Honda Beat

Honda Beat
Manufacturer	Honda
Production	1991–1996
Class	Kei car
Body style(s)	2-door convertible
Engine(s)	E07A 656 cc I3, SOHC 12v
Transmission(s)	5 gear manual transmission
Wheelbase	2280 mm (89.8 in)
Length	3295 mm (129.7 in)
Width	1395 mm (54.9 in)
Height	1175 mm (46.3 in)
Curb weight	760 kg (1672 lb)

The Honda Beat is a mid-engined two-seat convertible kei car produced from in May 1991 to February 1996. The total number of cars produced was around 33,600. Most of the production (around two-thirds) occurred in the first year, and then production and sales fell drastically.

There were two mainstream models of the Beat (the PP1-100 and the PP1-110) and a couple of limited edition versions. Variations on the first model were just cosmetic updates. Only the second model had any real mechanical differences. All cars were offered with the option of a driver's side airbag.

In typical Honda fashion, the Beat's engine did not utilize a turbocharger or supercharger. The 656 cc engine was modified with the MTREC (Multi Throttle Responsive Engine Control) system, which included one throttle valve for each of the three cylinders, to produce 64 PS (48 kW) at 8100 rpm. Only a manual transmission was available. The MTREC design would filter down to the 1993 Honda Today kei car.

The Beat was part of a wave of kei car-sized sports cars in the early 1990s; its competitors included the Suzuki Cappuccino and Mazda's Autozam AZ-1. Together they predicted the arrival of the Smart Roadster over a decade later, while Japan would not see a new model of the genre until the recent Daihatsu Copen.