Rami Sasaki test drives an open sport kei-car
This is a project in which 20-year-old female racing driver Ms. Rami Sasaki, who loves old cars, test drives a variety of old cars to give her honest impressions from a young person’s point of view. This time, we took a ride on the Honda “Beat”, which is maintained in good condition by Honda Access.
Achieved her best result in the opening round of the 2024 KYOJO CUP
Ms. Rami Sasaki is a young female racing driver born in 2004 who made her 4-wheel racing debut in the 2023 season in the KYOJO CUP, a motorsports category for women only held at Fuji Speedway. In the opening round of the 2024 season, she finished 5th. This season, she will also be making a spot in the GR86/BRZ Cup Clubman Series, and is steadily building her career as a racing driver.
In addition to being a racing driver, she also works for MSC Corporation, the company that manages Formula Drift Japan, and lives a car-obsessed life both publicly and privately.
Rami celebrated her 20th birthday this year, and even at such a young age, she is an old car enthusiast at heart; at the KYOJO CUP, an old car test-ride event is held for visitors, and she even takes pictures of the old cars participating in the event with her smartphone.
Rami, who loves old cars, was given a test ride in a 1993 Honda “Beat” with Honda Access parts installed. This vehicle is equipped with modulo parts and exclusive factory accessories that Honda Access sold in limited quantities in 2011 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Beat. It is equipped with items that are rare today, such as sports suspension and SkySound components.
Maybe the face looks somewhat like a DC Integra?
The Beat has a unique form and design, with a mid-ship engine layout in the compact body of a mini car. Rami liked the rearview.
“The taillight design is kind of face-like and cute! See, the back lights are in this position, and when you look at the rear as a whole, it kind of looks like an eye, giving the rear an expression, don’t you think? The front might look somewhat like an Integra (DC type). Could it be that the eras are close?”
It may be unusual to hear people say that the Beat’s front view resembles the Integra, but if you ask me, that may be true.
And when she entered the interior, she was surprised to find a series of surprises.
“What? The seat pattern is zebra! It’s so cute and unique. The meters are not on the dashboard side, but on the steering column side, and the sense of distance is different from other cars. Also, the meter design is interesting, like a motorcycle! The speakers proudly placed on the dashboard are also impressive.”
The SkySound speakers, which were sold in limited quantities in 2011, seem to have stuck with Rami as well.
