RE: HonestGuv: Honda S2000

RE: HonestGuv: Honda S2000

Wednesday 9th February 2011

HonestGuv: Honda S2000

An Elise-beater for under £5k? You'd better believe it (HonestGuv does...)


Our man in the motor trade - HonestGuv - tells it like it is. (Or isn't.)


Ah, 1999. The last year of the century was interesting for many reasons. I finally got rid of the third wife and we were all partying like it was 1999, when we weren't quaking in anticipation of the Millennium Bug, that is.

But as PHer Chris Thomas reminded me via e-mail, 1999 was also the year Honda brought out its S2000. Chris says the jump he made from an MX-5 to his S2000 is the best thing he's ever done, and reckons we've missed a trick by not including it in 'Open Season'.

He's on to something here. Under 6000rpm you've got a quiet, well-screwed-together cruiser with all mod cons, something you could cheerily drive to your gran's funeral. Above 6000rpm you've got a proper barrel of laughs: 237 brake, ton-fifty on the digi speedo, snappy six-speed 'box, nought to sixty in five, and a nice leather seat for the old lady.


For some reason the Max Power brigade never got hold of S2000s in any serious way. Bodykits are subtle, Mugen and Spoon performance bits credible, and standard cars come in classy colours. Better still there are plenty about - over a hundred on the PH classifieds as we speak.

Brand new, an S2000 would sting you nearly £29k. Now my old mate depreciation has brought them down to properly tempting money. You don't even have to go down the Cat D route to find them under £5k. Check out this 1999 T S2000 specimen if you want proof.

Or, if you're a bit more minted and fancy something that stands out, you could try this rather more 'trick' S2000.


Get a nice S2k home and you're looking at a prime specimen of Japanese engineering that's grown nicely into its own skin over the past 10 years. It'll take all the abuse you care to dish out and keep coming back for more, exactly like a YTS trainee.

Some dab-of-oppo Queefs of the age gibbed on about 'numbness in the steering', but I reckon they had a terminal case of numbness in the nuts. Mate of mine used to work for Honda back in the old Power Road, Chiswick days. One day he turned up at our garage in the Press car. As luck would have it we had an Elise 111S in at the same time for servicing, so it seemed only right to take the pair of them out on the Downs for a lunchtime clearout (which is all that most decent cars need to get them back in tune). Lance, my business partner at the time, started off in the Honda. After a couple of sherberts and a packet of extra-strong mints we swapped keys for the return trip.


The Elise was all right I suppose. Anything relying on an old BL lump for its poke is never going to be what you might call refined, plus the reactions you need on greasy corners aren't necessarily there after three or four pints of Scruttocks Old Dirigible.

But the Honda was pure gold. Half a ton heavier, sure, but 94 more horse, better brakes and a sight more civilised. It started peeing down halfway back. The Honda roof went up in 10 seconds on the button. In the mirror I saw Lance getting into a right state with a bunch of tent poles and a load of flapping vinyl. Oh how I laughed.

Downsides? Well, anything revving to nine grand is going to like a drink, oil as well as (high-octane) fuel. Clutches can buzz. Anyone on the taller side might find the driving position a touch high - the seat cushion and steering column are both fixed - and if you bother with insurance these days the premium might make your eyes water a bit.


More upsides? It'll go for ever as long as you change the oil every 9k, the plugs at 54k and the cam chain tensioner at 70k. If she idles a bit unsteady, chances are the previous owner hasn't stuck to the plan, but it's unlikely to be anything a full service won't put right.

Final recommendation: Vicky Butler-Henderson used to razz around in a lavender-blue one. She loved it. Liked the Honda too, as I recall. But then it was probably a freebie.

Author
Discussion

mikey k

Original Poster:

13,009 posts

215 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
I've had four different versions of these over the last 8 years.
Yes they are getting cheap wink
BUT they all need new roofs, replacement of seized bushes on the wishbones and the engines tend to die ~130k miles. Used engines are ~£2.5k.
They are group 20 insurance because they have a taste for armco and hedges.

