Honda, a Japanese automaker, produced the Honda S2000, an open-top sports car, from 1999 until 2009. To commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary, the production version of the SSM concept car was unveiled on April 15, 1999, at the Tokyo Motor Show. In keeping with the S500, S600, and S800 roadsters of the 1960s, the S2000 is called after its two-liter engine displacement.
Over the course of the vehicle’s manufacturing, numerous modifications were made, including adjustments to the interior, bodywork, suspension, engine, and gearbox. The initial launch model was given the chassis code AP1, and the facelifted model, known as the AP2 in North America and Japan, included considerable improvements to the drivetrain and suspension despite sharing a similar exterior. On August 19, 2009, the S2000’s manufacturing halted.
The Honda S2000 stood out for having the highest mass-produced naturally aspirated engine specific power output at roughly 124 horsepower per liter, or about two horsepower per cubic inch.
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Since then, the price of valued models in good condition of the S2000 has significantly increased, making it a legitimate example of a modern vintage automobile. Special edition productions, like the CR (Club Racer) in the USA market, are the most sought-after models in the JDM community and the automotive industry as a whole. Standard AP1 and AP2 vehicles have also turned into collectibles.
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Will the Honda S2000 return?
This is expected to occur in 2024, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original S2000, according to insider reports.
The next-generation Honda Civic Type R’s engine will likely power the S2000, but Honda supposedly wants to make the new car seem remarkably identical to the original (to the extent this is possible with modern requirements around safety etc).
In the interim, the original S2000 is the only convertible Honda sports car worth considering.
For more details on this fantastic car, see our Honda S2000 buyer’s guide and model history.
Do you anticipate Honda bringing the S2000 back? What additional Honda models would you like to see updated? Please feel free to comment below to start the conversation.
Honda S2000s uncommon?
Honda sold only 700 S2000 CR models, making them exceedingly rare. Due to their scarcity and assortment of track-focused improvements, they have increased in value over the past five years from being $30,000 cars to six-figure collectors. In addition to having unique wheels, a quicker steering rack, stiffer suspension, revised aero, extra chassis bracing, and a one-piece detachable hardtop roof, CR models also received these upgrades.
This one, which has 123 kilometers on the odometer and is finished in yellow over black Alcantara and cloth, looks the part. The interior is in excellent condition, and the body panels and roof piece appear to be in flawless condition. The car’s engine compartment and underside appear to have never been touched by the outside world, which is not unexpected given that it has only traveled an average of 8.7 miles annually since it was first delivered in 2008.
Currently, a similarly equipped CR that sold for $122,500 on Bring a Trailer back in February 2022 has the distinction of most valued S2000 in the world. However, the mileage on that vehicle was 5500 when it was sold. At the time of writing, Rahal’s CR had received bids as high as $111,111, and there were still three days left to place them.
Rahal has relocated an S2000 using the Bring a Trailer platform before. The six-time IndyCar race winner paid $48,000 back in 2018 for a pristine 2000 S2000 painted in red with 1000 kilometers on the odometer. The next year, he earned $70,000 by auctioning off a 91-mile example.
When was S2000 phased out?
When the Honda S2000 first came out, we all knew it was a fun-handling, two-seater sports car, but many of us had no idea how much we would miss it once it was discontinued in 2009.
What makes the S2000 unique?
First of all, that engine contributed to the mythology of the S2000. When you first start the car, this might not seem to be the case because it doesn’t seem to show anything exceptional as you wait for it to reach idle. You continue to apply some revs while pondering the fuss. However, the S2000 really starts to become truly unique until you find that redline and begin to drive it seriously. The S2000 had a normally aspirated production automobile engine with the highest specific output ever recorded. Remember that the engine produces 124 horsepower per liter—without a turbocharger or supercharging.
The engine is connected to the absolutely stunning manual transmission. For years, people have waxed poetic about this gearbox, but the truth is that it is just that amazing. According to publications like Top Gear, the mechanical connection you feel between the engine and the gears may perhaps be the greatest available right now. In the S2000, changing gear is an event rather than just a procedure. At high rpm, you can shift into the next gear quickly, or when softly cruising, you can shift into the next gear gradually. Honda did a fantastic job pairing the engine and transmission.
Why was S2000 withdrawn from use?
The S2000 was initially made available in more than one trim level in the US for the 2008 model year.
