Why We're Desperately Excited About A New Honda S2000
1. We've been waiting for this for ages!
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
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
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!
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.
Comments
No LSD in the base S2000? I see the Type-R would be the S2000 we actually want, and the base model would become the faster hairdresser car. Meh, I guess that would sell much better and give it a fighting shot of staying around…
Don’t lie, we were waiting because V-TEC didn’t kick in until now
Do you guys always forget about the 370z? Yeah, it’s a bit bigger, a bit heavier, and less driving-focused, but that doesn’t disqualify it from competing with any of these cars.
Also you forgot the fgtz86/whatever you call it.
370z is another class performance wise and its also in different price cathegory
You just listed all the reasons it does disqualify the 370z from competing with these cars.
did somebody say….A NEW S2000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
It may sound weird but hopefully they don’t give it a turbo engine, I hope they stick to the naturally aspirated high revving 4 cylinder like they had in the old s2000’s as that’s what made them fun in my opinion.
I woud be writing them a check sight unseen and begging to take the first one when it rolls off production if it was promised a 6.1” person would be able to drive it comfortably.
In my opinion the s2k should be as fast as a 370z and/or a TT S/RS. I don’t want another hairdresser mobile. Going lower on power as the orevious model doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.
Haha imagine moogs reaction. Still reminds me of
“Honda managed to cram one million unicorns… “
But awesome news
I can hear it in the distance……BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BWAA BWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! -VTEC
Is it just me or does anyone else find the S2000 CR annoying because it has a 2200 cc engine and it’s still called an S2000? Or that 1.5 engine as a base model for the upcoming S2000?
That’s why I won’t buy an S2000 CR in Forza 5/later, cos I just hate when people mess around with a car’s special number that means something with the engine and they just stuff about and change it, why??