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.
The engine seems to turn everywhere!
We began our test drive at low speeds in the city. This was Rami’s first time driving an MT kei-car. What were her first impressions of the Beat?
“It’s light! The very beginning of driving and turning seems light! Sometimes I feel that the torque doesn’t catch up with the vehicle, but since the vehicle is so light, I don’t feel it’s that much of a problem. I also like the vibration and sound coming from the back, which is very midship-like! What surprised me was the surprisingly comfortable ride. I would like it to be a little firmer for my taste, but the suspension is very comfortable for city driving.”
And so, while experiencing the lightness of the car, the course took us to the Metropolitan Highway. From this point on, the Beat’s different character seemed to come into view.
“Oh, wow! It feels so good when I turn the engine! It’s so much fun! It’s like it shows its true potential from 4500 rpm and above 6500 rpm is where it’s really good. It is an engine that makes you want to turn it, or rather, it seems to turn everywhere. When you hear the sound, it sounds very fast, but when you look at the meter, it’s not so. The good thing about MT in a light car is that you can enjoy the feeling of racing at low speeds! I wish more cars let you enjoy the fun of driving with such low hurdles.”
“I want to commute to work in a car that gives me a racy feeling at low speeds!”
Her impression of the Modulo’s sports suspension, which had provided a comfortable ride in city driving, seemed to change dramatically on the metropolitan roads.
“It seems to take high-speed corners well, or rather, it seems to stick with me. It’s not simply a comfortable ride, it’s a suspension with deep pockets. This surprised me. It has a sense of stability, and combined with the character of the engine, it’s a foot that makes you want to step on it. Also, even when the load is applied to the front, the front end feels light, which is a unique feeling only a midship car of this weight can have.”
This was the first time for her to drive a manual transmission in a kei-car, but she had many smiles on her face during the latter half of the test drive.
“I want to commute to work in a car with such a low speed and racy feel!”
If Rami were to make the Beat her personal car, it would be very useful as a foot passenger car.