Learn about the S2000, the supercar for everyone

Table of Contents

• Introduction to the S2000 and where our love story begins.
• The history of the S2000
• Why the s2000 is a great car:
• Why the S2000 is a great car or used to be, on a budget.
  • But it’s so old…..
• Things to look for before you buy an S2000
• The features of the s2000
  • F20C Engine
  • F22C1 Engine
  • Weight Distribution
  • Out-of-the-box fun
• Why are rear-wheel drive cars can be more fun to drive
• The colors, wheels, mods, and upgrades for the s2000
• Our thoughts on the S2000
• Will the S2000 come back?
• Our favorite S2000 of all time
• Conclusion

Introduction to the S2000 and where our love story begins.

The S2000 was introduced in 1999 as Honda’s new flagship sports car. It was designed to be a serious performance machine with a high-revving engine, rear-wheel drive, and a balanced chassis. The S2000 quickly became popular among driving enthusiasts for its incredible handling and engaging driving experience.

Even today, the S2000 remains one of the best sports cars you can buy. Its lightweight construction and rev-happy engine make it a joy to drive on twisty roads. The S2000 is also incredibly well-balanced, making it easy to handle at the limit.

If you’re searching for a fantastic driving experience and superb handling, the Honda S2000 is the car for you, and in this article, we will go over many of the different aspects of the S2000. From the things to look for before you buy, why the S2000 is excellent, and a bunch of other things. We will also go over where our love for this car begins at the very end of our article, which shows why it has a special place in our hearts.

The history of the S2000

The S2000 is a roadster manufactured by Honda from 1999 to 2009. The vehicle was introduced in April 1999 at the New York International Auto Show. It was initially conceived as a limited-edition model to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. The S2000 is named for its engine displacement of two liters, or 122 cubic inches. This powerplant made 240 horsepower when it was new and redlined at 8,000 rpm. It helped the car weigh just 2,800 pounds and achieve a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

The first generation of the S2000 was produced until 2003 and is commonly referred to as the AP1. The second generation, or AP2, lasted from 2004 until 2009. Notable changes for this model included revised bodywork, increased power, and an updated interior. As you know we love our hondas around here.

Why the s2000 is a great car:

The s2000 is a great car for several reasons:

1. It has excellent handling and is very lightweight, making it a blast to drive on twisty roads.
2. The engine is incredibly powerful and revs extremely high, making it one of the most fun cars to drive fast.
3. The s2000 is very reliable and has a reputation for being built exceptionally well, meaning it will last a long time if you take care of it with proper maintenance.

Why the S2000 is a great car or used to be, on a budget.

When the S2000 first appeared on the scene in 1999, it was lauded for its handling and performance, and it quickly became a cult classic among car enthusiasts. Even at launch, the thing that stood out about the S2000 was its ability to keep up to the big dogs of sports cars at a fraction of the price. The MSRP was a great value compared to similar cars and had the benefit of that Honda dependability built right in. Even today, the S2000 is still considered one of the best handling cars on the market.

Although the S2000 is no longer in production, used models can still be found on the market for relatively affordable prices, prior to the Covid super inflation/premiums. For car enthusiasts looking for a budget-friendly performance vehicle, the S2000 was the go-to. I remember you could find pretty good ones for between 15-20 thousand dollars a couple of years ago. And they were in great shape with mods at those prices. Now we are seeing prices skyrocket, like everything else.

But it’s so old…..

And this brings up the paradox of these older cars. They come out, then drop in price, then at some magical time, they really get red hot. We have seen that with the AE86, Integras, and all these other cars. Don’t get us wrong, nothing changed with the vehicles, so they are still great, but it might be a trip down nostalgia lane, and people born during those times can now buy them, or it is just universal inflation. Whatever the case may be, the s2000 really increase in price. The question is will it keep going, or will it return to its pre-inflation prices if the inflation decreases a bit?

Who knows, but we know that if you have a thing for S2000s, it might be as good as ever to buy them. Because if you love the car and plan to keep it, the truth is that they aren’t making these anymore… so as every day passes, do does a day that someone might just be beating on the car of your dreams. So like your secret crush, there is no day like today… so what do you have to lose?

