2006 Honda S2000
Nobody asked me but . . .
About six months after the launch of the Honda S2000 back in 2000, I was chatting on the phone with Kim Baker. Yes, that Kim Baker of Bakeracing. Corvette constructor and racer extraordinaire. Kim mentioned he was importing, building and selling some Super 7 kit cars and that one of the engines he really liked was the 2.0-liter from the Honda S2000.
Kim lives in a rather unpopulated area of Massachusetts. Great if you love driving on two-lane twisties but not convenient for grocery getting. I mentioned having tested a S2000 recently and that the handling seemed like it wasn’t as well sorted out as I expected from Honda.
Kim laughed and replied, “Yeah, it’s a little loose on the rear end. I can buy a lot of those cars really cheap at auction. It’s always the back ends that are smashed up. Almost all of them are ‘totaled’ by the insurance companies. But the engines are practically brand new.”
Spool forward six years. The current S2000 hasn’t changed much in appearance, but in other ways it’s both bigger and smaller. Bigger in displacement: from an original 2.0 liters up to 2.15 liters. Honda calls it a 2.2 liter, but the displacement is really only 2157 cc.
Smaller in horsepower as in 237 bhp versus an original 240. But in this instance less is more because the loss of those three ponies results in peak power occurring at 7800 rpm instead of 8300 and a useful increase in torque from 153 lb-ft @ 7500 rpm up to 162 lb-ft at a lower 6800 rpm. Which, from the standpoint of all-around engine drivability makes for a less frenetic revving experience. The engine has a lot more usable torque at lower rpm, so you feel less like you are driving a car that has been tuned solely for the race track. The new less anti-social S2000 is much more streetable. And recognizing how many drivers lack even a modicum of social graces these days, that’s not such a bad thing.
But fear not. The S2000 still fills your ears with a cacophony of Formula-1 sounds when you rev it, even if the redline is a lower 8000. It’s also faster. And don’t forget the “turbo” kick you feel as the revs zip pass the 6000 rpm sound barrier, a result of the engine’s VTEC (Variable Valve-Timing and Lift Electronic Control) technology that switches the engine into hyper-drive to provide max power and efficiency at both low and high engine speeds.
A succinct description of the gear box would include: Formula-car-like in its precision, unbeatable synchros, short throws, perfect ratio splits, best in any road car. In other words, I like it a lot. And it’s mated to pedals that are perfectly positioned and weighted for precise heel-and-toe downshifts.
2004 was the year Honda added the longer-stroke motor and re-tuned the S2000’s suspension to tame that aforementioned oversteer. This year Honda incorporates electronic tuning into the suspension in the form of VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist). Working in concert with a drive-by-wire throttle, VSA continuously monitors yaw rate, steering input, throttle input, and braking pressure to determine if the car is following the driver's intended path, and can independently coordinate each of the disc brakes through the 4-channel anti-lock brake system, along with the throttle, to enhance vehicle stability.
The weather during the week I drove the S2000 alternated from wet to dry and, candidly, VSA makes the S2000 more stable and forgiving than ever in inclement weather conditions. But it also negatively impacts the car’s dry pavement “fun factor.” The good news is that the system can be disabled with the touch of a button when conditions warrant it.
The S2000’s brakes, steering and suspension are all designed to keep you in intimate contact with the road you are traversing. The brakes quickly and controllably suck off speed when required, allowing you to go deep into the pedal before ABS initiates. The steering is ideally weighted, linear and precise, providing direct communication with the pavement. Precise and predictable handling, wet and dry, are aided and abetted by the S2000’s Bridgestone Potenza RE050s, 215/45R17s up front and 245/40R17s at the rear.
The ride is sports car firm but the roadster’s structure is very rigid so shakes and rattles are held to a minimum. However, I did detect a tendency for the outside rear to kick back under power and with aggressive cornering on a rough surface. I’d guess a mild retuning of the rear shocks would resolve this issue.
I’m not large by American standards, standing only 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 145 pounds, so the S2000s smallish cockpit fits me perfectly. But I can appreciate that taller and heavier drivers might have a problem fitting comfortably. For me the seats were great. The steering wheel does not adjust but it was perfect except for the stitches that dig into my thumbs when I grip the wheel at the “proper” 9- and 3-o’clock positions.
Controls are logical and well placed. Instruments are all electronic with a Formula 1-inspired bar graph tachometer that sweeps through an arc of around 115 degrees and a digital speedo. Storage space is at a premium, both in the cockpit and the truck, so pack accordingly.
The power top works easily. I’m not convinced it needs power, but at a MSRP of a tad more than $34,000, about $10 grand more than a Miata MX-5 (Don’t call it a Miata anymore!), maybe Honda designers figured it was called for. In any case don’t bother with the tonneau cover Honda has provided for covering the top when it is stowed. It is frustratingly difficult to install properly and consumes virtually all of the boot space when the top is up.
These few annoyances aside, the S2000 is a sports car lover’s joy. It retains the purity of the sports car driving experience that we cherish in its predecessors from the Sixties and Seventies combined with amenities—proper heating and air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and door locks, airbags, power steering, and the like—that are de rigueur on any car these days, sports car or otherwise. So it’s modern but also memorable. In other words, a keeper.
