Honda S660 details leaked

Allegedly official schematics for Honda's upcoming S660 micro sports car have been leaked via The Temple of V-TEC forum, implying the car is closer to production than first thought.

The leaked documentation reveals the diminutive roadster will adhere to the unique 'kei' segment in Japan, meaning it will only be sold in its domestic market.

However, as we've previously reported, there is increasing speculation of an export future for the Honda S1000 -- a more powerful, beefed up version of the compact roadster that would rival the Mazda MX-5 in markets such as Australia.

As the images of the leaked brochures show, the new S660 measures just 3395mm long and outputs 47kW of power at 6000rpm and 104Nm of torque at 2600rpm from its tiny 660cc three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

It's short length and compact engine means it can be officially classed as a kei car, and is therefore eligible for special tax breaks in Japan because of its small size and low emissions.

All kei cars are restricted to just 3.4 metres in length and 64hp, which is about 47kW – roughly half the power that most small cars in Australia produce.

The S660 measures 1457mm wide, which means driver and passenger will always be incredibly intimate, and with a height of 1180mm the car is not suited to taller drivers either.

The S660's compact dimensions ensure it will be light, weighing less than 1000kg – 960kg to be precise. The more powerful S1000 won't be much heavier, spelling a better power to weight ratio.

If the colour palette images are anything to go by, the mid-engined micro-car will remain faithful to the S660 concept car Honda revealed at the 2013 Tokyo motor show.

Offered with a removable roof, the tiny car boasts a sporty wedge-shaped silhouette, a centrally-mounted exhaust outlet and head and tail light designs inspired by the CR-Z hybrid sports car.

The new S660 will be part of Honda's three-pronged sports car assault in 2015, when the once-dominant Japanese sports car maker will launch the new Civic Type-R hot hatch and the new NSX hybrid supercar.

Although a production S1000 is yet to be officially confirmed, the good news is that Australian Honda fans will have access to the Civic Type-R and NSX in due course, with both given the green-light for local consumption.

The bad news is that Honda's hardcore duo won't arrive in Australia until 2016.