The Honda S2000 is these days rightly considered a modern classic, with secondhand values easily into five figures – comfortably above the bargain-basement prices some examples had dipped into in the 2010s.
But why should the enthusiast car market be so fond of a humble Honda when there are much more apparently thoroughbred roadsters of a similar vintage available available in the form of the Porsche Boxster or the BMW Z4?
Mainly, it's down to the high-revving naturally aspirated VTEC engine. Honda is rightly renowned for its zingy VTEC power units, and the 2.0-litre engine in the S2000 is arguably one of Honda's greatest. What's more, no car manufacturers a making lightweight roadsters like this any more. Which makes the Honda S2000 very special indeed. This is its story.
Honda S2000: Modern Classic Buying Guide
- SSM: the Concept that Became the Honda S2000
- The Honda S2000 is Born
- Honda S2000: VTEC Engine and Manual Gearbox
- Honda S2000: Driving Experience
- Honda S2000: Interior
- Alternatives to the S2000
SSM: the Concept that Became the Honda S2000
In 1995, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda unveiled a concept car that would preview what what become the S2000. It was dubbed the ‘SSM’ – the ‘Sports Study Model’ – and was a radical-looking machine with eye-catching design cues such as low-slung front lights and individual ‘cockpits’ for the occupants.
However, the SSM was not just an attention-grabbing styling exercise. Underneath its exterior panels, which were designed in collaboration with Pininfarina, was a stiff chassis that rode on double-wishbone suspension derived from the flagship Honda NSX mid-engined sports car. The SSM’s engine was similarly evocative; its five glorious-sounding cylinders displaced two litres and benefitted from Honda’s fabled VTEC system.
Alas, the SSM also inherited some other hardware from the NSX that might have raised the odd eyebrow – namely a five-speed automatic transmission, which was developed from the F-Matic unit found in its bigger brother.
Nevertheless, the 155mph-capable Honda drew much interest – and it was patently obvious that it was more than a mere concept. The company had much history producing similarly compact two-seat sports cars, for starters, such as the 9,500rpm-redlined S500 of 1963.
More to the point, the company was soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Launching an advanced new sports car, without a shadow of a doubt, would be a fine way to commemorate such a moment.
The Honda S2000 is Born
Three years later, Honda marked its 50th anniversary by unveiling a prototype of an all-new sports car called the S2000. The sleek rear-drive roadster, aimed at keen drivers and underpinned with race-bred technology, was effectively a production version of the SSM.
It retained the arrow-like nose and low bonnet line of the SSM, for example, as well as features such as the double-wishbone suspension. Even the F1-inspired liquid-crystal display used for the instruments in the SSM made the leap to the S2000, albeit in a redesigned form.
Honda S2000: VTEC Engine and Manual Gearbox
One area that was notably revised for the production car, which arrived on the market in 1999, was the powertrain. Gone, to the delight of many an enthusiast, was the automatic transmission; instead, in its place, was a lightweight six-speed manual transmission with a short-shift gear lever.
Unfortunately, also canned was the five-cylinder VTEC engine. Not all was lost, though, as what replaced it was a more compact four-cylinder engine called the ‘F20C’. Aside from the fact that it produced an impressive 237bhp, which allowed the S2000 to sprint from 0-62mph in just 6.2 seconds, it initially redlined at a heady 9,000rpm. It also produced almost 119bhp per litre, which was claimed to be a greater specific output than any other naturally aspirated engine on the market – including those from Ferrari.
The highlights of the engine were myriad; Honda’s VTEC system, hollow camshafts, lightweight rocker arms and springs, forged aluminium pistons, direct ignition, a ladder-frame brace to stiffen the block, forged and case-hardened steel connecting rods, a compression ratio of 11:1 – and more – all played their part in delivering such prodigious capabilities. The F20C proved so impressive, in fact, that it was ultimately awarded five class wins at the Engine of the Year Awards.
Honda S2000: Driving Experience
It wasn’t just the powerplant that impressed; the S2000 benefitted from 50:50 weight distribution, a low centre of gravity, a strong ‘high X-bone frame’ chassis and compact dimensions. These traits, in conjunction with its carefully judged driving position and a kerb weight of 1,260kg, meant that the S2000 measured up in the corners as well as on the straights.
That said, pre-2004 cars suffered from occasionally snappy on-limit handling (which was improved via revisions to the car's steering on later models), and some reviewers argued that the car only came alive when you were really pressing on. But on the right road, an with the driver in the right mood (and preferably no slower traffic getting in the way) there was little to touch the S2000 for pure driving thrills. And that remains as true today as it did in 1999.
Honda S2000: Interior
Much like the Mazda MX-5, the S2000 also fared comparatively well on the practicality front. It had a decent range, a boot with room for two large bags, supportive seats and good interior room. The roof was even powered, so S2000 owners could enjoy top-down driving at the press of a button.
The compelling overall package offered by the S2000 would subsequently lead it to win countless other awards, while its sales figures would continue to climb.
Remarkably, almost 10 years after it was launched, the Honda was still soldiering on – but the launch of the ‘Ultimate Edition’, in January 2009, heralded the beginning of the end; in June, after ten successful years and countless miles of high-rpm fun, the S2000 production lines fell silent.
Alternatives to the Honda S2000
Porsche Boxster
The soft-top Porsche roadster features balanced mid-engined handling, and its sonorous flat-six soundtrack is every bit the match for the Honda S2000's engine.
BMW Z4
The BMW Z4's handling might not have the precision or delicacy of the Honda S2000 or Porsche Boxster, but its dramatic looks and lusty six-cylinder engines make it an appealing choice nonetheless.
Nissan 350Z
The 350Z doesn't perhaps have the badge pedigree of its German rivals, but the muscular V6 engine and simple rear-wheel-drive thrills give it a certain old-school charm.