[13] Honda provided a more track-focused variant of the S2000 in addition to the standard model, which was distinguished by less weight, fewer features, and improved performance. On April 4, 2007, the S2000 Club Racer had its global debut at the New York International Auto Show. [14] In addition to new Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires that were 10mm wider at the rear than the original model (245/40R-17), the CR also received a lower ratio steering rack, an updated exhaust system, black lug nuts, darker-colored rims, clear side markers, and stronger suspension. A reworked body kit that included a huge spoiler and a modified front lip was wind tunnel tested and was said to have reduced the overall coefficient of lift by 7080%. Regardless of the color of the car’s body paint, the power folding soft top was taken out and replaced with a Berlina Black hard top. The area where the soft top would normally fold when lowered was then filled with extra chassis bracing and covered with a body-color tonneau cover. The base model’s cylindrical shift knob (aluminum/leather wrapped) is 12.6 mm higher than the Honda’s CR-unique yellow-lettered spherical aluminum shift knob, which is also used. A 10% increase in shift load effort was presented in response to the CR knob’s 6% reduction in shift stroke.
Interiors made of Alcantara were only offered in yellow and black for CR models. The CR trim was the only one with faux carbon fiber overlays on the center console and radio door, as well as a peak power indicator light on the instrument gauge cluster that flashes when the engine is operating at its max output. The spare tire was removed, and air conditioning and a radio were only available as options in order to save weight and lower the center of gravity. Without the additional hardtop, there was a net weight savings of 41 kg (90 lb) compared to the basic model. The S2000 CR’s engine was the same as the one in the basic trim. [15] [16] The S2000’s creator, Shigeru Uehara, said that the CR was sandwiched between the Type S and a potential Type R. [17] Honda did not produce an official Type R S2000 derivative, though.
Less than 2,000 units of manufacturing were anticipated at launch, and 668 were produced for the 2008 model year, or little over 25% of the total output in the United States. For the 2009 model year, Honda kept the basic and CR variants unmodified, but due to dwindling sales brought on by the 2008 automotive industry crisis, the S2000 was discontinued in the middle of the model year. [18] In 2009, just 355 U.S. S2000s were produced, 31 of which were CR variants. Thus, 699 CRs were produced overall during the course of the two model years. [19]
What is the S2000 worth?
What is the value of a 2000 Honda S2000? A used 2000 Honda S2000 is worth between $6,501 and $12,990, depending on the mileage, extras, and condition of the car. Get a free evaluation right here.
Is the S2000’s value rising?
The Hagerty Valuation team has learned a lot about the most recent Honda S2000 transaction prices, so please check here for the most recent values. The most recent data update shows no significant price increases. Cars that would be classified as #1 (Concours, or “best-in-the-world examples”) and #2 (Excellent) have remained unchanged over the past four months, but #3 (Good) and #4 (Fair) have increased by 2%.
S2000 levels, however, have dramatically increased over a longer time period. In 2013, when we first formally began keeping track of S2000 values, cars in #2 (Excellent) condition were typically valued at $24,000. The average price of an S2000 is $29,500 as of February 2021, a 23 percent increase. If that seems excessive, it’s because the majority of the gain is the result of soaring prices for cars in condition #1 (Concours) and #2 (Excellent).
The value of AP1 cars is often a little higher than that of AP2 cars. A 2003 S2000 with 855 miles was sold by Mecum in 2018 for $71,500. (Mileage is important for these really expensive autos.) A 1000-mile New Formula Red S2000 from the first model year that sold on Bring A Trailer for $48K has a similar backstory.
Over the past three years, AP1 vehicle insurance quotes have increased by 103%, and over the past five years, they have increased by 257%. Additionally, agreed values have increased by 15% over the past five years and 17% over the past three years.
The demographics of S2000 ownership should reveal a lot if you’re curious in how young people feel about vehicles today. Baby boomers possess 40% of the market for vintage cars overall, but 35% of the S2000s insured with Hagerty. Although millennials only account for 18% of the vintage automobile market, our data reveals that 31% of S2000 owners fall into that age group.
Only 66,860 of these vehicles were ever imported into the country, and many of them suffered damage over the years. The newest and oldest of these vehicles are each twelve years old. Spend some time finding an excellent one that you’ll like to drive. There aren’t many vehicles available at this price bracket that provide this level of driving enjoyment. Find the S2000 in the greatest condition you can afford, and you should have years of enjoyment from your investment!