Back in the day, the majority of carmakers had some sort of fun sports car they manufactured, and most of them sold like hotcakes, like the Mazda Miata. But today we won't be looking at a ton of different sports cars, instead, we'll be looking at the holy grail, the Honda S2000.
It was available between 2000 and 2009, and there have only ever been two generations of the S2000 ever built (well sort of), even though we crave a modern iteration thereof. They came in various shapes, sizes, and of course, performance capabilities, but to this day, it remains one of the best topless sports cars to ever exist because of its uniqueness, analog feel, and most importantly, the VTEC-infused heart underneath its hood that evokes the rear wheels.
10 A Mighty Naturally-Aspirated Engine
Unlike modern turbocharged sports cars today, the Honda S2000 was equipped with a gorgeous-sounding normally-aspirated four-cylinder engine called the F20C, and eventually the F22C. There were two different generations of the S2000 built, one called the AP1, and the other called the AP2, and both of them looked nearly identical.
The AP1 was built between 2000 and 2003; it was less mature than the AP2 and engulfed a 2.0-liter four-banger with 240 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque. The AP2 was built between 2004 and 2009, and its displacement grew to 2.2-liters, and it produced the same amount of power, but 6 lb-ft of torque more. And how could we forget, the AP1 S2000's powertrain had an incredible redline of 9,000 rpm - that's on par with supercars like the Lexus LFA.
9 One Of The Best Manual Transmissions Ever
Modern sports cars with a manual transmission and becoming as scarce as hen's teeth - well, excluding the new MK5 Toyota Supra and Nissan Z of course - but back in the day it was almost a rare occurrence to see one come without it. There have been many great stickshift transmissions over the years, but all gearheads came to the conclusion that the S2K has one of the best in the business.
The feel when working through gears is like nothing else. It's notchy, but in a good way, and once it settles into your chosen gear, it's almost superglued to it, as if it blindly trusts your input - it's also worth mentioning that there are 6 gears, and the throw between them are short, so not only will you be able to reach that 9,000 rpm redline at any given time, but it might actually be fuel-efficient if you care about that sort of thing.
8 The Magical Recipe
There's a saying that goes: "If it has a stick, and sends its power to the rear, you're in the right car." That's actually an understatement in regard to the Honda S2000 since it goes beyond that statement. It has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and a retractable top, and since it weighs less than 3,000 lbs, it's light on its feet too.
Of course, there were other cars from the same period that followed the same outline as the Honda S2000, but in comparison, they kneeled before it. Speaking of...
7 Thrashed Its Competition
As we've mentioned in our introduction, the S2000 was released in the mid-2000s, and it had some stiff competition like the Mazda Miata NB, but without a doubt, it stood no chance against the Honda. The Miata was definitely a fun car to drive, but thanks to the S2000's marvelous powerplant, it was faster in a straight line and around corners.
Now, the S2000 wasn't unbelievably cheap when it was first unveiled, it cost more than $30,000 back in the day (although they sell for more today), but even then it tackled way above its weight class and dethroned cars like the Porsche Boxster.
6 Interior
When you set foot into the S2000's cabin... well, there's not a lot of fancy technology if we're honest - but that's a good thing. The S2000 was meant to be a driver's car, and its only goal in life was to slap a smile on your face.
Its cabin was plastered in plastic, its leather sports seats were rather normal-looking, thin, and only manually adjustable. Its steering wheel was also fixed, but it was built purposefully so and kept small so that all your vision wouldn't be blocked to witness its digital gauge cluster. Even its gauge cluster was minimalistic. Of course, it displayed all the necessities like your fuel level and temperature, but its focal point was showing off how fast you were going, and at which level your tachometer was.
5 Fun, Timeless Feel
In comparison to modern cars, the S2K can still hold its own. It could reach 60 mph from a standstill in 6 seconds, which is rather respectable, but unfortunately, nowhere near as quick as performance-focused SUVs today.
Regardless, the S2000 constantly blessed you with a feeling of ecstasy, no matter the speed.
4 Simplicity
As you could have judged by the interior layout of the Honda S2000, this Japanese sports car doesn't waste any time with unnecessary gimmicks or party tricks. It gets to the point and diverts your attention where it's needed.
It follows the same formula when looking at its engine - apart from Honda's VTEC technology of course - and its retractable roof, albeit electronic, is extraordinarily simple to use too. Oh, and who can forget Honda's bulletproof engineering, so you know it'll last a lifetime with the proper care and maintenance?
3 Special Editions
Over the years, there have been three stand-out unique versions of the Honda S2000 namely the Type V, the CR, the GT, and the Type S. The most popular one of the bunch was the CR, and it stood for Club Racer.
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The S2000 CR was only built for the United States, and it was a track-version of the S2K with a sportier body kit, a removable hardtop, a gigantic wing, and stiffer suspension whilst the engine remained unchanged.
2 The Symbol Of A Forgotten Time
It looks like a 2000s sports car, it drives like one, it sounds like one, and all of that is the reason why it's loved so much to this day - it's a timeless piece of automotive ingenuity.
We can't stress this enough; if you can afford to buy an S2000, do it, before prices get too absurd.
1 Endless Aftermarket Potential
In their stock form, the S2K was perfect, but because it was a Japanese sports car at heart, tuners couldn't keep their hands off of them. This resulted in not only owners building their S2000s to fit their exact requirements, but also for some tuning companies to sell their own body kits for it.
Just have a look at Johnny Tran's black Honda S2K from Fast & Furious for example. There truly is an S2000 out there for everyone.