1992 HONDA BEAT - The most fun on four wheels?

#honda #keicar #hondabeat
Here's something completely different to the usual output, and it's left me questioning all my life choices.
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[@bulkheadlamp600]

I would never have put you two together but the sound that engine made is just infectious and a bit tingly up the nape of the neck (is that AMSR🤫). I always thought K car = toy car but no it's half scale fun and stuff the SUV's - especially the stupid, overweight, useless gadget ridden battery versions. I'm of the impression there could be a new addition to the collection in the future🙂

[@HubNut]

Don't think I've ever seen you so happy! Kei cars for the win.

[@UPnDOWN]

I know! I think the last time I smiled was when you crashed Betty...

[@stoneylonesome4062]

Rear-Mid-engine, Rear Wheel drive Kei Roadster: the most fun you can have without a needle of cocaine in your arm and your pants off.

[@Tagora2664]

Good old back to basics fun. How have things gone so wrong? 🤷‍♂️

[@UPnDOWN]

I honestly don't know. In many ways, they've gone right, but for the average consumer, we've gone backwards. People want to feel 'prestige' in their cars too much IMO.

[@69Phuket]

@@UPnDOWN Insurance is paying for Terminator font ends including 100 Million Dollar LIghts.

[@JeffLongley]

You now need to finish the ABC of kei cars. AZ1, Beat and Cappuccino. 3 of the finest cars ever made. All bonkers, all amazing

[@TheStobb50]

I’ve always thought the sports K car could do so well in the uk and Europe, fun and very much in the spirit of the MG midget

[@p1eased0nteatme]

Cappuccinos were officially imported to the UK back in the 90s. They brought about 1000 UK homologated cars in, but they actually struggled to shift them despite them costing several thousand less than a (slower) MX5 :(

[@grumpy2.0]

​@@p1eased0nteatme yeah sadly we've been trained to look for Bigger, more Brash is better.

[@69Phuket]

Totally right on that one. Aye!

[@treacadelic]

"Kid who finds his...." Best edit I've heard in years.

[@huwdavies6650]

Power, Less is More would seem to apply here. Where have I heard that mantra before. 🤔

[@HubNut]

😉

[@UPnDOWN]

No idea, sounds like something a tinpot KZbinr would say...

[@WWarped1]

Great video, adore your humour you add to your videos. Kei cars in my mind simply mean fun. Suzuki Cappuccino is another great example with loads of character and fun. Daihatsu Copen is another great example. If you adore the Honda Beat, look into the Honda S660, it looks like an NSX shrunk in the wash.

[@portnaluinge]

I can’t be the only person who can’t see this car’s name without hearing Gloria Estefan singing it to the tune of Dr Beat. No? Just me then 😂

[@mikecleasby709]

Loving the “Ministry of Silly Walks” reference!😂😂

[@WrenchingWench]

I bloody love these. I love all kei cars, but especially these. As a kei-sized person, I'm drawn to them and feel like I need one. That soundtrack of the little three-cylinder engine brought back memories of racing in the K-Cup on Gran Turismo!

[@UPnDOWN]

Haha, yes I remember that! Loved the spec races.

[@bondbug73]

Love the peppy sound and high revs....at 40mph. Really enjoyed this review of V-TE...😄..MTREC. Such fun. 10/10.

[@martinneumann7783]

Ministry of silly walks! Absolutely brilliant. Thanks Kitch, for making me laughing out loud and rolling on the floor laughing. 🚗💨🇫🇷🤣

[@vincetillman8292]

A Man that talks sense, just stumbled across you. Oh and I'm with you on the SUV front, 10% of them I reckon are actually used/needed

[@DrivingSander1970]

Awesome! I really enjoyed the ride! Another SUV hater here.

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

Here in Australia a 'Beat' is a whole other form of 'fun'. 🤭

[@steve.9138]

Like Piñata 🪅?

[@matthieumeewis]

How well did Michael Jackson's hit "Beat It" do over there?

[@UPnDOWN]

Either way, I reckon it's a word to indicate a good time.

