Photo: Rain Prisk
Right before the S2000 launched in 1999, Honda came up with the Type R line of vehicles. Ranging from the Civic to the Integra, Accord, and even the NSX, the commercial success of the high-performance lineup wasn’t enough to satisfy the Japanese automaker’s sporting ambitions. Taking inspiration from the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Honda then decided that the S800 from the 1960s should come back in style.
Developed with close regard to the values of Soichiro Honda, the S2000 came out with the highest specific output for a normally aspirated engine in a production vehicle. The JDM F20C is the highlight, churning out 250 PS (247 horsepower) from a displacement of 2.0 liters.
In addition to the engineering marvel under the hood, the double wishbone suspension and electronically assisted steering helped the S2000 carve corners like nothing else in the segment. The 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity translate to low rotational inertia, and for the sake of saving weight, the roof is made from textured vinyl.
After several years of production, sales of the Japanese roadster started to fall in 2006. The global crisis of 2008 didn’t help either, with Honda deciding on discontinuing the S2000 the following year. The successor, which was on the drawing board at the time, was cancelled because the automaker couldn’t make a case for an all-new model that wouldn’t sell.
Fast-forward to the early 2010s, and motoring publications started reporting that Honda is looking forward to bringing the S2000 back from the dead. Even though it was wishful thinking, the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show is where the Sports EV Concept entered the stage. Inspired by the S600 and related to the Urban EV Concept in regard to the platform and powertrain, the future of the Honda roadster might be all-electric.
But what if Honda decides to take a different approach? Pixel artist Rain Prisk asked himself the same question, after which he took to his Photoshop to come up with the following rendering. The 2019 Honda Civic front-fascia design and widebody-style fenders are interesting propositions, but knowing the Japanese automaker, the front-wheel-drive vehicle architecture of the Civic won’t cut it for this application.
In addition to the engineering marvel under the hood, the double wishbone suspension and electronically assisted steering helped the S2000 carve corners like nothing else in the segment. The 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity translate to low rotational inertia, and for the sake of saving weight, the roof is made from textured vinyl.
After several years of production, sales of the Japanese roadster started to fall in 2006. The global crisis of 2008 didn’t help either, with Honda deciding on discontinuing the S2000 the following year. The successor, which was on the drawing board at the time, was cancelled because the automaker couldn’t make a case for an all-new model that wouldn’t sell.
Fast-forward to the early 2010s, and motoring publications started reporting that Honda is looking forward to bringing the S2000 back from the dead. Even though it was wishful thinking, the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show is where the Sports EV Concept entered the stage. Inspired by the S600 and related to the Urban EV Concept in regard to the platform and powertrain, the future of the Honda roadster might be all-electric.
But what if Honda decides to take a different approach? Pixel artist Rain Prisk asked himself the same question, after which he took to his Photoshop to come up with the following rendering. The 2019 Honda Civic front-fascia design and widebody-style fenders are interesting propositions, but knowing the Japanese automaker, the front-wheel-drive vehicle architecture of the Civic won’t cut it for this application.
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