They sold for less than £20k new in the last year, even the GT100's weren't £29k winkThere's no cambelt on it, its a chain that is not a service item, though the tensioner does wear. If they idle rough there are several reasons, no of which Honda look at on services. (bit more research needed me thinks laugh ) And the "max power brigade" are now flocking to them frown

They are cheap for a reason!
Great car though and I still miss mine frown

Edited by mikey k on Wednesday 9th February 13:10

snorkel sucker

2,659 posts

202 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
a lot of car for the money

for that proper Outrun-esque feeling, take one for a blast in the dead night of summer, roof down, and watch the orange and red digital speedo go to work

loved mine. still miss it

mattcov

721 posts

225 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
cambelt? scratchchin

Neil H

15,323 posts

250 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
That Spec V advert is wrong, it didn't come with a more powerful engine rolleyes it simply has variable geared steering.

wl606

268 posts

199 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
"plus the reactions you need on greasy corners aren't necessarily there after three or four pints of Scruttocks Old Dirigible."

"and if you bother with insurance these days the premium might make your eyes water a bit."

It's not big, and it's not clever.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
What's with the BL bks?

TimS2000

452 posts

206 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
Great car (not that I'm biased! spin ), and err,"interesting" article... tumbleweed

snorkel sucker

2,659 posts

202 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
wl606 said:
"plus the reactions you need on greasy corners aren't necessarily there after three or four pints of Scruttocks Old Dirigible."

"and if you bother with insurance these days the premium might make your eyes water a bit."

It's not big, and it's not clever.
and i think its tounge in cheek!!

bmthnick1981

5,309 posts

215 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
mattcov said:
cambelt? scratchchin
Indeed, Cambelt?

I've had one of these, good cars, not the best write up this time though.

Crunchy Nutter

246 posts

193 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
Egad! I bloody love the S2000. I borrowed one once and went out to the Evo Triangle in it. Beautiful hot sunny day, roof down, and the sound of 9000rpm bouncing back off the drystone walls on the way towards Betws-y-Coed. One of the best days' driving I've ever had. I WILL own one one day.

BarnatosGhost

31,608 posts

252 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
Strictly speaking, wasn't 2000 the last year of the century?

fido

16,735 posts

254 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
"Anyone on the taller side might find the driving position a touch high..." - it's a massive downside if you pardon the pun [Moses].

Actually, does anyone on here over 6ft3 have an S2000? It's the only reason i didn't buy one .. discrimination against tall people!

EDLT

15,421 posts

205 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
So your sticking with the Carcoat Damphands rip-off then.

GauZe

11 posts

195 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
0-60 in 5? Surely it's more like 6...

Kong

1,503 posts

170 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
I love these cars, i nearly bought a facelift model in yellow. The reason i didnt was that insurance was a complete joke, seriously steep.

The residuals on these things arent all that bad, despite this article. Remember 12 years old - thats a long time! When i was looking to buy 2 years ago i found that a Z4 3.0i with the same age/mileage was actually quite a bit cheaper.

No doubt the Elise boys will be down to point out that the Honda is boring, mass produced, plastic, soft, with rubbish steering and their cars are better. But i would take the S2000 over anything less than a 111R Elise any day.

daverichmond1

43 posts

208 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
The second advert is suspect at best as it indicates that the mileage is 36,000 but in one of the photos you can see it sitting at 58,000 on the odometre on the dash!!

pikey

7,698 posts

283 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
Had one of these for 3 years from new. Absolutely loved it. Fantastic car. Servicing was a bit bks though (YTS employee didn't put all of it back together)

MB 1

523 posts

184 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
It's a JDM, so the speedo will partly or all be in KMs.

UK cars you can switch between the two on the dash.

daverichmond1 said:
The second advert is suspect at best as it indicates that the mileage is 36,000 but in one of the photos you can see it sitting at 58,000 on the odometre on the dash!!

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
fido said:
"Anyone on the taller side might find the driving position a touch high..." - it's a massive downside if you pardon the pun [Moses].

Actually, does anyone on here over 6ft3 have an S2000? It's the only reason i didn't buy one .. discrimination against tall people!
To be honest, I'm 5'10" and found that the seat felt too high.

Lovely cars though. I never felt they were as good a driver's car as they should have been (especially given Honda's history with the NSX and ITR), but they are beautifully designed and crafted cars smile

lankyarcher

602 posts

188 months

Wednesday 9th February 2011
quotequote all
daverichmond1 said:
The second advert is suspect at best as it indicates that the mileage is 36,000 but in one of the photos you can see it sitting at 58,000 on the odometre on the dash!!
Miles/Kilometers?