If you are unfamiliar with the Honda S600 roadster, don’t feel bad. They weren’t officially imported into the States and only a little more than 11,000 were made in the three years that they were built. Honda’s first mass-market car was a performer by 1960s Japanese standards: a 606cc engine that pumped out 57 horsepower at high RPM through a four-speed manual and out through a chain drive to the rear axle. Sporty it may be, and at 1,500 lb. curb weight it would move well enough, but quick it most certainly isn’t.
Enter Matt Brown. Mr. Brown had located a 1964 roadster project and instead of restoring the little open-top, he opted for the deep end of modification. A Honda CBR1000RR that got wrecked donated it’s engine, Miata parts were swapped in underneath and BMW running gear parts coupled with an adapter kit put the power from the bike engine and transmission to the ground in a noise that is characteristically high-performance crotch rocket. In a car that barely weighs in more than a fluttering oak leaf (and, given the hollow trunk, might have actually been subjected to a lightening program), the 172hp roadster should fly. And just in case that isn’t enough, there is the big white nitrous bottle in the trunk. If you think Leno wouldn’t test that out, think again.
It’s almost borderline anthesis for what BangShift usually features, but this S600 is a really cool piece. What’s been overdone are the right pieces: suspension, brakes, running gear, etc. The body has honest patina without being trashed, the wheels and tires look great and are meant for work, and while it’s not a V8’s bass-line roar, this Honda screams, and in a car this size, that’s just so right.
love it! almost makes me want to swap my kawasaki zrx1200 motor into one of the most common datsun fairlady roadsters! BTW, what about reverse?
I love all the super bike engine swaps into small cars, that shrill scream to a 12k redline is about as close to a street going F1 car as you can get on a cheap to reasonable budget.
As Jay states this is just an updated version of 50s California hot rodding, and I love it.
I dig this…super cool
So the car ? Yeah baby … me loves the car . Yet another brilliant repurposing of a M/C motor into a little car in order to make it go like hell . My favorite to date being that stark raving mad Hayabusa motored FIAT X1/9 hillclimb car over Italy way as well as all the bat***t insane SMART cars with Hayabusa motors stuffed into their rumps . More of these please . Especially for the road and in the US !
Hmmn … wonder if there’s any BMW i3’s in the wrecking yard in need of an engine transplant ? Hmmmn … carbon fiber galore … high tech suspension and legendary BMW handing.. funky looks … yeah … a Hayabusa powered i3 ! Talk about F1 for the road on a budget . Yeah ..Thats the ticket . Now if only one would burn up its EV motor/batteries with the owner selling it on the cheap
But Jay Leno ? Well … I’ll use the Socratic method asking a question in order to express my opinion
Am I the only one rapidly tiring of Mr Leno’s sometimes pretentious and to be honest a bit over acted blathering on about this car or that ?
Yes you are the only one.
Errr … not even close if one were to bother looking at JLG’s ratings as well as the anticipated ratings for his less than anticipated TV series ( suffice it to say the advertisers aren’t exactly lining up to sponsor the show ) Then have a look at all the negative comments about Leno lately [ Leno … not the cars on his shows ] across the net .
Fact is … folks are getting sick of what Leno has become .
Fact is .. Jerry Seinfeld has Leno beat hands down at a rate of 30 to 1 and rising
So I may be in the minority amongst the few ( or at least in your less than subjective opinion ) .. but I’m in the overwhelming majority amongst the many.. especially amongst those who’s opinions matter
What Leno was to the automotive enthusiast a couple of years ago and what he’s become of late being two very different entities with most people recognizing the changes and tiring of the direction Leno has been going in
😉
I didn’t think they were that rare: [IMG]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d137/HemiJoel/msc/honda%20s600%20festival_zpsjmpuzsgl.jpg[/IMG]
Jay is legit.
You can tell Jay is enjoying the car by the amount of time he is NOT talking! LOL! That looks like a lot of fun to drive though.
Kudos to Matt Brown.
Really like this car, I have an overpowered 50% larger version (2300 lbs., 375 hp.) MGB V8, I know mine is a lot of fun, this smaller car must kick a@#.
I have lusted over the S600 for forever the fact that it retains a Honda power plant is the bee’s knees. I thought stuffing a S2000 drive train in one would be legit, but the moto engine is another angle. I wonder how a hoped up six from a Goldwing (maybe turbocharged) would feel. Or if the checkbook is fat enough a CBX inline 6 cyl. Sick!
Can we please have Jay Leno as the new presenter of Top Gear please?
Hell -I’d personally carry him over the Atlantic on my back to make this happen!