Two cars from the Honda stable stand out for me, and probably for most people as they were the cars that made car enthusiasts sit up and take note. I’m talking about the Honda NSX supercar and the free reving Honda S2000 roadster. Sadly, due to the economic disaster that is the credit crunch, most car manufacturers have laid off plans to build performance vehicles, and Honda is no exception. Having withdrawn from Formula One and from MotoGP, Honda also shelved the development of several next-generation vehicles, including the 2010 Honda NSX and the Honda CR-Z convertible. Sadly, Honda also announced the end of the Honda S2000 after a 10 year production run.
The S200 was initially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995 and was released in 1999 as a limited-edition vehicle to celebrate Honda’s 50th anniversary. It harked back to Honda roadsters, such as the S500, S600 and S800 from the 1960s. However, the success of the S2000 resulted in an extended production run that would last 10 years! Throughout its the production, the S2000 remained true to the original model with only two model variants: the AP1, which was the initial model; and the AP2, which was designated to vehicles produced after mid-2003.
The AP1 Honda S2000 featured 2.0-Liter F20C inline 4 cylinder DOHC-VTEC engine that produced a maximum of 250 bhp and 160 lb-ft of torque. It also had a six-speed manual transmission and Torsen limited slip differential. The AP2 Honda S2000 featured significant upgrades to the drivetrain and suspension, with the engine being upgraded to a 2.2-Liter F22C1 engine that increased torque to 162 lb-ft. In the end, 110,673 units of the S2000 were sold worldwide with the car becoming an icon for car modification enthusiasts and is rightly considered a classic by many Honda fans.
In 2009 Honda marked the end of the S2000 with a new derivative, the S2000 Ultimate Edition that featured unique ‘Grand Prix White’ paint from Honda’s 1964 F1 race car, graphite colored alloy wheels and a red leather interior. But that might not be the end of the S2000 story!
In 2009 already, rumors started circulating that Honda was reviving the development of a successor to the S2000! Initial rumors suggested that the Honda S2000 would return in 2012, powered by Honda’s second-generation hybrid drivetrain used in the Honda Accord, and would be front-wheel driven rather than rear wheel drive. The latest rumor is that successor to the S2000 will be a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster based on the Honda Fit. However, there’s no indication as to whether the engine will be a gasoline engine or a hybrid, fully electric or fuel cell.