Still available from Elektor: a miniature 16-bit R8C microcontroller board and a CD-ROM for just £10.90 plus P&P. The R8C board comes ready-fitted with all SMD components except two pinheaders. The accompanying CD-ROM contains a wealth of Glyn/Renesas software including a C compiler. The introduction article on the Renesas microcontroller can be downloaded free of charge.
Tip: The R8C project has its own Forum topic.