Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000

Honda has revealed that it's looking to release a new rear-wheel drive roadster which will bear the iconic S2000 moniker. Here are four reasons why that's amazing news!
Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000

1. We've been waiting for this for ages!

Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000

Over the years, the Honda S2000 has remained a respected, high-revving icon that’s tough to beat for fun. When production of the AP2 ceased back in 2009 we all shed a collective tear. Over the years, Honda has teased us with various concepts of new performance cars, but most of these have fizzled out leading to yet more disappointment. The closest we have come to a replacement is the S660 which is unfortunately restricted to the Japanese market only.

Now, however, a report by Autocar reveals that a new S2000 is on the cards, and when it’s released, it’ll be aimed squarely at the ND Mazda MX-5 and its Fiat 124 brother.

2. It'll be faster than the MX-5

Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000

The new MX-5 has been dominating group tests since it was released earlier this year, but not because of its straight line speed (of which there isn’t a lot). The MX-5 is hailed as a genuine successor to the Mk1 MX-5, meaning that it’s super-responsive and great fun to drive. Next to the Fiat 124 Spider, there isn’t a lot else to keep petrolheads on a relatively modest budget happy, which is why Honda wants in on the action. Only its new S2000 will be pitched as a faster alternative…

The base car will most likely use Honda’s 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with VTEC, which should produce in the region of 180bhp. This easily eclipses the power figure of the strongest MX-5 which packs 158bhp, and which launches the car from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. With 20 extra horses under the S2000’s bonnet, therefore, we’d expect a 0-62mph time of around 6.8 seconds to be realistic.

With Yamaha also poised to enter the sports car market with its Sports Ride model, we really are going to be spoilt for choice.

3. Honda could become an exciting brand again

Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000

It’s all too easy to forget that Honda has produced some of the most exciting and game-changing road cars of all time. The 1964 S600 showed us that sports cars could be fun and reliable. The Honda DC2 Type R won numerous awards upon its launch back in 1995 and it’s now widely considered to be one the best handling front-wheel drive cars in existence. And the NSX was arguably the first usable supercar with a chassis that was so good it stayed competitive for over a decade.

But in the last few years, Honda lost its way. The CR-V, HR-V and Jazz aren’t cars that petrolhead dreams are made of and the previous-generation Civic Type R was a let down. That’s why Honda has been desperately re-branding itself; with the new Civic Type R and NSX leading the way, an affordable halo car could complete the picture.

4. A Type R S2000 could be a thing!

Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000

According to the Autocar report, Honda has also hinted that a Type R S2000 could be a very real possibility. Using a detuned version of the Civic Type R’s 306bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, the car would feature a limited-slip differential, revisions to the suspension and chassis setup and a short-throw six-speed manual gearbox.

We can expect a chassis which is all new from the ground up as Honda currently lacks a suitable rear-wheel drive platform. However, developning a new chassis is not cheap and will most likely have the effect of pushing the S2000’s price up well north of £20,000.

The Type R would be a direct rival for Fiat’s Abarth 124 and it might even have the effect of forcing Subaru into building its gorgeous BRZ STI. That really would be a win win for us.

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Comments

Anonymous

is there anything on the web that i wont fap to?

12/07/2015 - 15:59 |
10 | 1
Petrolheart Garage

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

tumblr bogs… oh wait!

12/07/2015 - 17:21 |
0 | 0
Manuel Kunz

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Challenge accepted!

12/07/2015 - 17:24 |
12 | 0
Manuel Kunz

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

That thing is a cockblocker too.

12/07/2015 - 17:25 |
8 | 0
Thug Bird

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES…

squawk

12/07/2015 - 16:01 |
64 | 1
Anonymous

Why detune the 2.0 turbo and stick it in the new s2k? Why not leave it making the 306 hp?

12/07/2015 - 16:06 |
17 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Probably to switch it to rwd they have to change parts

12/07/2015 - 16:26 |
5 | 0
Anonymous

i hope they keep with tradition, and NOT release an automatic version.

12/07/2015 - 16:06 |
10 | 0
ValveLiftMan

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Why would they? Honda doesn’t have a good Auto transmission anyways.

12/07/2015 - 16:18 |
20 | 0
Jax Rhapsody

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Say that now, and it ends up looking not so sporty, and some sort of tiptronic cvt for uber fast “shifting performance efficency.”

12/07/2015 - 17:12 |
1 | 0
Scarface001

Our emotion is represented by Richard Hammond

12/07/2015 - 16:06 |
42 | 0

Hopefully, our buns won’t cook in it….

12/07/2015 - 17:24 |
8 | 0

I love the part when he and james repeatedly hits their heads at the camera

12/08/2015 - 01:46 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

There’s something fundamentally wrong with this article. It wouldn’t be an S2000 if it has a 1.5 litre engine it would be S1500. Just learn your goddamned Honda nomenclatures, they are one of the easiest in the business I swear. S denotes a sportscar, usually a roadster. The number afterwards is the engine displacement ie S500 S800 and so on and so on. The engines are the same deal The letter is the series the number is the displacement the following letter and a number are the specific modification ie H22A5 is an H series engine with 2.2 litres of A5 is the specific modification (usually regional). Wasn’t so hard, was it.

12/07/2015 - 16:10 |
9 | 3
Deus Robert Paulsen

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Correct but there is a 2.2 engine in the states for the s2000. And its not called s2200. And a turbo would kind of change the meaning of a 1.5 engine…

12/07/2015 - 16:23 |
10 | 0
Jax Rhapsody

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Yes but it happens; see ford mustang, and its five liter displacing 4.9.

12/07/2015 - 17:14 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I mean, if you want to be exact the F20 is a 1997 cc engine, but point made.

12/07/2015 - 17:33 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

but at the end you will end up trading it for this

12/07/2015 - 16:11 |
314 | 4
Thug Bird

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I smell “Top Comment of the Week” for you.

chirp chirp

12/07/2015 - 16:17 |
77 | 3
ORANGE_

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

fukken savage m8

12/07/2015 - 17:21 |
40 | 5
RedWattsonn

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I believe that the proper term for this situation is “rekt.“

tips fedora

12/07/2015 - 17:29 |
23 | 3
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahgivethismanacookiehahahahahhaa

12/07/2015 - 17:35 |
50 | 0
Joel Peñaló

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

get rekt m9. fookin savage lads, gr8 banter

12/07/2015 - 18:43 |
35 | 0
TheNOISYCar

5: so gabz can sell it for a polo

12/07/2015 - 16:13 |
37 | 0

And, Another day The new Polo, Gabz will buy and sell his S2000 new. (just joking)

12/07/2015 - 17:54 |
0 | 0
Ben F. (Slowmaro)

I actually hope it gets some forced induction so that there will be torque and thus the new S2000 will accelerate like a mo-flow.

12/07/2015 - 16:23 |
9 | 0
Anonymous

Detuned s2k lol what have they been drinking?

12/07/2015 - 16:24 |
2 | 0