RE: PH Heroes: Honda S2000
Discussion
I loves these cars to the point I have owned 3. Never had any problems with any of them and liked the fact you don't see that many around. Good fun to thrash with that engine but the one thing that puts me off is the stupid insurance quotes I would get. Boxter s, Subaru Sti ppp, evos, all cheaper to insure by a good amount.
If the insurance was not so high, I would most likely by another as a summer toy.
If the insurance was not so high, I would most likely by another as a summer toy.
canucklehead said:
240hp from 2.0L was good, but the Renesis engine in the RX-8 made 230hp from just 1.3L of swept volume.
advantage Renesis.
except we're not supposed to compare it with poppet valves....
of course the ultimate power/displacement engines in cars are F1 engines - staggering numbers, although they may find doing 100k miles a tad difficult......
Then compare crank rotations and we're back to even. I'm not sure I recall a Mazda rotary being that good for 100k for that matter either advantage Renesis.
except we're not supposed to compare it with poppet valves....
of course the ultimate power/displacement engines in cars are F1 engines - staggering numbers, although they may find doing 100k miles a tad difficult......
I had a facelifted one for a couple of years. At a dry Donnington it was excellent & had a chassis you could "lean on" a bit. On the same day the heavens opened & it was absolutely s
t scary. 2 laps & in.
I remember the test drive being somewhat underwhelming but remember the words from another owner who said it's a car that gets under your skin & it's something to cherish. I'd concur, after a few months of learning it's foibles & quirks I was pretty smitten. I thought it was manic above 6k & very potent. It never broke down or caused any cause for concern & looked stunning in Royal Navy Pearl after a good polish.
I'd have another & would echo previous comments about pressing on in the wet...mine let go in the damp on a motorway slip road, no warning as such. Heading north then pointing south sharpish. Completely got away with it but you've got to keep half an eye on em...great things tho.
t scary. 2 laps & in. I remember the test drive being somewhat underwhelming but remember the words from another owner who said it's a car that gets under your skin & it's something to cherish. I'd concur, after a few months of learning it's foibles & quirks I was pretty smitten. I thought it was manic above 6k & very potent. It never broke down or caused any cause for concern & looked stunning in Royal Navy Pearl after a good polish.
I'd have another & would echo previous comments about pressing on in the wet...mine let go in the damp on a motorway slip road, no warning as such. Heading north then pointing south sharpish. Completely got away with it but you've got to keep half an eye on em...great things tho.
Mark Benson said:
Stuff
I wonder if the more renowned yellow spring-spacer victim is still in the Tech Centre...Have to echo everything Mark and others have said - I loved my 03. Had it for 4 years or so, drove from Reading to Edinburgh and the Highlands regularly, commuted, went on 3 euro driving trips, LM etc and enjoyed every single minute of it.
Never gave me any trouble either, whether mechanically, or in motion. Any incidents I had were purely human - hit some standing water on the M1 with only the left wheels, reacted *just* as the tyres regripped and spun (thankfully the 50:50 meant I stayed in lane), t-boned a d
head who crossed in front of me on a roundabout, and ran out of petrol in the Highlands 
Oh, and had my battery disconnected for me by some unscrupulous bds who shall remain nameless.Incidentally, it was owning that, that lead me to s2ki.com, and then on to here. So you can blame Honda. I made some great friends on the way, too.
When I get back to the UK, I may well buy another.
WBT Day 1 #30 by Flying Badger, on Flickr
S2000 by Flying Badger, on Flickr
Edited by Famous Graham on Friday 22 February 18:17
petrolhead888 said:
Hmmmm...
Never have I ever been so disappointed with a car that I really wanted to love as when I bought one of these.
I had 2 Lotus Elises previously and sold the last one as wanted to get into green laning and couldn`t justify the expense of the Elise sitting in the garage when the weather was poor and had a company car so it hardly got used....
Idea... Buy a Discovery TD5 and an S2000 as a plaything..
Bought a MK1 2000 S2000 in black, nice car and on the way home in it was really pleased with it as I sat in the red leather seats and looking at the stunning digital dashboard.
Now all my cars are always rear drive as I like to play, so at the first sign of rain I like to find a couple of deserted roundabouts and find out the handling balance so that i know what i`m dealing with.
On every car previous including a MK2 MR2 Turbo with 350 bhp I could slide the back end under complete control and learn the characteristics of the car.....
Nope not this... The S2000 snapped straight into an uncontrollable low speed spin no matter how quick I was with the steering (which gave no feel whatsoever)
oooh dear I wasnt expecting it to be as bad as this.
