Currently available only in Japan and designed to fit the local kei-car segment, the diminutive roadster is powered by a 660cc three-cylinder turbocharged engine with 63 horsepower and 77 lb-ft of torque.
“We’re looking at it intently for North America,” Honda’s US executive VP, John Mendel, told Edmunds in a recent interview. “We want some spice in the lineup.”
The executive did not elaborate, but a US variant is expected to integrate a larger 1.0-liter turbocharged engine with up to 127 horsepower. Potentially labeled the S1000, the export model is rumored to be nearly six inches longer and eight inches wider than the S660, with wider tires.
A US-bound package would presumably be heavier than the S660, which weighs just 1,800 pounds, but should still offer a much better power-to-weight ratio than the kei car.
Separate rumors and patent drawings suggest Honda may be considering yet another model to serve as a spiritual successor to the S2000. Allegedly borrowing styling and drivetrain tech from the flagship Acura NSX, the mid-engine sports car could be positioned above the S1000.
Additional details surrounding the S1000 and S2000′s successor have yet to surface, though at least one rumor suggests the latter model could make its concept debut later this year in Los Angeles.
Leave a Reply