seen at a Japanese motor show all the way back in 1995 and was eventually nixed from Honda’s lineup in 2009.

We also know that as of late last year, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito projected they’d have a sports convertible in Japan by the end of 2014. Since the S660 is making its debut in Tokyo, it seems likely that this will be Ito’s sports convertible. However, he made no mention of making the convertible available outside Japan, so we’ll have to wait to find out where it’ll be available. Of course, you can always buy through the auctions, or straight from a dealer through us and we can export it straight to you.

In addition to the Honda S660 concept, Honda will bring two other new vehicles to the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, where they’ll have the largest booth of any automaker. The first vehicle is the production version of the Urban SUV Concept from earlier this year, and the second is the N-WGN / N-WGN Custom. They’ll also be bringing their Acura NSX concept to Japan for the first time.

Whether or not we get more details about the Honda S660 before the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show is completely up in the air.  It seems likely, but the Japanese automaker may decide to adopt an air of mystery regarding their new concept – it wouldn’t be the first time.  Either way, we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we have more information, so make sure you subscribe to Integrity Exports for more Japanese car news.