[@MrCHrisfj]

That car is using the same formula that Mazda did when they dreamt up the MX5: light weight, minimal packaging and grip and power in perfect harmony = mega fun and smiles per gallon. I really enjoy your drives and play 'spot the location' whenever you're out as I grew up in the same area.😊

[@luismaldonado1494]

Those high revving Honda engines sound so cool man! An the fact that was the last car approved from the man itself its awesome as well.

[@GryphLane]

You need another one for the other foot 😁

[@michaelwright2986]

In an agony of nostalgia. In the early 1970s I had a Honda S600. Same kind of idea: four cylinders, DOHC, two twin-choke carburettors: you opened the bonnet and beneath a sea of aluminium there was a teeny tiny engine block, which you could see if you bent down a bit. Red line started at 9,500 (IIRC) and went on to 11. Up to 6000 rpm it roared; beyond that, it screamed. Insanely complicated (roller bearing big ends?). I have never had more fun than driving around town at scrupulously legal speeds in 2nd and 3rd. In those days -- photo-copiers were still an innovation -- when you submitted your thesis you had to have it professionally typed and duplicated. I had to sell the Honda to pay the typist. End of youth.

[@UPnDOWN]

I'd LOVE a go in an S600, always liked 'em!

[@JAY61ish]

I'm 6'2 and 18 stone .. But that aside .. what a little sweetheart.. the engine note is amazing. Superb Video Kitch . i sometimes go for a rip around those roads. and Yes .. someone else who Hates massive SUV's and the plebs that drive them thinking they own the place.. Love it .. 5 stars mate..

[@johngrubb1590]

Kei cars are just so much fun to drive, they just make you smile.

[@teamhandsome1974]

So the Kei car was the only class of car you can own in Japan if you haven’t got an off street parking space. And I think the Suzuki Cappuccino was the only Kei sports car available in the UK with full homologation for the EU (possibly the Daihatsu Copen too). The Beat and the Cappuccino are probably the best, although there was a Mazda Kei car that was pretty awesome too. I was about to say I’ve never seen the Autozam AZ-1, but I’m not sure I’ve seen a Beat in the metal either.

[@deanprosser5224]

Uncanny I was looking at these earlier in the week. Great video, I hadn't realized how good these things sound.

[@UPnDOWN]

The more time I spent next to it, the more I became convinced that the MGF's styling is inspired by it. There are so many angles you almost think you're stood next to an MGF that shrank in the wash!

[@nygelmiller5293]

To Dean Prosser. I think they LOOK great

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

I love how it sounds like an angry beehive in a tumble-dryer, what a fun noise! I find it mad how in this country, we had cars like the triumph spitfire & MG Midget, sports cars with small engines that were fun to drive & yet we just seem to be obsessed with huge engines & you've got to ask why

[@UPnDOWN]

Hot hatches killed off affordable sports cars, which kinda makes sense, but I think people because obsessed with how fast hot hatches were, rather than how fun they were.

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

@@UPnDOWN you're so right

[@thisiszaphod]

Sounds a lot like our Smart For Four, which was also a lot of fun. Twin stroke Saab 96 would be right up your street, it appears, Rich!

[@grumpy2.0]

I was thinking of my Smart Car, as he Rev'd it out.

[@ThePstorm]

Absolutely facinated with the whole Kei car thing. Love tiny cars and I'm 6' 2" 🤪

[@micheltebraake7915]

Great little car! That's why I enjoy driving my Reliant Kitten Estate so much.

[@AllThingsAlex]

What a fab little thing. I was lucky enough to see one at a show last year. Same colour and near Poole. Come to think about it, may have been the same car!

[@eddiestevenson-kaatsch6306]