Tyres were all good and the correct factory bridgestones, Alignment had been recently done, hmm not good
Ok maybe its me, I shouldnt expect to be able to slide a car as its not really what I should be doing ( I just like to now and then!)
So drove it on my day off on a dry country road,
no no no.....
No feedback, no steering feel, Hard work, Stuttering in traffic (some common fault they all do that sir) what a massive disappointment.
Put a different exhaust on it to try and liven up proceedings but all that did was create an ear splitting drone in the cabin that really was not nice at all so ended back with standard exhaust.
Overall the car on paper had all the recipe I was looking for in a car and on face value seemed the perfect choice for me.
Never has a car promised so much and delivered so little so needless to say I will NEVER have another.
To people who just want to cruise around the countryside putting there foot down now and then on a straight road its a great car....
To the driving enthusiasts of this site........
Look elsewhere for your thrills
(Sorry for the negativity but I really had to pipe up about it after reading this article!)
Seconded. No feel made me regret buying it. Engine was special though.Never have I ever been so disappointed with a car that I really wanted to love as when I bought one of these.
I had 2 Lotus Elises previously and sold the last one as wanted to get into green laning and couldn`t justify the expense of the Elise sitting in the garage when the weather was poor and had a company car so it hardly got used....
Idea... Buy a Discovery TD5 and an S2000 as a plaything..
Bought a MK1 2000 S2000 in black, nice car and on the way home in it was really pleased with it as I sat in the red leather seats and looking at the stunning digital dashboard.
Now all my cars are always rear drive as I like to play, so at the first sign of rain I like to find a couple of deserted roundabouts and find out the handling balance so that i know what i`m dealing with.
On every car previous including a MK2 MR2 Turbo with 350 bhp I could slide the back end under complete control and learn the characteristics of the car.....
Nope not this... The S2000 snapped straight into an uncontrollable low speed spin no matter how quick I was with the steering (which gave no feel whatsoever)
oooh dear I wasnt expecting it to be as bad as this.
Tyres were all good and the correct factory bridgestones, Alignment had been recently done, hmm not good
Ok maybe its me, I shouldnt expect to be able to slide a car as its not really what I should be doing ( I just like to now and then!)
So drove it on my day off on a dry country road,
no no no.....
No feedback, no steering feel, Hard work, Stuttering in traffic (some common fault they all do that sir) what a massive disappointment.
Put a different exhaust on it to try and liven up proceedings but all that did was create an ear splitting drone in the cabin that really was not nice at all so ended back with standard exhaust.
Overall the car on paper had all the recipe I was looking for in a car and on face value seemed the perfect choice for me.
Never has a car promised so much and delivered so little so needless to say I will NEVER have another.
To people who just want to cruise around the countryside putting there foot down now and then on a straight road its a great car....
To the driving enthusiasts of this site........
Look elsewhere for your thrills
(Sorry for the negativity but I really had to pipe up about it after reading this article!)
Edited by stew-S160 on Friday 22 February 18:16
Cheers to some of you who agree...
To the others....
Honestly Its a great car to look at its a great car to sit in, it has a great gearchange and is manic when on full song..
But as a rear drive bit of fun it is just too quick to go from no feel corner entry to snap oversteer
yes I could correct it with a very quick arm twirl but there was no feeling of chassis balance.
But I like a car to give me feedback and tell me when its going to do this
Tell me honestly on a wet country road pressing on in your S2000 that it gives sufficient feedback to tell you when its going to let go?
Mine felt really uncertain and I had no trust that I could drive it at 10/10ths
Almost like an Impreza/Evo, Great grip and wonderful up to the limit but will spit you off when the grip runs out as the feel of a real sportscar isn`t there
And not like an early 911 that also has a reputation as being hard to master, but with the 911 you can use the weight transfer to help the car around corners, you can be neat or be a lunatic! this is different ,this is a car in my opinion that as a plaything to get the feel of driving in the purest terms really falls way short of where it should be.
Anyone who says they can master it has not driven one in the wet at 10/10ths and compared it to other good rear drive sports cars.
it isnt about the speed its about the feel
For gods sake I had a go in a Suzuki Cappicino many years ago and that was better!!
To the others....
Honestly Its a great car to look at its a great car to sit in, it has a great gearchange and is manic when on full song..
But as a rear drive bit of fun it is just too quick to go from no feel corner entry to snap oversteer
yes I could correct it with a very quick arm twirl but there was no feeling of chassis balance.
