In the latest feature in 'Car' Mag they focus upon a 1967 Honda S800
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/honda/s800/
I inserted some commentary bemoaning Honda never replicating such offerings from the mid-'90s + made reference to our '2's'
Nothing earth-shattering, but still find it perplexing that these wee cars are not infinitely more
popular
When I bought my 2 in 2011 I looked at the various cars on offer within budget.
The Mazda was not chosen because my grandson's friend's mother drove one.
The MG not chosen because of cylinder head gasket problems.
The 2 was chosen, despite "lack of luggage space", because son in law who works in design and development of motor vehicles said that I " might find the Toyota a bit of a handful ".
It wasn't and I didn't but maybe there is this misconception that it is so and together with the "lack of luggage space" deters a few and hence suffers a lack of popularity.
That and some owners club members doubting their worth.
On viewing the opening pic.
I thought MG on stilts.
Read on, and thought of our resident weight watcher. 771kg.
Back in my early 20's (Oh so long ago) I was heavily into motorsport, using a competition Lotus 7 for hill climbs and sprints and on the road( I seem to recall that had about as much luggage space a an MR2!). At the time a fellow club member whose father was something high up in Honda UK, managed to obtain an S800 coupe in a tasteless sort of orange/brown colour which we all had fun with, with 2 6 footers aboard it was a bit of a shoehorn fit but fun to drive with revs unheard of in the average fast car, very complicated engine as I recall and probably only Honda could fix it, probably the only competition was the frog eye sprite at the time, agricultural in comparison.
@scm2004red said "Only Honda could fix it" was very likely very true at the time.
I'm a fan of small cars and the kei car concept, hence the previous Smart Roadster and looking for an MR2. A Honda S660 was on my long list but being newer importing would be a pain and end up costing as much as the Caterham I was eying up at the time...
(https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201503/2016-honda-s660-21_1600x0w.jpg)
Then I got onto import sites and lusted after an Autozam AZ1 briefly.
(https://uploads.carandclassic.co.uk/uploads/cars/mazda/12505041.jpg)
Emissions and other regulations are half the problem (no more Daihatsu Copen in the UK anymore), lack of sales the other!
I Often get the copen and cappuccino mixed up.
Loved the roof design of the cappuccino. Pretty old cars now though.
Quote from: Jimbo on December 30, 2020, 19:14I'm a fan of small cars and the kei car concept, hence the previous Smart Roadster and looking for an MR2. A Honda S660 was on my long list but being newer importing would be a pain and end up costing as much as the Caterham I was eying up at the time...
(https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201503/2016-honda-s660-21_1600x0w.jpg)
Then I got onto import sites and lusted after an Autozam AZ1 briefly.
(https://uploads.carandclassic.co.uk/uploads/cars/mazda/12505041.jpg)
Emissions and other regulations are half the problem (no more Daihatsu Copen in the UK anymore), lack of sales the other!
That yellow S660 looks really good, very much like a shrunken Mk3 TT, such a shame they couldn't have put out a 'middling' size roadster with the present Civic 180 bhp 4 cylinder 1.5 engine
Quote from: Gibla on December 30, 2020, 21:38such a shame they couldn't have put out a 'middling' size roadster with the present Civic 180 bhp 4 cylinder 1.5 engine
The 90's CRX fits that bill nicely, had a couple of them, cracking little car.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/honda/crx/crx-1984-1997/
Quote from: Gibla on December 30, 2020, 15:30but still find it perplexing that these wee cars are not infinitely more popular
You need to see that against the spirit of those days.
Not even Japanese motorcycles were taken aal thát seriously back then.
Furthermore both the car itself and the engine were micro-car size and simly not taken seriously, even rediculised by the motoring press.
The engine was basically a motorcycle tech engine. A Honda motorcycle dealer of the day would have been more at home with it than the car trade.
But get you mind wrapped around it; that wáy high revving 800 engine was equally wáy more reliable than a slow clattering 850 Mini one...
My grandparents neighbour had an S800 Coupé, my mother an 850 Mini. The latter appeared significantly larger and was definitely a lót more spacious; go figure.
Quote from: scm2004red on December 30, 2020, 22:19Quote from: Gibla on December 30, 2020, 21:38such a shame they couldn't have put out a 'middling' size roadster with the present Civic 180 bhp 4 cylinder 1.5 engine
The 90's CRX fits that bill nicely, had a couple of them, cracking little car.
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/honda/crx/crx-1984-1997/
I quite agree, the 1.6 Vti was a superlative engine in an excellent car(referred to in my comments in the magazine)
Copy of my comments forwarded into Car
Alan Beard • 10 hours ago • edited
''I Owned a number of second-hand Honda Del Sol Vti from back in the day, sadly Honda never replicated the cheap affordable fun roadster. The S2000 although excellent, was and still remains an appreciably more expensive buying prospect.
The Toyota MR-2 Mk3 came closest or even surpassed the much missed Vti(and remain an excellent affordable 2nd hand prospect), sadly, only Mazda seem to remain in this affordable fun end of the new roadster market with its ever popular MX-5''
The other thing with an S2000 is its not fun unless you're braking the law.
More than one owner has told me that. Bit like owning an Evo Lancer or STI.
Do love Kei cars.
Just need a bit more grunt for me and to be cheaper ownership experience in the UK.