Things to look for before you buy an S2000

1. Make sure to get the right model year. The 2006 and newer models have more power and better handling than earlier. There are minor changes between the years, but some are bigger than others. So it is best to really do your research to see the differences to ensure you don’t buy one and regret it later.

2. Choose your transmission wisely. The manual is more engaging to drive, but the automatic is more convenient. But let’s be serious: if you are getting your dream car, with everything aside, like driving in traffic, you will probably want a standard. No one says, man, I had a dream of going so fast, and it was an auto.

3. Consider what you want from your convertible top. The hardtop provides more security and protection from the elements, but the soft top is lighter and easier to operate.

4. Pay attention to the condition of the interior and exterior components. Check for wear on the seats, steering wheel, and shifter knob, and ensure all lights and electronics are working correctly.

5. Find out what you might want to do to the car before you buy it. If someone has a complete Mugen kit, and you want to do a full Mugen kit, then it makes more sense to see if any are already equipped with what you want. Some might make a frowny face when you say you bought it with the kit, but most times, cars that are modded might not reflect the price of the mods in their prices. In some cases, they might even be cheaper than stock cars.

6. Check the car for battle wounds. Look for aftermarket paint jobs or mods that don’t really make sense. These cars were often taken to the track and driven hard. There is nothing with vehicles that are driven hard as long as they are taken care of, but sometimes people just beat cars, and if there are shot cuts taken on the car, it could cause issues later.

The features of the s2000

The Honda S2000 is an excellent car for several reasons. First, it’s very lightweight – thanks to its all-aluminum construction. This makes the vehicle extremely agile, and it’s also great for fuel economy. It is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, making 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. A note to remember is that there are different engines in different generations.

F20C Engine

The AP1 S2000 has the F20C, which has an impressive 9,000 RPM rev limit, with 237 hp on the usdm engine. The JDM engine got a little more hp due to the higher compression, but this will only usually play into your choice based on where you live ( or if you import a car )

F22C1 Engine

The AP2 has the F22C1, which drops down the revs to 8,200 to help out the lack of low-end power that many people felt the previous engine missed. The hp gets a little boost up to 241, but it just moves where you feel the intensity. So depending on what you are looking for, there is a bit of a difference, so please keep that in mind.

Either way, the engine is very powerful for its size, making the S2000 a blast to drive.

Weight Distribution

The other feature of the S2000 is that the car has a near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution, which gives it incredible handling and balance. The S2000 has a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, meaning that most of the car’s weight is focused on the rear wheels, making it perfect for tight turns, corners, and high speeds.

Out-of-the-box fun

There are few cars in the world, and maybe even history, that put as many smiles on people’s faces the instant they drove the car off the dealerships lot. The S2000 came ready to roll as soon as you started it up.

Why are rear-wheel drive cars can be more fun to drive

Rear-wheel drive cars are inherently more fun to drive than front-wheel drive cars. There are a few key reasons for this. First, rear-wheel drive cars typically have more powerful engines, which means they can accelerate faster and reach higher speeds. Second, rear-wheel drive cars tend to handle better than front-wheel drive cars. This is because the engine’s weight is evenly distributed over all four wheels rather than concentrated over the two front wheels. This gives rear-wheel drive cars better traction and allows them to take corners at higher speeds.

Ultimately, it is these factors that make rear-wheel drive cars more fun to drive than their front-wheel counterparts. They can go faster and handle better, making driving more enjoyable on both the open road and rewinding roads.

If you have been a long-time Honda fan, you know that their bread and butter is usually with front-wheel drive cars. The Civic, the Accord, the Fit, and the list goes on. When the S2000 came onto the scene, it just blew people’s minds that this car handled so well while changing where the power came from. This is why we saw the S2000 just take over as the go-to choice for track cars as soon as it came out. You just couldn’t find a better, and more reliable, car to use as a base to mod.

The colors, wheels, mods, and upgrades for the s2000

The first thing that anyone notices about the s2000 are the colors. The car is available in many colors, from bright red to sleek black. There are also several different wheel designs and sizes to choose from.