I owned a Suzuki Cappucino, same kind of age, same category (Kei). They were front engined, 660cc, turbo-intercooled, 5-speed, rear-drive, independently suspended, and also as much fun. As far as safety goes, I was rear ended by some great lump of a thing on the M6 near Birmingham. 3 lanes all doing 50mph, I'm keeping a safe distance from the car in front (because not an idiot). I glanced up at the rear view mirror and saw the car behind approaching like a bullet, next thing my speedo reads 90mph and I'm fighting for control and squirrelling between traffic to get to the hard shoulder and some element of safety. It seems a twat 3 cars back had rammed the rest (myself included) into a multiple crash (heaven only knows how in such dense traffic). Long story short, the Cappo only had a rear lens broken a bit, the rear panel dented (boot still opened and undamaged, boot floor with a small wrinkle where it joined the back panel, zero panel gap alteration, doors unaffected... and that was it. I went to Ikea and treated myself to an assemble-yourself standard lamp with a big glass saucer shaped shade (easily fitted in the passenger seat) to cheer myself up. The body shop later explained to me that these tiny cars react like ping-pong balls, because they're so low inertia they just bounce! You can drive them 9/10s most of the time and still use very little fuel, overtake everything, and (if you fit O.E road/race compound tyres) corner almost flat out even on tighter bends. The Cappos have a folding hard-top with a three-piece sort of removable T-top you store in the boot (leaving zero boot space). These little miracles are a bit like some kind of Swiss watch in car form. Tiny, perfectly formed, and emotionally fulfilling.

[@UPnDOWN]

Makes perfect sense. Modern cars are so heavy that any impact becomes a serious one.

[@mattphillips4419]

I was grinning just watching that! Oh, and my wife laughed at you trying to slip three fingers in!

[@bumbleo8993]

You my friend have gained another subscriber. Excellent review 👍

[@UPnDOWN]

Welcome aboard!

[@rgorham99]

I bet you had to stop yourself saying "Power less is more😂😂😂" I want one too now❤

[@Koulis_]

I had a smart Roadster for 9 years which was much modified over that time. It was the most fun I've ever had owning a car. These Honda Beats have a similar vibe.

[@jorgefernandez-mv8hu]

It's great to find a car that is just a car you can drive for pleasure for no other reason other than it's fun. Good Show!

[@tomicarr90]

Cracking review. I would love one of those, sounds absolutely amazing! Great video too 😊

[@UPnDOWN]

It really does!

[@charliemanson4808]

This made me smile from start to finish. ❤

[@James-ld2jc]

Fantastic little car and good use of The Jam's music 😊

[@JimBiddle.]

05:31 So LESS is.... MORE? Where have I heard that before?

[@tichwykes]

What a little gem I love that sounds a treat when you hit 8K. I always fancied a Suzuki Cappuccino as they look a great little Kei car to. Nice to see a channel do something a bit offbeat & not the usual German motors time after time, nice if you like em but I prefer something a lot more quirky & less sensible.

[@richardhunt809]

Now I’m even more determined to keep my MR2. Similar: small, light, mid engined, high revving, not particularly fast, bags of fun!

[@peteredwards7872]

Just the video I needed,brilliant 👏👏👍

[@maxeluy]

It sounds like a race car, i love it. It reminds me of my fiesta, about 750kg and 1300cc with 66hp i have the short 957cc gearbox, you push the throttle to the floor on every gear and you are still doing the speed limit, you feel like you are going really fast but you are not, and that Honda looks even more fun 👏

[@69Phuket]

Bronski Beat just wont sell it.... It's gotta be The Jam!

[@maxeluy]

4:00 the alarm sound on Honda's supposedly is the Morse code for "H" over and over again

[@KariM-pm9jm]

That exact same alarm sound was very common on wake up clocks sold hereby. I recognized it instantly 😬

[@philipbrown4602]

Fabulous 3 cylinder noise. Precisely the car to have fun at low speed. If only I could get into one!

[@MrTomwinter]

The Beat was the last car to be signed off by Soichiro Honda himself. Don't lift off mid turn they can bite. But can confirm they are incredible fun.

[@alanlansdell7533]

Fixed one of these after a cambelt failure, genuinely couldn't have been easier to work on, big hatch under the top and well designed access holes to remove bolts and fittings.

[@bloodybrit]

I had two, that engine note was addictive. Commuting in Houston was interesting, no one knew what it was. Sadly no B roads though, I miss them but wrong place for them.

[@darrenwilson8042]

Looks like it would make a superb and fun track day car

[@ThreeCoos]

Brilliant video, a Kei car has been on my list for a while - you've made me want one even more now 😉

[@carlsagan2561]

I read that Honda UK or whatever it's called there made a deal with Japan Honda to ship over something like 3,000 Beat's new to the UK- so yes this was imported new but, made for Japan.

