One of the most unique and outstanding features of the S500 was its use of a chain-driven powertrain. The transmission sent power to the rear wheels via a chain drive that was integrated into the car’s suspension system, and, yes, it’s as confusing to look at as it sounds.
The most outstanding feature of the Honda S500, though, is the engine under the hood: a dual-overhead-camshaft high-revving four-cylinder. The engine was not pulled from a motorcycle, as some folks assume. Instead, Honda developed this engine specifically for the car. It did, however, have some hefty motorcycle influence. It’s small, lightweight, and revs to the moon, producing a peak of 45 horsepower at 8,000 RPM. It would continue to rev out to 9,500 RPM, which is the highest-revving engine ever put in a production passenger car, even to this day.
The interior of the S500 was kept extremely simple, with just two large dials in front of the driver and a few switches on the left. Honda’s intent was to keep the interior reliable instead of focusing on making it look elegant and having a handful of small switches and components that could break.
[Featured image by Hideya via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]
