Loyal Reader Dave S sends me this missive from his gun-filled bunker deep in in the wilds of The Old Dominion:
“In your quest for beautiful sports cars I’ve always wondered why you’ve never mentioned what is for me the epitome of the class, that unlike its British brethren runs, isn’t a mechanic’s hobby, and hasn’t lost itself in the American quest for Moar Power: the Honda S2000.”
And it’s a damn good question, for which I have no answer except increasing senility.
The little S2000 was, I think, one of Honda’s best-ever cars, with a loyal and devoted fan base; and to this day I cannot fathom why they stopped making them in 2009 — especially as Mazda still makes their Miata to this day, to the delight of many.
I don’t accept that S2000 sales were anemic, by the way, if that’s given as the reason. I think that S2000 was killed by the Dreaded Bean Counters (may they all sprout assholes in their elbows and shit in their food each time they reach for the salt). These bloodless pencil-pushers looked at the numbers and decided that unless a car sells more than x million units a year, it should be done away with. “Why,” they would exclaim, “should the mighty Honda corporation cater to a few fools who want to drive with the wind in their hair, when all said fools need to do is lower the windows of their Civics and Accords to get the same result?” (Maybe it sounded better in the original Japanese.)
I’m not sure that’s what actually happened, but I’ll bet it’s closer to the truth than saying that Jeffrey Epstein committed hara-kiri.
Herewith a few more S2000 pics, to make up for my earlier omissions:
2008 Honda S2000
Fie on them. If Honda still made this little beauty, I’d have it on the shortlist for New Wife’s next car, well ahead of the Miata or the Fiat 124 derivative.
And of course, this wouldn’t be the first time Honda discontinued a fine car for no apparent reason (NSX coff coff coff ).
Reader Dave sent me a pic of his own S2000, but the pic included his hot wife with her hair and clothing all windblown and tousled (no doubt because of a long trip taken in the Honda) so I used pics off the Innerwebs instead. I’m old-fashioned that way.
Bet ya that corporate lawyers had something to do with its demise.
It was an expensive bugger to build. Each engine was hand built by a team of two, whose signatures were affixed to the engine. Same as a Gold Wing motorcycle.
10,000 RPM capability doesn’t come cheap.
Oh, and it’s other problem? It was the ultimate factory autocross car, but your spine would pay the price as you rolled across a dime on the road.
“Firm” as describing the ride, would be in the same category as dating Mrs. De Sade in the Arena of Discipline.
But it was a weapon of a car, vs. the Miata, a mere airsoft in comparison.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
The only way I would happily drive a miata would be to also buy a body kit from Simpson Design, and look long and hard through the Mazda parts catalog. The S2000 is right purty, and much more reliable than the Fiat Barchetta. Forty years ago, my brother and I were doing a lot of engine mods, and took a lot of pains with our cars, but nowadays going from flat on the floor to standing, looking down into the engine is an exercise in pain of the non-fun variety.
I considered an S2000…until I got into one. No shoulder room. Might have worked for a thin person, but not for me. I wound up with a BMW 3-series convertible instead.
Back in the day I was shopping for a “proper” sports car. I drove an s2000 for a few days as part of my research. I felt it was all revs and no torque, you really had to wring it’s neck to get it to go and found the suspension too hard and you sat very low in it. For the same $$ as a new S2000 I ended up tossing between a non S boxster and a two year old beemer M Roadster.
My ego wouldn’t let me buy the small engine Porsche and the S versions were out of my price range.
So I ended up with one of these in silver: https://www.classicargarage.com/archives/bmw-z3-m-roadster-1998
It was unquestionably the best car I’ve ever owned. It was the fastest road going Bmw you could buy in 1999. Power top, electric everything, comfortable.
In a moment of madness it traded it on an x5. Still miss that car