A 791 cc chain-driven sports car that revs to 10,000 rpm isn’t an anomaly — it’s Honda’s manifesto.
The Honda S800 is a 1965 sports car built to prove Honda could engineer a high-revving, lightweight, chain-driven automobile capable of 100 mph. It replaced the S600 as Honda’s image car. It was available as a roadster or coupe. Early units used chain drive and independent rear suspension. Just 994 chain-drive examples were built. Its 791 cc straight-4 produced 70 hp at 8,000 rpm and revved to 10,000 rpm.
The S800 wasn’t Honda’s first sports car — it was their statement of intent after establishing credibility with the S500 and T360.
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Revolutionary rpm
70 hp at 8,000 rpm and a redline of 8,500 rpm — this is an engine built for revs, not grunt.
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Motorcycle DNA, four wheels
Chain drive and independent rear suspension made it light, direct and unmistakably Honda.
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Rare by design
Just 994 chain-drive examples were built — 752 roadsters and 242 coupés — before Honda switched to shaft drive.
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Fast, frugal, fearless
It was Honda’s first 100 mph automobile — and did it on 35 mpg.
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A show car that drove
Its Tokyo Motor Show debut in 1965 wasn’t about sales — it was about signalling Honda’s engineering ambition to the world.
Worth your time?
Yes. Drive the whole thing.
4.5/ 5
What works
It gets right the visceral link between throttle input and engine response.
Its high-revving nature forces engagement.
Its light weight and compact dimensions make it agile.
Its chain drive delivers immediacy — no slack, no lag.
What does not
It does not offer conventional automotive packaging.
It does not use a driveshaft or differential.
It does not isolate the driver from mechanical noise or vibration.
It does not prioritise low-end torque or ease of use.
Drive it if
It is for engineers, tinkerers and drivers who value mechanical honesty over convenience.
It is not for commuters, collectors seeking liquidity, or anyone who conflates power with torque.
Skip it if
It is not for commuters, collectors seeking liquidity, or anyone who conflates power with torque.
The written brief1 min read
What the car is and where it came from
The Honda S800 is a sports car introduced in 1965 as Honda’s image car. It succeeded the S600 and followed the S500 and T360. It was built to showcase Honda’s engineering confidence — not volume, not comfort, but precision at high rpm.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
The S800 uses a 791 cc straight-4 engine that revs to 10,000 rpm. Early models drive the rear wheels via chain — a direct inheritance from Honda’s motorcycle engineering. It is available as either a roadster or coupe, both with independent rear suspension.
What it gets right
It gets right the visceral link between throttle input and engine response. Its high-revving nature forces engagement. Its light weight and compact dimensions make it agile. Its chain drive delivers immediacy — no slack, no lag.
What it does not
It does not offer conventional automotive packaging. It does not use a driveshaft or differential. It does not isolate the driver from mechanical noise or vibration. It does not prioritise low-end torque or ease of use.
What it changed
It proved a sub-1-litre sports car could reach 100 mph and sustain 8,500 rpm reliably on the street. It carried Honda’s motorcycle-derived drivetrain philosophy into four-wheel production at scale.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for engineers, tinkerers and drivers who value mechanical honesty over convenience. It is not for commuters, collectors seeking liquidity, or anyone who conflates power with torque.
Is it worth your time
Yes — if you care about how a machine’s mechanical logic shapes its character. No — if you expect modern usability, refinement or scale.
