Honda S2000 roadster

As with any performance-oriented vehicle, particularly in the two-seat roadster category, there are those that focus exclusively on all-out performance attributes, and those who look at the big picture, analyzing the rolling stock from an overall perspective in terms of functionality and appearance (performance also, but with a less critical eye). Honda’s latest sports car car entry, the S2000 roadster is no exception to the rule.

The performance gearheads have criticized the Honda S2000 as being sluggish off the line or bogging down rather than lighting up the tires. Credit that to Honda’s VTEC technology.

The Honda S2000’s 2-liter, dual-over-head-camshaft, 16-valve (four per cylinder), four-cylinder VTEC doesn’t really come alive until the revs are up, allowing for more efficient operation and ultimately for a higher level of performance at the top end, delivering 240 horsepower and 153 pounds-feet of torque, while meeting California’s strict low-emission-vehicle standards.

In fact, the Honda S2000 delivers the highest horsepower per liter (120 hp per liter) of any naturally aspirated engine with a perfectly balanced 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. The engine is mounted neatly behind the front axle. Those concerned with more than just performance (which is well above the pretty good mark) are able to fully appreciate the car’s extremely good looks, positive ergonomic layout, overall versatility and functionality and incredibly affordable for what-you-get price tag.

Take a close look at competitors in the two-seat roadster market and you’ll gain a rapid appreciation of the Honda S2000’s mission objective and how it delivers upon that objective.

It seems appropriate that the Honda S2000 will be built on the same Takanezawa plant assembly line at Honda’s Tochigi, Japan, factory as the Acura NSX, where robotics are at a minimum and hand fabrication is paramount. Honda’s new hybrid, the Insight will also be built on this site, where the EV Plus was manufactured before being discontinued.

The Honda S2000 was developed from four decades of racing knowledge and heritage and evolves as a high-performance, two-seat, open-topped roadster, based on the SSM concept car that first debuted at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show.

Using a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car configuration, it incorporates world-class safety features. The Honda S2000’s styling is of a timeless nature – it is both modern and purposeful with a crisp, angular execution. The hood is long and low and the fenders are flared over the low-profile, 16-inch performance tires mounted on five-spoke alloy wheels giving the smart roadster a low, muscular stance. Attractiveness reigns with the top in either the up or down position, with the power transition from one mode to the other taking a mere six seconds at the push of a button following the release of the intuitive and ingenious header latches. There is a semisoft boot to cover the dropped top.

And . . . speaking of buttons – settling behind the wheel in the tastefully laid out cockpit, one wonders what’s gone wrong when the engine fails to ignite after turning the key to the start position? In the case of the Honda S2000, red means GO – there is a nostalgic red starter button that fires things up.

Redundant radio controls are positioned above the start button so that the panel hiding primary controls may be left in place.

The car priced out at just over $32,000 with everything.