The Honda S600 and Its 9,500 RPM Redline

Many of us enthusiasts have become accustomed to or spoiled by eye-watering revving figures in modern sports cars. From V6 turbo-hybrids reaching 11,000 RPM like the Mercedes-AMG One to V12 naturally aspirated marvels like the GMA T.50, pushing the redline over 12,000 RPM, it seems most of these figures are not surprising anymore. In a way, it’s what’s expected of modern high-performance vehicles.

But back in the 1960s, one of Honda’s earliest cars, the S600, a 55-horsepower four-banger, reached 9,500 RPM, and the world took little notice. This feat of Japanese engineering remains to this day one of the most remarkable examples of automotive engineering. A true technology masterpiece. Today, we take a look back at the Honda S600.