Honda has published the first official pictures of the S660 concept that will greet the public for the first time next month at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show.
Billed as a close-to-production concept, the S660 is an evolution of the all-electric EV-STER concept that Honda presented at the 2011 edition of the show but it is powered by a gas-burning 660cc three-cylinder turbocharged engine borrowed from one of Honda’s kei cars. The mill sends 64 horsepower to the roadster’s front wheels via a continously variable transmission (CVT)
The S660’s overall shape is reminiscent of the Beat, a small convertible built in the early 1990s, but its front end borrows styling cues from the Acura NSX supercar that is currently being developed at Honda’s research and development center in Ohio.
With room for up to two passengers, Honda’s latest roadster boast a futuristic interior with a fully digital instrument cluster, exposed carbon fiber trim and smartphone-like surfaces on either side of the driver that make it possible to adjust the mirrors or change the climate control settings at the swipe of a finger.
The S660 will likely be added to Honda’s Japanese catalog as a regular-production model in early 2015. It won’t be sold outside of its home country with a three-cylinder in the engine bay but the automaker might shoehorn a larger four-cylinder unit and distribute the roadster in select countries around the world.
A full set of details about the S660 Concept will be available in the weeks leading up to its debut in the Japanese capital. In addition to the S660, Honda will display the aforementioned NSX and an all-new production-bound compact SUV based on the tiny Fit.