But I like a car to give me feedback and tell me when its going to do this
Tell me honestly on a wet country road pressing on in your S2000 that it gives sufficient feedback to tell you when its going to let go?
Mine felt really uncertain and I had no trust that I could drive it at 10/10ths
Almost like an Impreza/Evo, Great grip and wonderful up to the limit but will spit you off when the grip runs out as the feel of a real sportscar isn`t there
And not like an early 911 that also has a reputation as being hard to master, but with the 911 you can use the weight transfer to help the car around corners, you can be neat or be a lunatic! this is different ,this is a car in my opinion that as a plaything to get the feel of driving in the purest terms really falls way short of where it should be.
Anyone who says they can master it has not driven one in the wet at 10/10ths and compared it to other good rear drive sports cars.
it isnt about the speed its about the feel
For gods sake I had a go in a Suzuki Cappicino many years ago and that was better!!
This is a real tough one. I've got 5k burning a hole in my pocket and I've been looking at these, Boxsters, R33's, RX8's or just putting the cash into some FI for my MX5 mk1. So many good things about this car, mainly around the engine and interior. But the styling leaves me unmoved and there is a gut feeling that says 'no'. Don't know what to do about this one. Jury's out...
Had an 07 model S2 for three years and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a bit snappy in the wet at first but the rear tyres were fairly worn when I got it and the transformation with a correct set of Bridgestones with the correct load rating was impressive. I still wonder how many are out there on apparently correct tyres but with the wrong load rating? Great fun on twisty roads in the powerband; just wind the windows down to see where you're going in hairpins. Insurance wasn't particularly cheap though I was spending almost as much on rear tyres which were lasting 5 to 6K - and beautifully evenly worn across the width before you ask.
Before the S2000 I had an Integrale Evo1 which was a hoot to drive as well - particularly in the wet, or slush or any other normally dodgy conditions as well as the dry and easy to slide around in as well once you learn to drive it and provoke it properly. The only time it tried to bite me was when I was fairly new to it and backed off in a corner when I should have kept it nailed - most rear drive cars would have bitten much harder under the same provocation and likely been harder to correct.
So why sell it? I needed something less practical so now have an M3W.
Before the S2000 I had an Integrale Evo1 which was a hoot to drive as well - particularly in the wet, or slush or any other normally dodgy conditions as well as the dry and easy to slide around in as well once you learn to drive it and provoke it properly. The only time it tried to bite me was when I was fairly new to it and backed off in a corner when I should have kept it nailed - most rear drive cars would have bitten much harder under the same provocation and likely been harder to correct.
So why sell it? I needed something less practical so now have an M3W.
Edited by abernero on Friday 22 February 19:17
I do love these, I had a royal navy blue 2004 model, utterly fantastic car but I binned it in the wet just before Christmas 
. Two much throttle in second gear in the wet and things got very sideways very quickly with just a slight bend in the road. Complete inexperience and over-enthusiasm on my part, but these cars are somewhat unforgiving!
Insurance is prohibitively expensive now, so I have an FN2 Civic Type R instead, which is nice its own way but not anywhere near as special.
. Two much throttle in second gear in the wet and things got very sideways very quickly with just a slight bend in the road. Complete inexperience and over-enthusiasm on my part, but these cars are somewhat unforgiving!Insurance is prohibitively expensive now, so I have an FN2 Civic Type R instead, which is nice its own way but not anywhere near as special.
Had an '03 and kept her for 3 years. Loved that car, my only regret? Not using her enough. Absolutely amazing gear change which was made even better with a countersunk knob!
Only thing I didn't get on with was the seat. Was fine for shorter journeys (hour and a half say), but longer ones and I got out with lower back pain.
Only thing I didn't get on with was the seat. Was fine for shorter journeys (hour and a half say), but longer ones and I got out with lower back pain.
Definitely a PH Hero. I ran a 2008 S2000 for a couple of years and I was very sad to see her go.
The feel and sound of VTEC in an S2000 has to be experienced - and is addictive.
Beautiful car and they still look good. Moved recently and there are several round this way - very jealous of the guy in a black S2000 with his top down yesterday - even though it was close to freezing.
I'm tall and no string bean but seats were great and controls were all just in the right place.
They do need good 4 wheel alignment by someone who knows what they're doing. And don't try running with too little rubber on the road either. That said I was worried about the hedge eating reputation but you can have great fun with all that RWD power as long as you engage your brain when driving.
