The Honda sports car that succeeded the Beat as a mid-engine kei roadster in 2015 was the S660.
Honda released the S660 in Japan on April 2, 2015, reviving the company’s tiny, driver-focused sports-car tradition. Like the 1991–1996 Beat, it used a mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, two seats, and dimensions shaped by Japan’s kei-car regulations. Its roof was a removable targa-style panel rather than a conventional fully folding soft top.
The S660 used a turbocharged 658 cc three-cylinder engine related to the unit in Honda’s N-series kei cars. Buyers could choose a six-speed manual or a seven-speed continuously variable transmission. The car’s name also continued Honda’s historic “S” sports-car naming tradition, recalling models such as the S500 and S600.
A common mix-up is calling the S660 a direct replacement in every market: it was sold primarily in Japan and was never broadly exported as a global successor. Honda ended production in March 2022, partly because the model could not meet newer safety requirements without major changes.