The PP1 Honda Beat is not your typical Honda. It’s not front engine, front wheel drive, conservatively designed or practical. It doesn’t have VTEC or four cylinders. It is, however, a complete blast to drive, making it as, if not more deserving of the Honda marque than some of the brand’s other offerings. It was also the last Honda personally approved by the brand’s founder, Soichiro Honda, before his death. If you’ve been following our inventory for a while now, you’ll probably recognize the Beat as one of the three main “kei cars” or subcompact sport cruisers meant for navigating tight Japanese city streets or hairpin mountain roads. Equipped from the factory with a 656cc three cylinder powerplant, the Beat pumped out a humble 63 horsepower at a screaming 8500 RPM’s. One of the most unique features of the Beat was its factory independent throttle body system, affectionately referred to by Honda as “MTREC” (multi throttle responsive engine control). Coupled with a roughly 1,600 lb curb weight, the Beat could get up and go without issue, making it a fan favorite among Honda enthusiasts everywhere. This particular Honda Beat, offered for sale here at J Spec, is finished in iconic Carnival Yellow paintwork, one of the most recognizable colors on the PP1 chassis. The exterior is in quite clean condition, with some signs of prior paintwork performed. The paint on the vehicle is in good shape with no signs of pitting, clear coat fade, or orange peel. Some aftermarket modifications have been made to the exterior to enhance the already bold styling. The front fascia has been accentuated by a genuine Mugen front bumper, a fitting upgrade over the drab OEM unit. The rear of the car is also one of a kind, thanks to an aftermarket rear bumper, center exit exhaust, and factory wing with risers. The OEM steel wheels have been replaced with a set of fitting 14” RS Wantanabe alloys, giving the car that classic 90’s JDM look without being too over the top. While Honda remained rather reserved with the exterior styling, the interior was designed to make sure it stood out from everything else on the road. Yes, those are factory Siberian tiger print seats. The door cards have been color matched to the exterior, along with the shift and emergency brake boots. Door braces have been added to stiffen the chassis and add a race inspired look to the interior. Optional gathers audio adorns the top of the factory dash. All dash plastics are in fantastic shape, and all buttons and switches work as expected, aside from the OEM gathers audio, which has been disconnected and updated to an aftermarket unit. The factory steering wheel has been replaced with a period correct MOMO unit, which is a perfect compliment to the rest of the interior. An HKS vacuum gauge mounts to the A pillar via a carbon pod. US drivers will be happy to learn that the factory seating position seats tall individuals quite comfortably. It’s quite impressive, actually. The factory instrument cluster displays just 77,611 original kilometres. Roughly translating to about 48,225 original miles, it’s easy to see why this Beat has held up so well over the years. Luckily, this vehicle is in good mechanical condition as well. Turn the key and the 656cc E07A engine fires right up. The 5Zigen Border center exit exhaust emits a reserved hum at idle, but really sings as the tachometer climbs up the rev range. The engine has been left completely stock and is plenty of fun in its factory configuration. Shifts through the 5 speed manual transmission are smooth and direct, thanks to a short throw shifter, and the factory suspension does it’s job quite well when darting this kei car through tight twists and turns. If you’re a Honda enthusiast looking for a new head turner to add to your fleet, or an appreciator of eccentric vehicles in general, this little Honda doesn’t miss a beat. Grab this clean example before it’s gone