29k-mile Honda S2000 | Spotted
S2000s haven't quite skyrocketed in value yet, as shown by this fine facelift, which is up for £22k
While it’s only been off sale since 2009, for a few years now, the Honda S2000 has felt like a modern classic in waiting. With its high-revving, naturally aspirated four-cylinder, manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, not to mention handling that some found to be a little snappy especially in early examples, it’s authentically old school. Yet with Honda engineering and a design that wouldn’t look out of place on a (likely digital) 2021 motor show stand, it also offers a decidedly modern motoring experience. A PH hero through and through.
Plenty will attest that an S2000 is a sports car that can be used properly with much reward, although they’re not entirely invincible. As last year’s Pill showed, 158,000 miles needn’t be of concern in a cared for VTEC model, but well-used S2000s aren’t completely resilient to rust, especially when confronted with rain and salted wintry roads. The best way to avoid it, of course, is to keep such a car for high days and holidays, which we presume to have been the case of today’s 29,435-mile and 16-year-old Spotted. It’s averaged little more than 1,800 miles a year.
And hasn’t that done it good? This car looks almost box fresh both outside and in, with a lovely shade of blue paint that’s accented with a blue rag top and those silver 17-inch rims. The original buyer clearly had good taste, as the cabin is specced to match, oozing noughties cool with that retro-even-for-then digital rev counter and short, stubby gear knob poking out the transmission tunnel. Given the condition of that lot, we’re optimistic that the 2.0-litre’s 6,000-mile service intervals will have been met, so the oily bits ought to be as lovely as the leather and metal ones.
This being a facelift, it’ll have the chassis improvements Honda brought to the S2000 to better its on-the-limit handling. As PH well knows, the early cars can be a little spikey on the limit, thanks in part to the high-rev delivery of that four-cylinder and the throttle ‘adjustability’ that brings. Honda managed to widen the grip-to-slip window in its facelift model, and the result was a car that felt much more resolved and cohesive. And the key ingredient, that engine, remained fizzy and enthusiastic, even with some mild retuning that made it less peaky, shaving a few hundred revs off its original 9,000rpm limit for more mid-range punch.
As a driver’s car, it was and still is an exciting two-seater offering, so naturally, we have been expecting prices to climb in recent years. But this car’s £22,000 price suggests they’ve remained stable more than anything. That’s good news for a buyer, because it suggests the next rise in values is yet to come, making today’s Spotted appear as much a safe investment as it is a tremendous example of Honda’s old atmospheric ways.
SPECIFICATION | HONDA S2000
Engine: 1,997cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 243@7,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 163@6,500rpm
MPG: 28.3
CO2: 236g/km
First registered: 2005
Recorded mileage: 29,000
Price new: £28,050
Yours for: £22,000
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As for the car, at that price point and mileage and as I have never got on with the MX5 for some reason - this would be where my money would go. It really is rather special I reckon!
As said this is not a AP2, that is the lower reving version for the unlucky people of the US.
Fantastic cars, though they are lairy on the limit, it caught me out more than once
. The F20 engine rightfully gets the attention, but it’s the gearbox for me which is the star, not driven anything with a better action. He loved it and I had a drive once, thinking it to be a great piece of kit, relative lack of torque notwithstanding. What surprised me was how diminutive the cars footprint actually was, until I saw his I believed them to be half a size bigger.
Personal taste of course, but I’ve never understood why cars like this have leather seats, why not have cloth / alcantara, because if you’ve ever jumped into a convertible on a summers day you find that the leather has a temperature just short of that of our sun...
A few years back I took my daughter and friend up to Wembley to see Wrong Direction, and not being that sort of music ‘fan’ decided to walk to The Ace Cafe. It was a Japanese car meet on that evening and there were a couple of supercharged examples, the owners of which extolled their virtues of extra boho but more importantly an increase in torque.
There's no such thing as the AP2 UK car - that's the 2.2l engined S2000 for the USDM.
There's no speccing of an S2000 either, as such from an OEM options perspective - a few bits of spoiler/trim is all you could add to the car.
Putting that aside, you do have to be careful re rust - I had mine resprayed a few years ago (including wheel arches repaired) but I can see a bubble or two that have developed on the sills. However, fingers crossed, the wheel arches are in much more solid shape. Mine has over 100k miles on the clock but does very little these days - from next week even driving into Birmingham ctiy centre will cost me £8 for the privilege!
Edit: It was black and I think 4/5 years old. The owner had bought it for his wife but she'd hated it any never driven often. Talk about missing out.
and that K motor is a legendary 4 banger , and the best shifting gearbox since the Ford 4 speed RWD days RS2000 , Capri's etc It's only the V5/6 STi's that have this shift as far as I'm aware, certainly not the earlier imprezas, UK models or 6 speeds.
As for the car, at that price point and mileage and as I have never got on with the MX5 for some reason - this would be where my money would go. It really is rather special I reckon!
t ski shades folk thought were coolThe shift action was a bit naff from cold and the whole car felt grumpy until it had warmed up. On my extended Sunday morning blasts it always felt that the harder and longer I drove it, the more BHP it found. It absolutely loved to be thrashed.
Unless it was wet, of course. They really can bite if you aren't careful. They are not a car for budget tyres!
Very easy to work on too, they are very simple cars in terms of tech but the level of engineering and componentry was very high.
Perhaps not as fully-rounded as the 986, but the things it does well (F20, looks and gear change) are truly superb.
Sills are good, just needs TLC so hopefully he won’t lose any money on it.
Mental engine! I’ve yet to really try the chassis as it has four different tyres at the moment
I remember when there were loads about for 5-6k, my mate picked up a great example.
One of those hindsight moments when I wish I had picked a couple up and tucked them away!
Always wanted one as I was into the honda scene at the time but couldn't justify a two seater
Ended up getting a GT86 and the irony is that I now have access to another car and could have a two seater!PS get those tyres changed pronto! WIll transform the car
I often read that they are very marmite to drive though, and some seem to absolutely love them...whereas some think that they are a massive disappointment. I'd love to try one myself to make my own mind up about them though.
As said this is not a AP2, that is the lower reving version for the unlucky people of the US.
Fantastic cars, though they are lairy on the limit, it caught me out more than once
. The F20 engine rightfully gets the attention, but it’s the gearbox for me which is the star, not driven anything with a better action. Sills are good, just needs TLC so hopefully he won’t lose any money on it.
Mental engine! I’ve yet to really try the chassis as it has four different tyres at the moment
I remember when there were loads about for 5-6k, my mate picked up a great example.
One of those hindsight moments when I wish I had picked a couple up and tucked them away!
Always wanted one as I was into the honda scene at the time but couldn't justify a two seater
Ended up getting a GT86 and the irony is that I now have access to another car and could have a two seater!PS get those tyres changed pronto! WIll transform the car
Get it driving right first, then he can polish it!
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