RE: Honda S2000 | Spotted

[thelostboy]

Lotobear said:

Having just purchased a newer Evora with fewer miles and every option pack for only a smidge more, I'm feeling a rosie glow right now

Fair play, that puts things into context.

Have to say though, the Evora doesn't look quite right to me (the latest ones are much better), whereas the S2000 does look fantastic.

Ditto with the RX8. Passed my ARDS in one so have fond memories, but it is an odd little thing. The S2000 is a proper roadster; you can't really compare them like-for-like.

Looks are of course subjective, but there has to be a reason why they have kept their money. Maybe it's just me, but I won't even consider a 'sporty' car unless it makes me look back at it after I walk away.

[fernando the frog]

grudas said:

I've had one for a while now! absolutely love it, such a raw/demanding car.

keeps me awake and with a good exhaust system it sounds epic too.

it needs to be driven to move but in the corners etc not much will make you smile as much as this. It seems to be marmite, some people love the engine others dislike it..

god that is lovely

[grudas]

people saying how many other cars you can buy for "25k" need to remember that this is low mileage, limited edition version that has always fetched a good 10k+ over a standard non limited edition s2k.

a very good low mileage s2k can be had for 12-15k not 25.

so if we compare cars around 10k-15k bracket the only real matches are e46 m3, z4m(lower end of budget), elise(again lower end), cayman etc..

not evoras etc for 25k

[ShoooRn]

I've owned an S2K for the past 4 years as a summer only car and whilst it's not got as much use as I would like (British summers and all that), when I have used it for it's intended purpose it has been absolutely astonishing. I can probably count on one hand the times when the roof has been up and honestly the aural sensation from that 9000rpm motor is like nothing else in this price bracket.

Find one taken care of and with the TCT change (some rust will be creeping now) and use as a fun weekend blaster.

For me I would happily use it everyday as the torque "issue" that people claim is not that apparent but the clutch isn't that fun to live with in traffic. On the right road in the right conditions give me my S2K anyday.

[Gio G]

I recently purchased an early low mileage example and probably paid a premium. However I was struggling to find a very nice example with the low miles that had been so well looked after.. My son currently uses it and loves it. When that VTEC comes on song, there is nothing like it.

You can see the condition from the video below, a 2000 model with 16k miles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWd-mihxdAk

G

[ChickenvanGuy]

I love these.

I’m on my 4th, all black with red seats. See a pattern?

My first one caught me out and it ended badly. The second one just wasn't the same.

The bug was still there, so I got another in 2009, kept it for three years. Should never have sold it (it's on autotrader now, DN09 NNU, £18K!)

I've been fortunate enough to have had some lovely cars since, and I bought a TTS on a PCP in 2016. But then my daughter changed schools unexpectedly and I needed a bigger car. Enter a shed mondeo, and the realisation that I was paying a lot (and I mean a lot!) For the TT to sit in the garage and lose money.

So I chopped the TT in and took the hit.

Now one of the last S2000s sits in the garage. It's got some subtle mods (heated seats, audio etc. OEM + is the plan) and I'll never sell it. High days and holidays, less than 2500 miles last year, quietly going up in value. But that's not the point...

The point is that they are the last of their kind. High revving, naturally aspirated, manual...

When petrol is rationed and we are all renting electric superminis I will have something that's worth using my annual 10 gallon super-unleaded allowance on.

Fabulous things!

[url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/o1n0ZLia[/url]

Edited by ChickenvanGuy on Tuesday 15th October 13:51

[ChrisPackit]

Ive just sold one recently (to a guy in France actually) and then I sold a second car that I had, and pooled the resources into one car... and Audi R8. Whilst the R8 is obviously quicker, and arguably better looking, the way the S2000 made you feel on a nice summers day, with the roof down and a nice exhaust on it. I cant put my finger on what it is, but I am missing the S2!

[ZesPak]

daniel1920 said:

What is it with dealers 'rounding down' the mileage.

At least don't put a photo of the ODO, I'm pretty sure 1500 haven't been added from daily duties.

I've done it :getmycoat:

In a lot of second hand websites you get a dropdown filter for a range of mileage instead of a hard number. And even then, people might be looking at <30 000 miles cars. If my car had 30 500, I would round it down as well.

On topic:
I've shopped for an S2000 about a decade ago, a good one was 12k EUR with not that many miles on. Taxes on them (because of CO2) were absurdly high to the point a second hand porsche boxter was sensible. Shame, I loved the look of them even if the O/H didn't.

[NorthernSky]

kambites said:

Court_S said:

As much as I like them, £25k is a lot of money for one.

You can buy a perfectly good one (albeit not this limited edition) for well under £10k.

