Remembering Japanese cars from the past

DOTS: 1992 red Honda Beat


I already thought finding a Toyota FJ Cruiser would be quite unique, but when I looked a bit further down the road I spotted a small tiny red cabriolet: a red Honda Beat! Opposed to the (RHD) Suzuki Cappuchino the Honda Beat was never sold in Europe, let alone in the Netherlands! So this Beat only drove 12 years of its life on the Japanese soil!
Down on the Street: FJ Cruiser and Honda Beat
Down on the Street: FJ Cruiser and Honda Beat

So unless you would go to a JDM car meeting this should be a quite unique shot!

I’ll come back to the FJ Cruiser in a later DOTS, this week is focussed upon the Beat!
Down on the Street: red 1992 Honda Beat
Down on the Street: red 1992 Honda Beat

I did see a Honda Beat in the Netherlands before on the Japan Classic Sunday (see here and here) but in my memory that one was not as small as this one… Must be my memory backing up I guess..

The Honda Beat is such a tiny car that getting closer to the Beat didn’t result in the Beat getting actually any larger in sight! You could almost put one transverse in that FJ Cruiser!

Talking about transverse: the Honda beat did get a transverse engine in the rear: a tiny 656 cc with ITB (Individual Throttle Bodies) managing to squeeze 64hp out of that tiny engine without a turbo! Truly amazing! I wonder if the owner actually managed to squeeze out more…

Down on the Street: red 1992 Honda Beat
Down on the Street: red 1992 Honda Beat

Up front you can see some blueish aftermarket headlights and some nice rims (anyone got an idea what they are?), so probably the owner is an enthusiast! :)

4 Comments

  1. Joram

    I’ve actually read somewhere on a Dutch Honda forum ( CCH I think ) there are only 3 or 4 Honda Beats driving in the Netherlands so you’re very lucky to spot it, they’re all owned by enthousiasts btw. They look like so much fun to drive :)

  2. banpei

    Then I was quite lucky to spot it then! However, just as lucky for anyone to spot my Carina I guess. :D

  3. oldskull

    I have spot this one once in Laren. And few times spot it drive in front of my house.

  4. banpei

    You certainly live in a better area than me: my street hardly has any traffic at all! :(

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