1993 Honda Beat PP1

The Beat has cemented itself into the zeitgeist of Honda in the 1990s. Extremely Japanese, this 660cc kei roadster is somewhere between the NSX and S2000 in ethos, with a mid-mounted naturally-aspirated fuel injected engine driving the rear wheels, but a roof that you can fold away. Engine response is immediate, torque curve is linear, and cornering is almost unmatched. Bonus facts about the Beat include it was the last car to be personally approved by Soichiro Honda himself, the original design originated with Pininfarina, and the interior upholstery is ‘White Tiger’ not ‘Zebra’. Never let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

Headlights are bright and clear up front. Paint condition is excellent, with a small mark on the rear right bumper. Beat-specific luggage rack is mounted on the rear decklid with a massive 5kg weight limit. Honda ‘Primo’ dealer sticker on the back. ‘BEAT MIDSHIP AMUSEMENT’ decals on both sides of the car are in excellent shape. The wheels are the only non-OEM parts, they are aftermarket alloys with ‘GROOVE’ embossed in the center caps. Tires are 155/65R13 on the front and 165/60R14 on the rear. Tires show a manufacture year of 2019. Special attention should be paid to the complete lack of rust, especially in the lower B pillar seams.

Inside greets you with the already-mentioned -W H I T E T I G E R- interior fabric, notably missing the very common tear on the driver’s side right bolster. Tachometer is front and center with a sky-high 8500 RPM redline. Speedometer is off to the right with one of the best details on this beat: an odometer that reads 31,000 km. Explains why the seat isn’t torn! To the left of the ach is your temp gauge, fuel gauge and various warning lights. Center sack as your HVAC controls allowing you to flip on AC. Below is the bespoke ‘Gathers’ tape deck, functioning perfectly with clean and clear graphics. Speakers sound excellent and must have been replaced or upgraded. Passenger seat is in excellent shape. Between the seat you get a little bin for storage, and a tiny glove box on the passenger side.

Mechanically this little roadster needs nothing. Timing and accessory belts have been changed, cam and other seals have been replaced and the valve cover gasket is brand new. Oil has been changed using fully synthetic Mobil 1 10W-30 with an OEM Honda oil filter.

The top functions perfectly but as it is the original top from 28 years ago and time has taken its toll. While it does not leak and has no tears, the material is stiff with age and the rear window has gone fully opaque. If you do plan on driving with the top up (sometimes it rains I guess) then at the very least you’d need to replace the rear window, though I would just replace the whole top.

What else can be said? The Honda Beat is a fantastic city car. Everything is precise, clean, well engineered and, because it’s Honda from the early 90s, fun! Quite a clean and rust-free example with very low miles with fresh maintenance done. All this little guy needs now is someone to push the throttle into the floor and blast some Hall and Oates. Top down required.