Honda S2000

Introduced in 1999 as a 2000 model, the Honda S2000 is a 2-seater roadster. The S2000 name comes from Honda’s S500,S600 and S800 roadsters of the 1960s. The S2000 is one of Honda’s best performance cars, only over shadowed by the NSX.

Performance.
The Honda S2000 is powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder DOHC VTEC engine (F20C) that produces 240hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and Torsen limited slip differential. This F20C would hold the record for horsepower per liter until overtaken by a Ferrari engine.

Variants.

AP1
The AP1 is the chassis designation for any S2000 built from 1999 to 2003 at Honda’s Takanezawa plant alongside the NSX and Honda Insight hybrid. This model is equipped with the 2.0L version of the F20C and has a 8,800 rpm red line.

AP2
The AP2 was produced from 2003 to 2009 and had several changes made to the suspension. In the North American market the engines displacement was increased to 2.2L (F22C) to provide more torque throughout the power band. The red line was reduced to 8,000 rpm. Honda also changed transmission gear ratios by shorting the first four and lengthening the last two.

Club Racer
In the fall of 2007, the CR version of the S2000 was available in North America with a production volume of less than 2,000 units. The CR is equipped with a removable hard top. The Club Racer was a more track oriented version of the S2000 due to its lower ratio steering rack, stiffer suspension and Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires.

JDM Type S
The Japanese variant of the CR called the type S which retained the convertible top instead of the CR’s removable hard top.

Ultimate Edition
To commemorate the production run and success of the S2000, Honda offered a special variant of the S2000 called the S2000 Ultimate Edition.

GT Edition
Similar to the Ultimate Edition in specification, the GT edition was available in the UK and featured a removable hard top and were painted in Grand Prix white with red interior and numbered plaques.

Awards
Car and Driver’s Ten Best list for 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. J.D. Power and Associates ranked the S2000 #1 in “vehicle dependability” in the premium sports car class for 2004, 2006, 2008, and during its run consistently held on to one of the top three spots. Survey’s conducted by BBC’s Top Gear television show ranked the Honda S2000 #1 in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Honda S2000 engine, the F20C won the International Engine of the Year award in the 1.8L to 2.0L category from 2000 to 2004 and was featured on Ward’s 10 best engines list for 2000 and 2001.

Production
The S2000 was built from 1999 to 2009, sales made after those dates were unsold 2009 models.

Year	USA	Europe	Japan	Canada	Australia	New Zealand	MidEast	Total
1999	3,400	1,179	7,209	332	596			12,716
2000	6,796	3,955	3,422	412	521			15,107
2001	9,682	2,197	1,913	401	308			14,501
2002	9,684	2,537	1,471	336	164	10		14,202
2003	7,888	2,095	961	238	79			11,261
2004	7,320	2,036	1,087	250	39			10,732
2005	7,780	1,795	981	212	40	8		10,816
2006	6,271	1,474	1,225	146	30	3		9,149
2007	4,302	1,116	997	123	26	6	126	6,696
2008	2,538	709	1,228	65	15	4	82	4,641
2009	795	680	1,122	49		2		2,648
2010	85	20	42	21				168
2011	3							3
Total	66,545	19,793	21,658	2,585	1,818	33	208	112,634

 

Best Motoring did a comparison of the stock AP1 and AP2 models vs a tuned AP1, the results were that the AP2 was slightly quicker around a track than the AP1. Check out the video below to watch.

Below is a video from motor trend about the 2009 Honda S2000 CR Club Racer.

Related Articles
Honda NSX