[@69Phuket]

No Triangle Of Doom. I'm sold... Bet its the way to go on insurance and tax too... I'm Moving to Japan!

[@mehrajmohan173]

Civic also had a little portion of the indicator in the wheel arches

[@UPnDOWN]

Did they? Which model?

[@HistoryNeedsYou]

Less, as always, is far more, as Ian the Hubnut always states. Our country roads are not big enough for anything more than a Spridget or MGB. That’s why the Beat, Copen and MX5 suit us so well. Alas I am too big for Kei cars but I’m willing to be pruned to drive an Autozam or Beat!

[@rimmersbryggeri]

I Think this is probably what ian gets from the invacar but this is much more like a real car.

[@lukemallory7832]

Sounds fantastic!

[@1Haloninja]

Always wanted one of those. Proper magic

[@oojimmyflip]

Dont let Ms Hubnut see it she will want it 😂, this is the way we should have gone with elecy cars, im pretty sure more people would buy them as town cars. the only question being the weight and the battery size. anyway I bet they hardly produce any emissions, Dont they have a policy of scrapping their cars after 36k or three years of use? in which case it woulkdnt have surviced unless it was exported to another country. I remember my Dad sourcing a used Honda engine from Japan on a pallet to the UK for an acti-van and thats what the add said 36k engines because they have a policy of destroying them after 36 thousand miles. I have to admit my C5 aircross diesel is a brick on wheels and sometimes I wonder why I bought it but in its defence its very confortable with Visa like suspension.

[@michaelwright2986]

I think they don't actively destroy them, but after a number of years you have to have some kind of major check which is very expensive, so people tend to replace their cars. Also, some people in Japan drive their cars very little. Here in NZ there's a big market for used Japanese imports; I'm currently driving an obscure little Toyota, 2012, that currently shows 23,0000 kilometres, and there is no reason to doubt that figure. Only problem is that with that kind of usage, some people just don't bother to get their cars serviced; an earlier car I bought was 8 years old, low distance, in impeccable condition, but the garage said it showed no sign of ever having had an oil change.

[@colinhead284]

Friggin sweet awesome , i think he would be pleased it is being used in this context , Tee Hee , Fnaar Fnaar . One of your finest mate , what a thing for a BLATT😁😁😁

[@Lexusman65]

I love little 3 cylinder engines they are as you said so much fun.I love driving the wifes 2020 Aygo with its 72hp vvti engine.Its a 1KR FE Daihatsu engine and its awesome.

[@danielrussell446]

What a fab video rich sounds like the beat put a massive smile on your face! You should look for one to add to the up and down fleet!

[@UPnDOWN]

I'd love one, but I'd have to sell something to fund it.

[@proluxelectronics7419]

Motorbike tech in cars is smiles for miles.

[@janataman9196]

I´m in a SUV hatred-mode? You make my day.. ^^

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Yo MTREC has kicked in.....😂😂 The Yellow Beat you inserted in the video is the one i remember from a book of cars I had growing up. #powerlessismore defo applies here. That would be so much fun on the Mennock Pass and Dalveen Pass near me, i would be grinning all the way! A brilliant review Rich On another note, what is the Camera Mount you are using?

[@UPnDOWN]

I used a clamp-on type for the main in-car stuff, and a proper Go-Pro one for the external shots (though it has a DJI camera in it now)

[@tweed532DaveH]

Cute and practical, there's some, I'll say it quietly, EV Kei cars now, just the item for town/city work, as they're RH drive as standard, should be easy to offer on the UK market. 👍🇬🇧

[@charliemanson4808]

Always loved these and the Suzuki Cappuccino, had the chance to drive both on the Runway at RAF Wyton when i worked there in the mid 1990s. One was more comfortable but the other was more fun. Both were yellow so i cant remember which way round it was. Im 6ft and fitted surprisingly well into both.