About six months after the launch of the Honda S2000 back in 2000, I was chatting on the phone with Kim Baker. Yes, that Kim Baker of Bakeracing. Corvette constructor and racer extraordinaire. Kim mentioned he was importing, building and selling some Super 7 kit cars and that one of the engines he really liked was the 2.0-liter from the Honda S2000.
Kim lives in a rather unpopulated area of Massachusetts. Great if you love driving on two-lane twisties but not convenient for grocery getting. I mentioned having tested a S2000 recently and that the handling seemed like it wasn’t as well sorted out as I expected from Honda.
Kim laughed and replied, “Yeah, it’s a little loose on the rear end. I can buy a lot of those cars really cheap at auction. It’s always the back ends that are smashed up. Almost all of them are ‘totaled’ by the insurance companies. But the engines are practically brand new.”
Spool forward six years. The current S2000 hasn’t changed much in appearance, but in other ways it’s both bigger and smaller. Bigger in displacement: from an original 2.0 liters up to 2.15 liters. Honda calls it a 2.2 liter, but the displacement is really only 2157 cc.
Smaller in horsepower as in 237 bhp versus an original 240. But in this instance less is more because the loss of those three ponies results in peak power occurring at 7800 rpm instead of 8300 and a useful increase in torque from 153 lb-ft @ 7500 rpm up to 162 lb-ft at a lower 6800 rpm. Which, from the standpoint of all-around engine drivability makes for a less frenetic revving experience. The engine has a lot more usable torque at lower rpm, so you feel less like you are driving a car that has been tuned solely for the race track. The new less anti-social S2000 is much more streetable. And recognizing how many drivers lack even a modicum of social graces these days, that’s not such a bad thing.
But fear not. The S2000 still fills your ears with a cacophony of Formula-1 sounds when you rev it, even if the redline is a lower 8000. It’s also faster. And don’t forget the “turbo” kick you feel as the revs zip pass the 6000 rpm sound barrier, a result of the engine’s VTEC (Variable Valve-Timing and Lift Electronic Control) technology that switches the engine into hyper-drive to provide max power and efficiency at both low and high engine speeds.
A succinct description of the gear box would include: Formula-car-like in its precision, unbeatable synchros, short throws, perfect ratio splits, best in any road car. In other words, I like it a lot. And it’s mated to pedals that are perfectly positioned and weighted for precise heel-and-toe downshifts.
2004 was the year Honda added the longer-stroke motor and re-tuned the S2000’s suspension to tame that aforementioned oversteer. This year Honda incorporates electronic tuning into the suspension in the form of VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist). Working in concert with a drive-by-wire throttle, VSA continuously monitors yaw rate, steering input, throttle input, and braking pressure to determine if the car is following the driver's intended path, and can independently coordinate each of the disc brakes through the 4-channel anti-lock brake system, along with the throttle, to enhance vehicle stability.
The weather during the week I drove the S2000 alternated from wet to dry and, candidly, VSA makes the S2000 more stable and forgiving than ever in inclement weather conditions. But it also negatively impacts the car’s dry pavement “fun factor.” The good news is that the system can be disabled with the touch of a button when conditions warrant it.
The S2000’s brakes, steering and suspension are all designed to keep you in intimate contact with the road you are traversing. The brakes quickly and controllably suck off speed when required, allowing you to go deep into the pedal before ABS initiates. The steering is ideally weighted, linear and precise, providing direct communication with the pavement. Precise and predictable handling, wet and dry, are aided and abetted by the S2000’s Bridgestone Potenza RE050s, 215/45R17s up front and 245/40R17s at the rear.
The ride is sports car firm but the roadster’s structure is very rigid so shakes and rattles are held to a minimum. However, I did detect a tendency for the outside rear to kick back under power and with aggressive cornering on a rough surface. I’d guess a mild retuning of the rear shocks would resolve this issue.
I’m not large by American standards, standing only 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 145 pounds, so the S2000s smallish cockpit fits me perfectly. But I can appreciate that taller and heavier drivers might have a problem fitting comfortably. For me the seats were great. The steering wheel does not adjust but it was perfect except for the stitches that dig into my thumbs when I grip the wheel at the “proper” 9- and 3-o’clock positions.
Controls are logical and well placed. Instruments are all electronic with a Formula 1-inspired bar graph tachometer that sweeps through an arc of around 115 degrees and a digital speedo. Storage space is at a premium, both in the cockpit and the truck, so pack accordingly.
The power top works easily. I’m not convinced it needs power, but at a MSRP of a tad more than $34,000, about $10 grand more than a Miata MX-5 (Don’t call it a Miata anymore!), maybe Honda designers figured it was called for. In any case don’t bother with the tonneau cover Honda has provided for covering the top when it is stowed. It is frustratingly difficult to install properly and consumes virtually all of the boot space when the top is up.
These few annoyances aside, the S2000 is a sports car lover’s joy. It retains the purity of the sports car driving experience that we cherish in its predecessors from the Sixties and Seventies combined with amenities—proper heating and air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and door locks, airbags, power steering, and the like—that are de rigueur on any car these days, sports car or otherwise. So it’s modern but also memorable. In other words, a keeper.
posted by The Carmudgeon at
4:12 PM
1 Comments:
Well written - descriptions are right on the money.
By
Anonymous, at 2:55 AM
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