I was worried about lack of torque given my love of turbo power and torque but as Alex said the power is very accessible and I never had any problems making good progress.
The gearbox is a real peach too.
Probably an age thing but insurance was relative cheap.
Let's hope Honda bring something similar to market soon.
The feel and sound of VTEC in an S2000 has to be experienced - and is addictive.
Beautiful car and they still look good. Moved recently and there are several round this way - very jealous of the guy in a black S2000 with his top down yesterday - even though it was close to freezing.
I'm tall and no string bean but seats were great and controls were all just in the right place.
They do need good 4 wheel alignment by someone who knows what they're doing. And don't try running with too little rubber on the road either. That said I was worried about the hedge eating reputation but you can have great fun with all that RWD power as long as you engage your brain when driving.
I was worried about lack of torque given my love of turbo power and torque but as Alex said the power is very accessible and I never had any problems making good progress.
The gearbox is a real peach too.
Probably an age thing but insurance was relative cheap.
Let's hope Honda bring something similar to market soon.
In the UK or Europe we will never see a "big" cc engine like this again its sadly downsizing to boosted power plants- nice enough I'm sure and good power however an open top sports car with a 9k unit is perfect. I'd happily have a big v8 too its great to have the choice.
I can see these in time becoming as collectible as the Saab 900 turbo convertible. The Boxter of similar vintage looks st this looks fresh today and that peachy engine a winning combo
I can see these in time becoming as collectible as the Saab 900 turbo convertible. The Boxter of similar vintage looks s
t this looks fresh today and that peachy engine a winning comboThey need a decent induction kit to get the full 9000rpm sound, this was my first one a few years ago with a K&N FIPK, awesome sound 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5Zem0s2Jk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5Zem0s2Jk
This is the only car I've spun in my adult life.
At trackdays it was always S2000's that were facing the wrong way, even in experienced hands and with geo/tyres sorted.
My incredibly adept instructor spun, my mates spun, I spun, he spun, she spun, everyone's a spun spun.
Epic engine, tiny cabin, barstool seat height, silly dash, iffy chassis and an 'I'm too serious' demeanour.
That's why the PH answer is always MX5 not S2000.
At trackdays it was always S2000's that were facing the wrong way, even in experienced hands and with geo/tyres sorted.
My incredibly adept instructor spun, my mates spun, I spun, he spun, she spun, everyone's a spun spun.
Epic engine, tiny cabin, barstool seat height, silly dash, iffy chassis and an 'I'm too serious' demeanour.
That's why the PH answer is always MX5 not S2000.
cheddar said:
This is the only car I've spun in my adult life.
At trackdays it was always S2000's that were facing the wrong way, even in experienced hands and with geo/tyres sorted.
My incredibly adept instructor spun, my mates spun, I spun, he spun, she spun, everyone's a spun spun.
Epic engine, tiny cabin, barstool seat height, silly dash, iffy chassis and an 'I'm too serious' demeanour.
That's why the PH answer is always MX5 not S2000.
None of you were doing it right At trackdays it was always S2000's that were facing the wrong way, even in experienced hands and with geo/tyres sorted.
My incredibly adept instructor spun, my mates spun, I spun, he spun, she spun, everyone's a spun spun.
Epic engine, tiny cabin, barstool seat height, silly dash, iffy chassis and an 'I'm too serious' demeanour.
That's why the PH answer is always MX5 not S2000.
Urban Sports said:
They need a decent induction kit to get the full 9000rpm sound, this was my first one a few years ago with a K&N FIPK, awesome sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5Zem0s2Jk
Great sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5Zem0s2Jk
What do these things sound like with Spoon engines which rev to 14,000 rpm road legal!!!!!!
Urban Sports said:
cheddar said:
This is the only car I've spun in my adult life.
At trackdays it was always S2000's that were facing the wrong way, even in experienced hands and with geo/tyres sorted.
My incredibly adept instructor spun, my mates spun, I spun, he spun, she spun, everyone's a spun spun.
Epic engine, tiny cabin, barstool seat height, silly dash, iffy chassis and an 'I'm too serious' demeanour.
That's why the PH answer is always MX5 not S2000.
None of you were doing it right At trackdays it was always S2000's that were facing the wrong way, even in experienced hands and with geo/tyres sorted.
My incredibly adept instructor spun, my mates spun, I spun, he spun, she spun, everyone's a spun spun.
Epic engine, tiny cabin, barstool seat height, silly dash, iffy chassis and an 'I'm too serious' demeanour.
That's why the PH answer is always MX5 not S2000.
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