Couldn't get a picture or a really good look. I was driving on a boulevard and in my left mirror I caught a glimpse of a yellow car. I first thought it was an M100 Elan, but it was too small and not quite shaped correctly. I was able to make out a Honda badge on the hood and it had a Japanese front plate on it, so I assume JDM. There was a glare on its windshield so I couldn't see if it was RHD.
It never got close enough to really get any more than that. Stupid traffic.
Yellow with a black ragtop
Honda
styling and the shape of the Honda badge suggest something not brand new. Front end was very stubby and sloped to bumper. If it was front engine, it was a tiny engine.
No grille
flip up headlights
Looked a lot like an M100 Elan and an MR2 had a baby and it had a hormone imbalance that only let it grow to 3/4 it's expected size.
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
No pop up lamps, but Honda Beat matches otherwise. I have seen two around near me.
I have seen Beats before. This one maybe an older generation? The Beat is kind of tall and rounded. This was a little more angular and lower I think. Could have been "stanced."
The nose looked straight up Elan-and-Esprit-meets-92-Prelude.
And I know it had pop up headlights because it was raining and they popped up when the driver turned them on.
Apparently some 2nd gen Preludes were converted into convertibles in the aftermarket. 
Definitely not an NSX. That is my dream car.
This car was smaller than an MR2.
Not a Prelude. Way smaller than that. I used to sell Hondas. This was not a US market vehicle.
Hummer H1?
sorry. Just trying to amuse myself
In reply to DrBoost :
Let's roll with that answer. Problem solved.
I'm replaying it all in my head and my only guess is that it was something that someone put a Honda badge on because they couldn't afford a catchy bumper sticker. I think I've now viewed every foreign and domestic market Honda back through 1978 and I haven't found what I saw.
Sounds like a Beat, but you're right, they didn't have pop up headlights. Wonder if it was one with a body kit. Probably not this one, but that would explain the size/shape.
-Rob
IDK where you are, but my buddy Dan in Frederick MD has a yellow Beat
Could it have been a Kia Elan instead of a Honda?
You positive it had a Honda badge?
Vajingo said:
You saw a s800
Not with flip up lights...
Vajingo
HalfDork
6/21/21 10:34 p.m.
In reply to Steve_Jones :
Maybe he thought he saw flip-flops and it was actually those beautiful around headlines
Honda S660 JDM technically not legal here in the us yet??? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_S660 Crap no pop ups....never mind
Vajingo said:
In reply to Steve_Jones :
Maybe he thought he saw flip-flops and it was actually those beautiful around headlines
I physically watched the lights flip up when it started raining.
Edit: Which, incidentally is one of the reasons I didn't get more detailed info. I saw it a few cars behind me on the left. I kept trying to slow down so it would pass, but stoplights kept messing up the plan. We had a cloudburst storm/deluge which is when they turned on the headlights and I saw them pop up, but the sheets of water on my window prevented more detail. As we started moving, they made it up beside me so I could look down and see the Honda badge, but then they got in a left turn lane and stopped.
I second the FWD Mercury Capri suggestion.
In reply to johndej :
Yup. Honda Badge. When I first saw it out of the corner of my eye, My thought was M100 Elan. Then when my eyes trained on it... definitely not an Elan. It was smaller than an Elan and not as much hood length/more slope.
In specific, it was the chrome Honda badge that was used with minimal change from 2000-up
rob_lewis said:
Sounds like a Beat, but you're right, they didn't have pop up headlights. Wonder if it was one with a body kit. Probably not this one, but that would explain the size/shape.
-Rob
I think we have a winner. This ticks every box.
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:
Could it have been a Kia Elan instead of a Honda?
I had to look that one up. Very similar shape, but I'm sticking to my Honda badge. I got a good look at that much.
In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :
Smaller than a Capri, and I would recognize one of those in a heartbeat. My sister had one and they were ubiquitous around here
irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:
IDK where you are, but my buddy Dan in Frederick MD has a yellow Beat
Was he in Harrisburg PA yesterday?
But his doesn't have the pop up lights.
I thought we were rolling with Hummer H1...?
Haha!
