Honda S2000: The Everyday Supercar

If I told you in 1999 that you could have a mid-engine, two door convertible that out handles some of Italy’s finest for under 40 grand, you’d probably hang up on me like I called from a random number. If you haven't decided to hang up yet then I’d tell you this car is only a four cylinder and comes out of Japan. Before you block this number just take a peak into my crystal ball. A little roadster with a Honda badge will set the bar for sportscars for years to come.

Taking a Look in the Mirror

To understand S2000 first we need a bit of look back at the past. Honda's NSX the supercar killer set the bar for Honda as a sports car company and had the world set ablaze with its looks, everyday, usability, and Aryton Senna tuned handling. This would be a hard act to follow for some but this was Honda. The Japanese manufacturer could make a 40 mpg Civic a cornering machine in Type R trim . In the early 2000’s there was nothing that could stop Honda from being a dominating force in the sports car market. But a little movie called Fast and Furious happened. After the movies release modified cars with the iconic "H" badge hit the road bring illegal street racing with them. This wasn't exactly a good look for Honda.

As a result the EM2 Honda Civics were watered down. The EM2's lack of style was apparent and paired with poor driving dynamics. This didn’t stop Civics being modified but it seemed like the heart and soul of Civics prior (EK, EG, EF) was lost. But all hope wasn't lost. We focus a lot on Civics in 'The Fast and the Furious' but forget about the car with 100 grand under the hood. 

Numbers Aren't Everything

A friend was gracious enough to lend me the keys to his S2 and little did I know what this car was about to put me through. The S2000's F22C1 powerplant has 240 horsepower producing 162 ft-lbs of torque. On paper, this doesn’t sound like much and it’s not but dont let these number fool you.

Hondas F22C1 in the AP2 chassis has the spirit of supercar engines paired with Hondas famous reliability. This engine has just a much character as a prancing horse or raging bull right out of the box. The high revving engine produces lack luster power at the low end of the rev range but makes up for it when the digital rev limiter is full illuminated. Its at 8200 RPM where the F22C1 is most comfortable, begging to constantly be driven at the edge.

  Like the NSX it follows, the S2000 is mid-engined but instead of the engine being behind the drivers back it’s up front under the hood, behind the front axle. This engineering sorcery is the magic that gives the short wheelbase convertible sportscar its incredible handling and its biggest weakness.

The steering provides an amazing weight translating even the smallest pebbles in the road into detail you can feel in your hands. Confidence inspiring is an understatement. The grip in the rear end replicates this sensation until the point where the rear takes steps out and begins to slide. Remember that thing about mid-engine layouts being magic?

Luckily, for my friend, myself, and my wallet, the AP2 chassis has a less dramatic snap effect making it correctable as long as your inputs are correct and you're paying attention. I mean really being on your P's and Q's. Weigh transfers in this chassis is sudden and comes without warning at times. Owners have told me that the S2000 can snap during wide open throttle acceleration in a straight line! If you seriously want to find the limits of this car, please take it to a local motorsport event. Good tires and coilovers are a strong recommendation as they allow the driver to control weigh transfer to a reasonable amount.

The interior is slanted as it is focused on the driver. The shifter sits at the perfect height matched with a buttery gearbox that ensure that you’ll get the shift right every time. A non adjustable steering wheel initially is a pain but after some mental adjustment, you’ll find that its actually been placed perfectly in the jet fighter style dash. The red start stop button is icing on the cake and works as a reminder that you're in for something serious. The famous digital cluster never gets old and lets you know when it's time to shift just in case you can’t hear the mechanical music at 8200 rpm. 

The S2000 is everything a driver needs. This car is meant to be pushed and encourages its driver to do so with perfect communication between chassis and driver thru all four of its tires. It's an evolution of the NSX's DNA just more focused on driving without the supercar price tag or impracticality. The S2000 is solely designed for driving emotion but also is not afraid to ask its driver to push to the limit and beyond.