Honda S600 versions to buy: one generation, one spec

What you are buying, named exactly as in the database, is 0.6 MT. Every comparison below is arithmetic on that row, not a second catalogue line.

1 generation covers the whole model. Years: 1964-01-01 to 1966-12-31. Body: Cabrio. Version count: 1. There is no restyling block in the data, so nothing sits beside 0.6 MT as a facelift alternative.

What you are buying, named exactly as in the database, is 0.6 MT. Every comparison below is arithmetic on that row, not a second catalogue line.

Generations: what changed (and what did not)

1 generation is the entire Honda S600 story in this catalogue. Production window: 1964-01-01–1966-12-31. Body type: Cabrio. Modifications: 1 (0.6 MT).

There is no 2nd generation to pick for more power, more gears, or a different drive layout. You cannot “wait for the later one” inside this model key. A generation-to-generation delta is not measured because a second generation is not in the data. The buying implication is binary: 0.6 MT in 1 generation, or a different model.

Engine and specs: what 0.6 MT actually is

Use this table as the spec sheet for the only buyable version.

VersionhpNmDisplacement (cc)FuelCylindersLayoutBoostGearboxDrive
0.6 MT5751606Gasoline4InlineNoManualRWD

Supporting figures that sit on the same 0.6 MT row:

There is no parallel 0.6 MT with a different horsepower figure. You do not need a 57 vs 57 split.

Power per litre and torque per litre (arithmetic on the given numbers)

Displacement is 606 cc = 0.606 litres.

Those ratios are why a 57 hp Cabrio is not “a 57 hp family car” in character. The 0.6 MT engine is a small Gasoline 4 Inline unit that makes its 57 hp at 8500 rpm, not at a low-rev peak. Torque is 51 Nm at 5500 rpm — 3000 rpm below the power peak. The gap 8500 − 5500 = 3000 rpm is the working band you are paying for: you use the 4-speed Manual and RWD to keep the engine in that window.

Boost is No. There is no turbo or supercharger option in the data, so you cannot buy a boosted S600. Aspiration is Carburetor only.

Compression 9.5 on fuel grade 80 is the fuel constraint of this version. There is no second tune with a different compression or a different fuel label.

Performance and economy: 0-100, top speed, mpg

For 0.6 MT:

Do not treat missing 0-100 or mpg as a second, slower trim. They are not measured for this version. A buying decision that needs a published 0-100 or an mpg figure cannot be closed from this catalogue row.

What you can still use is mass versus power (next section) as a proxy for how light 0.6 MT is relative to 57 hp — not as a substitute for a timed sprint.

Dimensions and weight: kg per hp, clearance, tank, wheels

0.6 MT mass and chassis figures:

Weight per horsepower (arithmetic)

720 ÷ 57 ≈ 12.6 kg per hp.

That is the main “what you buy” number against the 57 hp engine. You are not choosing a heavier automatic or a heavier AWD sister: gearbox is Manual, 4 gears, drive is RWD, kerb is 720 kg. There is no second kerb weight to subtract.

Gross weight is not measured, so payload (gross minus kerb) is not measured. Tank size is not measured, so range from mpg is not measured (mpg itself is not measured). Wheel sizes are not measured, so you cannot pick a tyre package from this data.

Ground clearance 160 mm is the only ride-height figure. There is no high-clearance or lowered variant in the list. Front suspension is Independent, spring; the rear is not measured, so you cannot compare front vs rear hardware beyond what is written.

Front brakes are Disc. Rear brakes are not measured. You cannot choose a four-disc 0.6 MT from this catalogue.

Which version to choose

There is one named version: 0.6 MT.

What extra money cannot buy (because it is not in the data)

Inside Honda S600 you cannot pay more for:

Any of those would be a different model, not a different S600 line in this file.

What the numbers of 0.6 MT actually purchase

1. High specific output, small displacement. 57 hp from 606 cc ≈ 94.1 hp/l, 42 kW from 0.606 l ≈ 69.3 kW/l. You are buying revs (8500 rpm for peak hp), not cubic centimetres. 2. Light kerb vs that power. 720 kg at 57 hp ≈ 12.6 kg/hp. There is no heavier sister spec to “save money and accept more mass.” 3. Manual 4 + RWD as the only driveline. Gear count 4, gearbox Manual, drive RWD. The 3000 rpm spread between 51 Nm at 5500 rpm and 57 hp at 8500 rpm is the reason those 4 gears matter. 4. Cabrio only, 1964-01-01 to 1966-12-31. Open body is not an option package; it is the generation’s body. Production length in calendar terms: from 1964-01-01 through 1966-12-31 (the stop date in the data). 5. Gasoline 4 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, Front, transverse, compression 9.5, bore × stroke 54.5 × 65, fuel 80. Those are fixed. You do not choose a different cylinder count or a different layout on this model. 6. Clearance 160 mm, Independent, spring at the front, Disc at the front. Chassis choice is this setup or another car.

Reliability and problems (what the catalogue will and will not support)

This file does not list failure rates, recall counts, or common faults. Reliability and problems in the search sense are not measured here. What you can say without inventing a fault list:

Buyer’s close

Buy 0.6 MT if the combination you want is 57 hp / 51 Nm / 606 cc Gasoline 4 Inline, Manual 4, RWD, 720 kg, 160 mm clearance, Cabrio, 1 generation, 1964-01-01–1966-12-31. There is no other Honda S600 version name in the data to prefer. If you need a measured 0-100, mpg, tank, wheels, or a second generation’s delta, those figures are not measured — and there is no second version to absorb the gap.