‘Engine of the Year’
We know the story with Honda: the Japanese build some truly outstanding cars – but hardly anyone realises it. Or wants to buy them. The NSX (1990 to 2005) was already grossly underestimated, because it was (and is) simply magnificent, superior to all Porsches and Ferraris of those years. The Honda S2000, introduced in 1999 and built until 2009, also suffered this fate: it only received true love in the USA and in its homeland; the Japanese roadster was largely ignored by Europeans.
But what Shigeru Uehara, who had already been responsible for the NSX, put on wheels was definitely a technical masterpiece. At its centre, of course, was the 2-litre engine, which produced 240 hp at 8300 rpm and a maximum torque of 208 Nm at 7500 rpm – as a naturally aspirated engine (at the time, Porsche needed three litres of displacement for the same power output). Uehara had the engine designed to be extremely compact; for example, cylinder liners made of a fibre-metal matrix material were used, which had extremely thin walls and thus reduced the overall length of the engine. The machine was designed as a short-stroke engine, so a short and stable crankshaft could be installed that could easily withstand high speeds (the red zone did not start until 9,000 rpm).
And of course, the Honda S2000 also had the variable valve timing system VTEC. This ensures that from around 6,000 rpm, the engine control unit extends the intake and exhaust times of the valves, allowing them to bring more air into the cylinders, which also receive more petrol at the same time – understandably resulting in higher performance. The valve springs were extremely resilient and the pistons were made of aluminium. It’s no wonder that this machine was voted ‘Engine of the Year’ five times in a row from 2000 to 2004. Of course, the power was only directed to the rear, without any electronic helpers, and of course it was manually shifted, with six gears.
The Honda S2000 was a wonderful driving machine, with a tightly cut body, hardly any storage space and little comfort. It got really loud above 6,000 rpm – and the handling can certainly be described as twitchy. With a kerb weight of 1,260 kilograms, the roadster was pleasantly light and actually quite easy to control thanks to the very direct steering. However, the rear tended to have a mind of its own, which could lead to unpleasant surprises, especially on wet roads. Today, the Honda S2000 is almost more loved than when it was still possible to buy it new, in Switzerland in 2000 for 56,500 francs, and in 2009, after several minor facelifts, for 58,200 francs as the Ultimate Edition. Used car prices remain high, partly because the small fan community has a firm grip on the market.
We have more interesting Japanese cars at:: Sayonara. And we also have an archive.
The S2000 is a good looking car UNTIL you put the top up. It loses its appeal. It looks like a bubble instead of a streamline sporty looking sports car. I’d like to see it with the top up. A good looking convertible should look just as good with the top up as with the top down.