What car was it?

[steveinjapan]

Driving around yesterday, I saw coming in my direction a small silver roadster that looked almost like a Beat, but it was not a Kei (no yellow plate) although not much wider. When we passed I saw that it was also not much longer - very stubby-looking, and it had cooling scoop/cutouts aft of the doors, more half-moon shaped than our Beats have. Then 5 minutes later I saw another one, so there must have been an owners' meet nearby.

I couldn't identify the badge either. What the heck were they?


Later - After looking through a lot of photos, they must have been MR2s with similar tuner stuff on them. Next time I'll take a closer look. Are the roadsters really that short wheelbase?

[bigB]

Could have been a MGF

[steveinjapan]

Could have been a MGF


It DOES look more like what I saw than the MR2. If so they must be pretty rare over here.

One of the ones I saw had a "Y" number plate, meaning it belongs to a US military person. Of course someone could have brought an MGF/TF over from Europe, but those guys are crazy for MR2s, Silvias, and Skylines and the like.

[beecee]

IIRC rover bought the design of the Beat from honda and thats what they based the MGF on , very similar lines if you compare them side by side .

BRIAN .

[bigB]

They do have similar lines, but i disagree about Rover buying the design....speculation at best. The Mgf is actually a lot larger than the Beat. A fellow Canadian is now importing them as they are now 15 years old.
Side to side :

[Stokesey]

No mention of the Beat in David Knowles's 'MGF' - Haynes Modern Sports Car series although I've heard this before and also referenced to Bertone's X1/9.

Outside of the motoring press there has been very little written about the poor old Beat which is very overlooked in most coffee table car books. Nice two pages in Paul Guinness's 'Beasts from the East' (also Haynes publishing). If you mad for Japanese cars, theres your book!

Stokesey

[beecee]

I do remember reading it somewhere . There are a few topics on one of the mgf forums , all saying its nonsense though , it was a Pininfarina design and was the last car to be signed of by Mr H himself .

BRIAN

[steveinjapan]

Finally snuck up on one on the road to read the tiny weird rear badge - it was an MR2.