I wouldn't say 'well under' 10k. A few years ago, possibly. If you searched hard enough and for months, then yeah, perhaps one may, just may, come available under 10k.

As more and more end up driven down quiet residential streets into garden walls, values will stay strong now on primarily due to engine in these! WHAT a glorious thing it is.

[NGK210]

Spent a week in the mk1 version. Loved it - proper front-end grip and sweet handling; lovely gear shift; cracking motor; but unbearably loud on motorways.

[samoht]

NorthernSky said:

I wouldn't say 'well under' 10k. A few years ago, possibly. If you searched hard enough and for months, then yeah, perhaps one may, just may, come available under 10k.

29 cars found:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=price...

So I'd say that it'd be fairly realistic to go out and look for one with a £10k budget.

Apart from that I agree with the rest of what you say - not really 'well under £10k' any more, and I do expect them to trail the NSX upwards in value in future.

[WJNB]

kambites said:

Court_S said:

As much as I like them, £25k is a lot of money for one.

You can buy a perfectly good one (albeit not this limited edition) for well under £10k.

The dealer is being very cute because somebody at sometime will buy it & at that price & for the last version waiting for the right buyer is not a problem. Plenty of people about with fat bank balances who collect cars just as children collected Dinky toys & for whom purchase price, value for money & depreciation is of no consequence. We forget that to some £25k is equal to £25 for the lower orders.
Rarity does make it a modern classic & at £25k it's only a grand more then I paid for a new 2006 model. Ownership was OK but nothing special as the drivers seat too high, lack of torque was tiresome as I'm no yobbish racer & mean appointments just that, mean.
Too many now in the hands of oiks who have tastelessly messed with them.

[mikey P 500]

The last 100 run out white s2000's took ages to sell when new some dealers had them for over a year brand new, and i know someone who bought one for less than £18k brand new as a result of them being so hard to sell, seems crazy how valued they are a few years later.

[TheCoot]

I had two of these from new, both as company cars. In my second one I was doing 37k a year. I had both of them for 3 years each and never once did they need to visit a dealer for anything other than a service. They were simply awesome cars. I have been lucky enough to own TVR's, an F Type, an SL AMG and two Morgan Aero 8's and the S2000 was equally as thrilling as any of them but far more liveable with on a day to day basis. Both of mine were GT's with aero packs on them (front air dam, side flares and reshaped rear). As for the rear end stepping out!!! Isn't that why we drive rear wheel front engined cars??? Yes mine did it on occasion but never a wall did I meet - handling the car was half the fun. I would jump at the chance of owning another and hence I am now in the market.

[gmyorks]

I've an s2000 had it 6 years and counting.. Use it during the better weather only. Gone up in value unlike most modern cars. Fun to drive and reliability no manufacturer can touch.
And quite rare on the roads.

[AndorranPhil]

Darren93 said:

Also spotted in a garden wall near you.

Only when driven by those who don't know how to drive a RWD sportswear!

[AndorranPhil]

[quote=thelostboy

Is something actually 'wrong' with the car, or were there too many people coming from safe FWD hot hatches who couldn't drive for toffee?
[/quote]

That was exactly the problem. They would go into a corner too fast and rather than keep the throttle on they would lift off, and ........ you know the outcome.

[Black S2K]

Without the mods and on early tyres, it was difficult to sense the impending breakaway and it would catch people out

The usual response would be to apply too much opposite lock and it would twang you off in the other direction.

Balance the throttle and let the castor do the steering and the car will usually sort itself out.

[Olivera]

Black S2K said:

Without the mods and on early tyres, it was difficult to sense the impending breakaway and it would catch people out

The usual response would be to apply too much opposite lock and it would twang you off in the other direction.

Balance the throttle and let the castor do the steering and the car will usually sort itself out.

A contributing factor is the early electric power steering found on all S2000s, widely regarded as poo.

[WelshRich]

I had one from new (2003) and absolutely loved it, the only car I regret selling.

I went through nine months of doing a 4 hour/120 mile commute each day (round trip down the M6, past Birmingham before the Toll road opened) and still kept it.

Child number one came along, no way of disabling the airbag (Honda genuinely advised me that the best place for a child was on the rear seats!) but I still kept it, even though it meant driving to the station car-park to swap with my wife’s car when I got back and needed to pick up my daughter.

Child number two came along and I ended up doing another long commute but this time I had to get a more sensible car and just couldn’t afford to keep the S as a weekend toy.

Sold it with a private plate (S20 OGT) which is still going, but it’s been switched to a different car so I don’t know whether mine has met it’s fate in a ditch somewhere (I never had an issue with the handling except once in about 8 inches of snow)