[@MarcelDefize]

What's the saying? It's more fun to drive a slow car as fast as you can, than having to drive a fast car slow. And this one looks like a lot of fun 😊

[@Batesandrw]

Fantastic little motor😊

[@alastairchestnutt6416]

I had a drive in a Honda Beat, same colour. Lovely. Really enjoyed it. Certainly was more fun than a Mk2 Mazda MX5 which was a fine car. Agree with your thoughts about SUV's. I've never driven a TVR but the sound and the visual drama of one starting up at petrol station was a trill in itself. Enjoy your channel. Thanks.

[@alexj8947]

What a fantastic little car 😎

[@markpirateuk]

Like you. I adore the Beat, drove one a couple of years ago, so much fun to wring the life out of it 😁 I also HATE SUV's!!!

[@garethlightfoot3665]

Power, less is more👍

[@philsladen9918]

sounds very nice

[@LeighParkin]

My lord that sounds so like an E46 M3, had to double check the description on the vid 😂

[@philsladen9918]

Whistling kettle is ready

[@Shane_Marsh]

Get ready for the " you know nothing about this car " comments again 🤣🤣 Great vid mate 👍

[@Teribus13]

This very car is for sale now (until Kitch buys it, I guess? 😅). I love small cars, they are so good for a B-road blast. You can use absolutely every ounce of performance the car has, driving it like you stole it, yet still not break the speed limit. Among the highest amount of smiles per gallon you can get from any car.

[@UPnDOWN]

Is it?! Chap's only just bought it! (December)

[@Teribus13]

@@UPnDOWN it's on car and classic, listed 13 February 2024 for £5995. Reference number for the advert is C1586060 (I know links don't usually work on YT comments)

[@UPnDOWN]

I think that's the old advert that hasn't been removed yet.

[@Teribus13]

@@UPnDOWN my previous reply has disappeared. 🤔 It's advertised on Car and Classic, the advert says it was listed on 13th February 2024, so it's not an advert from prior to December. It's also on the website of the dealer who advertised it on Car and Classic. It does seem strange that they'd be listing an advert for it in February if it was sold in December.

[@UPnDOWN]

I guess it was just on auto-renew or something. Gets people calling the dealer, if nothing else.

[@shadowjkl]

That's the appeal of old(er) school italian cars. Small, not a lot of power.. but fun for that reason. I drove a Lancia Y for couple of years as daily. Loved the car. You got to rev it, down shift and all.. Perfectly legally!

[@UPnDOWN]

I can imagine!

[@shadowjkl]

Something is wrong in the world when ppl prefer to drive overly big useless SUVs instead..

[@Phiyedough]

I remember the Honda N600 back in the '70s. I never drove one but it was probably a fun car. Yes, it would have made sense to sell the Beat in UK as a rival to the Smart.

[@philpaxton2078]

Such an awesome little glovebox, amongst other things. About the same capacity as my '05 plate C4. The main difference being that the lid made it look twice the size. Because French.

[@Electrowave]

I'm sure my Smart is smaller than that. More power, too 🙂 With a car like that I would worry about being seen by the higher vehicles, especially a certain group of 4x4's. I once worked for a boss who got run-over in his TVR by a reversing Range Rover! I suppose you could attach a flag to the back on a long stick 😀 I love the sound of that engine 🙂

[@1.6Kilometres]

Fantastic! It’s like a Triumph triple cylinder motorbike in a car!

[@Captainbugwash]

Excellent video 👍 but did you put it on the dyno? Or doesn't it fit 😁

[@UPnDOWN]

Ha! No, not this time.

[@Madpegasusmax]

The Japanese Kei cars as explained for the size and limited engine size (and taxes) are specific because the very limited space available on some japanese towns streets . you can find this kind of cars and very small vans (very small and narrow , but very (frightening) high ) like the Dihatsu's hijet models , or the YRV , and they exist in 4WD to.

[@UPnDOWN]

Yeah so I see. Fascinating reading about Kei cars.

[@christophersinclair6155]

Another great video but is it true that under your hat is a mullet like hubnuts? 😅😂

[@UPnDOWN]

Not at all!

[@MikeBookham]

If you thought it was narrow in the driver's seat, then you should have sat in the passenger side as that seat and cabin width is less than the driver's side. I'll have to pop down and see you when I need someone to fix mine now that you're an expert Beat specialist 😀

[@niallsommerville9813]

If Honda wanted someone to convey the essence of these machines, you nailed it. Now get back to work!