Another great feature of the s2000 is the mods and upgrades that are available for it. There are several ways to mod your s2000, from adding new exhaust systems to upgrading the suspension. No matter what your budget is, there’s a mod or upgrade out there for you.

The s2000 is one of the most popular cars on the market for a reason – it’s simply a great all-around car. Whether you’re looking for style, performance, or a great driving experience, the s2000 has it all.

There are several reasons why the S2000 is such a great car, and honestly no matter how much we write the list could always go on longer. First of all, its rear-wheel drive layout provides excellent traction and handling. The engine is also located in the back of the vehicle, which gives it a very low center of gravity and makes it more stable when cornering at high speeds. Additionally, the S2000’s rigid chassis provides incredible grip, making it one of the most fun cars to drive on twisty roads.

Our thoughts on the S2000

In today’s market, there are a lot of choices when it comes to cars. So, what makes the S2000 such a good choice? There are several reasons:

1. The S2000 is exceptionally reliable. It’s been on the market for over 20 years and has a proven track record. ( get it… track … record )
   
2. It’s affordable. The S2000 is one of the most affordable cars on the market.
   
3. It’s fuel efficient. The S2000 gets excellent gas mileage, making it perfect for long trips or commuting.
   
4. It’s comfortable enough to be a daily driver, but tunable to be a track beast.

Will the S2000 come back?

The S2000 was a great car when it was first released in 1999, it was praised for its handling and power delivery, and it quickly became a cult classic. However, production of the S2000 ended in 2009, and there’s been no sign of it coming back… until recently.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t still demand for the car, though. In recent years, prices for used S2000s have been on the rise, as more and more people are rediscovering just how good the car is. There’s also been an increase in aftermarket support for the S2000, with new parts and accessories being released all the time.

So will the S2000 come back? It’s hard to say but if you believe what a source close to Honda has said, there might be a chance that some type of anniversary version comes back in one form or another. Although these might just be rumors, the chance that it might happen has set many people’s minds on fire with what a newer version of the S2000 could look like; and more importantly, how it would perform.

Our favorite S2000 of all time

Our first introduction to the S2000 was via one of our good friends. At the time, I had no idea that this car would be the beginning of, most likely, a lifelong journey to put together a car that would take the internet by storm. If you are into S2000s and looking to see just how far you can take these cars, we suggest that you look at the following articles as there is just no way that we can even write to the level that would do justice to the journey that this car and owner have been on. Although there might be a bit of bias here, the truth is that if it were around in the original Fast and Furious days, it would have been the go-to car for that movie. Just check out this video all about the amazing car

Here is an excellent article about the car and all the mods and some of the nicest pictures I have seen of the car. Honestly the entire site is super impressive, as it balances both the technical breakdowns , personal opinions and amazing pictures in a way that hasn’t been around since the early Import Tuner magazines that we all used to have…. or just go over to a buddies house and read

The Internet Sensation: Jackie Law’s Honda S2000

And yes we did spam this post with a lot of the JKLAP1, because why wouldn’t you? Would you rather see random pictures of cars… or the car they call an “Internet Sensation” ?! So if you want to check his pictures out make sure you go to his IG Profile , https://www.instagram.com/jklap1/ or click on this pic as that is much cooler:

Conclusion

When it comes to sports cars, the Honda S2000 is hard to beat. Its lightweight design and rear-wheel drive make it a blast to drive, and its high-revving engine is a joy to listen to. While it’s not the fastest or most powerful car out there, its perfect balance of power and agility makes it a true driver’s car and for the price, you will be hard-pressed to find anything that comes even close to what the S2000 offers.

The S2000 is an excellent car for many reasons. It’s comfortable, efficient, stylish, and one of the most affordable cars on the market. The S2000 is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a reliable and affordable car.

The S2000 is an excellent car for many reasons. It has a sleek design, is very comfortable, and is reliable. It’s also an excellent value for the money. You can’t go wrong with an S2000. And even though we love our Accords around here, there will always be a place in our heart for the S2k.