Honda fan’s tiny roadster

SINGAPORE – After renting a Honda S660 during a holiday in Okinawa, Japan, in 2018, Mr Lance Lee knew he would like to have one for himself.

The 660cc sports car is the successor to the Honda Beat of the late 1990s, a pint-size roadster. Some enthusiasts have described the car as the Baby NSX, a reference to Honda’s V6-powered supercar.

“It’s an engaging drive,” says the 39-year-old, who is married without children. The S660 is one of three Hondas in his household, with the other two being a CBR660RR motorcycle and an Accord Euro R.

The S660’s 659cc three-cylinder turbo engine puts out a modest 63hp. In automatic transmission form, the car takes more than 10 seconds to get to 100kmh from rest. Top speed is capped at 140kmh.

Nonetheless, “it’s free-revving, very low-slung and grippy, especially when shod with the S660-specific Yokohama AD08R tyres, making it fun to drive on twisty roads”, Mr Lee says.

He also appreciates that the S660’s targa top feature, where the centre portion of the roof, which is made of fabric, can be removed for a wind-in-your-hair drive.

The operations controller at public transport operator SBS Transit is the car’s second owner, having paid $110,000 for it in 2019 when it was two years old.

Although the S660 is common in Japan, it is a rare sight in Singapore. It is a Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) which was never officially sold by Honda’s authorised distributor here.

Mr Lee believes his Carnival Yellow car is just one of four S660s in Singapore.

He drives the S660 to work almost daily, usually with the roof folded away.

Other than being easy to park, the roadster, he says, is very fuel-efficient – clocking 25km a litre – and costs $326 in annual road tax. Since he does not have to wear a helmet to drive the car, it is more convenient to use than his Honda CBR660RR, which he rides to work occasionally.

With an overall length of 3,395mm, the Honda is 520mm shorter than the current generation Mazda MX-5. The S660 barely accommodates two and does not have a boot or rear parcel shelf. Under the bonnet – or “frunk” – is a small plastic bin to store the folded roof.

For family outings with his parents or in-laws, Mr Lee switches to his 2007 Honda Accord Euro R, which is a mid-sized four-door saloon.

His passion for Japanese racing motorcycles and sports cars comes from Hong Kong movies such as 1995’s Full Throttle, starring Andy Lau, and 2005’s Initial D, starring Jay Chou.

Other motorcycles he has owned are a Honda NSR250 and a Honda VTR1000 SP1. His past cars include a Suzuki Swift Sport, a Honda Civic (EG6) and a Honda Del Sol SiR, another two-seater targa top roadster.

“I’m a big fan of Honda,” he says with a chuckle.

Given his adventurous and independent streak, Mr Lee typically makes two or three road trips a year on a motorcycle or by car.

“I am comfortable travelling solo,” he says. “I get to explore remote places and it’s a way to destress from work.”

Apart from regular trips to Malaysia, he has driven the S660 to Thailand thrice –the farthest being to Chiang Rai in northern Thailand in 2024. Making the 2,600km journey from Singapore in his small car gave him a sense of achievement.

The S660 has been reliable, according to Mr Lee, although the 25-litre fuel tank does limit driving range between fill-ups.

The S660 has clocked 80,000km so far, and he plans to revalidate its certificate of entitlement (COE) when it is due in 2027 so that he can keep it for many more motoring adventures.

He says he is less likely to revalidate the COE for the Accord Euro R, which is also due in 2027. Instead, he is considering replacing it with another JDM, such as the Honda Civic Type R or an older model like the Toyota Soarer from the 1990s.

Mr Lee adds: “JDM cars have so much character. Life is too short to be driving boring cars.”

What’s in the frunk?

Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we said that Mr Lee owned a Honda VTR1000F. This is incorrect. It should be a Honda VTR1000 SP1.