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Honda S2000: High-Revving Sports Car Icon

Honda started making sporty cars in 1962 with the S360 and subsequent S500, two roadsters named after their displacements. The S range was axed in 1970 after the final example of the S800 rolled off the assembly line in Suzuka. Nearly three decades later, it was replaced by the S2000.
2006 Honda S2000 85 photos
Photo: BritishMotorcarsSF on Bring a Trailer
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Previewed by the SSM Concept at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show, the series-production S2000 rolled out in April 1999 to celebrate 50 years of Honda. Gifted with a 50:50 weight distribution, the open-top sports car features a “high X-bone frame.” It consists of three box sections: a center tunnel and two sills connected by four crossmembers. Two run forward into the engine bay, and two run from behind the cockpit, which explains the X in X-bone. The high in “high X-bone frame” refers to the tall center tunnel and sills.

Double wishbones at every corner, anti-roll bars fore and aft, single-piston brake calipers that squeeze on ventilated and solid rotors, variable-ratio electric power steering, and 16-inch alloys were standard. The wheels measure 6.5 and 7.5 inches in width, with the rear track measuring 40 millimeters more than the front (1,510 versus 1,470 millimeters). As expected of a Japanese sports car that launched in the year that Bridgestone and Scuderia Ferrari became BFFs, the S2k was originally supplied with Potenza S-02 rubber boots that were specifically developed for the S2000.

Exclusively offered with a six-speed manual transmission, the S2k further sweetened the deal with a Torsen torque-sensing rear diff. Above it, Honda installed the fuel tank, which can take up to 50 liters (13.2 gallons) of dinosaur juice. Tipping the scales at 1,240 kilograms (2,734 pounds) in Japan or 1,260 kilograms (2,778 pounds) pretty much everywhere else, the original iteration of this four-wheeled icon had few options to offer in the first instance. Highlights include a two-tone interior and a wind deflector.

Roll hoops located right behind the headrests and the reinforced windshield made it safe in case of a roll, albeit it’s not something you’d wish to experience in a canvas-top vehicle. An electric folding mechanism is featured, along with two catches that have to be released before operation.

2006 Honda S2000
Photo: BritishMotorcarsSF on Bring a Trailer
A leather-wrapped steering wheel and the Formula 1-inspired instrument cluster dominate the interior, which perfectly sets the tone for the driving enjoyment offered by the S2000. The digital tachometer goes all the way to 9,000 revolutions per minute, with the redline starting at 8,000 revolutions per minute. Devoid of retro details from preceding S-series models, the S2000 rocks a flip-down panel that conceals the radio CD player from view. The minimalist interior design wouldn’t be complete without a superb-looking shifter, a good ol’ handbrake, and a red start button. To shut off the engine, push the key inside the ignition cylinder, then turn it toward you.

As with every single preceding S-series model, the 2000 in S2000 is an approximation of the powerplant’s displacement. Codenamed F20C, the 1,997-cc engine is a naturally-aspirated thriller with VTEC for both camshafts, forged alloy pistons, forged conrods, and a forged crankshaft. From an 87-millimeter bore and 84-millimeter stroke, Honda squeezed out 247 horsepower at 8,300 revolutions per minute and 161 pound-foot (218 Nm) of torque at 7,500 revolutions per minute. These figures apply to the JDM version of the F20C, which runs a compression ratio of 11.7:1 compared to 11:0:1 for the rest of the world. Speaking of which, the ROW is much obliged to deliver 237 horsepower and 153 pound-foot (208 Nm). Over in the United States, peak output was officially rated at 240 ponies.

The high-revving nature of the four-pot lump hiding under the hood made this fellow a unique proposition in the affordable open-top sports car segment, a way more interesting proposition than the Mazda MX-5 Miata. By making nearly 124 horsepower per liter, the S2000 used to hold the record for the highest specific output among naturally-aspirated production cars. By comparison, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 cranks out just under 164 horsepower per liter from its Cosworth-developed 4.0-liter V12.

Although you have to rev the hell out of it, which is part of the incredible driving experience of an S2000, the Japanese roadster takes in the ballpark of 6.0 seconds to reach triple-digit speeds. Top speed, meanwhile, is officially rated at 247 kilometers per hour (make that 154 miles per hour). Honda made few improvements for the 2001 model year, adding things like an available aluminum hardtop and neat-looking BBS forged wheels.

2006 Honda S2000
Photo: BritishMotorcarsSF on Bring a Trailer
Bigger changes were in store for 2002, including a heated glass rear window instead of the plastic unit from before. Leather instead of carpeting on the transmission tunnel also needs to be mentioned, along with optional cruise control. But most importantly, Honda remapped the engine control unit, revised the manual gearbox, and modified the front anti-roll bar’s design.

The 2004 model year marked the mid-cycle refresh of the S2000, which came with a different engine for North America. Enthusiasts refer to 2.0-liter cars as the AP1, whereas 2.2-liter cars are dubbed AP2. The North America-spec AP2 came with the F22C1 engine, which differs from the F20C by means of 160 extra cubic centimeters. Increasing the stroke to 90.7 millimeters forced the Japanese automaker to reduce the redline and fuel cutoff from 8,800 and 9,000 to 8,000 and 8,200 revolutions per minute. It may not rev as high as the F20C, but the F22C1 is a bit better for dailying.

240 ponies are unleashed at 7,800 revolutions per minute (down from 8,300). Peak torque, on the other hand, is listed as 162 pound-foot (220 Nm) at 6,500 revolutions per minute (down from 7,500). Honda further improved torsional rigidity, lengthened the rear control arms, enhanced the anti-lock brakes with yaw control logic, and reduced the edgy front end by updating the steering system to a 14.9:1 ratio compared to the pre-facelift’s 13.8:1

Larger and wider wheels also improved handling. The JDM S2000 adopted the F22C1 engine for the 2006 model year, and come 2007 for the 2008 model year, the track-focused Club Racer was launched in the U.S. market. Only 699 units of the lighter and better-handling variant were produced.

The automotive industry crisis of 2008 to 2010, caused by the financial crisis of 2007, affected sales in a rather dramatic fashion. The S2000 was also getting on a bit, which is why Honda ultimately decided against a successor. The S2k ran its course on August 19th, 2009. A little over 110,600 units were manufactured in total, namely 110,673 examples of the breed.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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