[@grayfool]

Never got to try a Beat but did have a few goes in a Suzuki Cappuccino in the early ninites. That was a hoot too. See if you can get a go in one those little devils.

[@Kenny_P_abz]

If I wasn’t 6’4” I’d love a go in one of those.

[@UPnDOWN]

You might fit tbf.

[@jfv65]

It sounds like a mini Porsche Boxster. Fun! And the only Euro car that is kinda similar would be a Smart Rosdster.

[@hondamonkeyboy]

What fun that was. Seemed up there with my Honda Monkey 125. Slightly curious as to what the problem with the engine management coming on. Any ideas?

[@UPnDOWN]

No idea. Maybe lambda sensor.

[@TheNismo777]

This is basicly a mini NSX

[@nickfarrow9032]

Awesome little car. Small sports car are much better suited to UK roads than great big GTs. I've had several small sports cars including an MG Midget, Spitfire, Sunbeam Alpine and an MX5 and they work so well on our narrow roads. Admittedly they're not as small as a Honda Beat! I get the attraction of Ferraris and Lambos etc, but they're just not usable in this country. They're far too large. And as for SUVs... 🤮

[@MattBrownbill]

Sounds like an NSX, even with half the cylinders, well done Honda. 😅

[@lm971120]

Funny this was the exact car I nearly bought last summer, big part of me not going for it is it had no paperwork, a new engine (again unknown about how well work has been been done) and I had some doubt over its overall conditions (bits seemed okay but is not consistent), hence decided to save up and import one in one day - or S660. Judging on your video it's probably the right choice, the engine/ECU and suspensions definitely need to be looked at.

[@UPnDOWN]

I thought it was pretty good tbf. Check engine light is very likely a duff lambda sensor. Nothing wrong with the suspension, from what I could see? It rode well! Brakes did need a bit of work, but nothing major.

[@lm971120]

@@UPnDOWNI hope so! Re suspension, it looked the tracking is quite a bit of an issue judging how busy the corrections were, and based on what I saw I’d assume struts&coils were not all replaced either despite the age. Re CEL I hope so (but judging on its intermittent nature I’m worried if it is actually the dreaded ECU - if O2 sensor or O2 sensor heater, would be running a different map and smell like petrol I think?), too many of these runs into this due to ECU issues, or worse actual issues with the cooling or the engine itself. Could be alright but given the age, difficult access and scarcity of parts (only very limited parts being reissued, many common ones not reissued - even these problematic rear callipers, at least one could use prelude ones), too big of a risk for me personally. It’s more of a question about expectations, a lot of people dreamed of daily these (hence huge hikes in used prices in Japan caused by foreign buyers, by which even Japanese dealers found a bit unjustified), which really is not that realistic reliability wise (there might be ones could do , but not guaranteed for everyone - personally know a few people who bought one only to have a lot of time out for repair, and it is not that easy to work on), weekend fun of course is fine.

[@lm971120]

Spent a bit of time consulting the Japanese manuals, best to short the service check plug and check what code it comes out with exactly (still I feel the car starts alright, runs alright and idles fine too so I feel shouldn't normally be the O2 sensor. Similarly feeling likely not fuel pump since starts alright, nor timing position sensor as not mis-firing. Inclined to think something electrical, or even just needing a new battery.). Some cars have multiple codes, which is even harder to isolate the issue. That is the pain (and the fun) with classics, only know the issue(s) once one comes to it (a lot of a car we never will probably never get a chance to see, until it presents itself as a problem).

[@michaelheimbrand5424]

I´m almost two meters tall, fat, old and with long legs and I hate it! The smallest thing I tested was a modern MX-5 and I almost had to be surgically removed from the car. But man, I get the fun of this thing. Hmm... Being mid engine, I wonder how much you could modify this car to accommodate my legs. No I would probably just drive around with my stupid big head above the windshield.

[@SmallBlogV8]

Oh to live in a time when an affordable driver's car had factory ITBs!

[@aftergrowth]

Everything should be measured in paces