The Suzuki R/S1, known in Japan as the スズキR/S1, was a two-seat concept car with a plastic body, designed as a sportier counterpart to Suzuki's R/P2. Its layout resembled an open two-seat spider rather than a targa coupe, since its fixed, sharply raked rear window ended without a roll bar to frame it. The design featured a steeply rising, wedge-shaped beltline, a low rounded front end, and a sharply sloping tail, both aimed at favorable aerodynamics. Following racing car practice, cooling air exited through vents at the front of the hood, even though the engine itself was mounted amidships, behind the seats and ahead of the rear wheels.
The R/S1 used a newly developed 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with double overhead camshafts and 16 valves, mounted transversely in the middle of the car and driving the rear wheels, producing around 100 hp. A version of this engine reached production from summer 1986, but only as a front-mounted, front-wheel-drive unit. Suspension consisted of double wishbones at the front and struts at the rear, with disc brakes on all four wheels, 195/50 VR15 tires at the front and 205/50 VR15 tires at the rear. The instrument panel was built around a 6-inch cathode ray tube display, and the seats featured a ventilation system that passed air through the cushions and backrests.
The car measured 3670 mm long, 1650 mm wide, and 1090 mm high, with a 2230 mm wheelbase, a track of 1370/1380 mm, and a target weight of 720 kg.
