It’s difficult to believe that the value of a well-loved S2000 won’t keep increasing as long as it keeps up its good condition, even though not every ancient Honda is destined to have an appreciating path that drives its price to the moon. It’s not just your typical economy Honda, after all.
The Honda S2000, which debuted for the 1999 model year, is the company’s sports roadster from the 1960s, the S600.
According to Motor Trend, several Honda divisions collaborated on the development of the S2000, from motorcycle engineers who built the four-cylinder engine to racing team engineers who designed the chassis, which accounts for the redline of 9,000 RPM. Honda created the S2000 as a competitive alternative to vehicles like the Porsche Boxster and the BMW Z4. According to Motor Trend’s research, it not only holds its own in real-world testing but also outperforms both German rivals.
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A Honda S2000 is it rare?
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.
What is a Honda S2000 now worth?
What is the value of a 2000 Honda S2000? A used 2000 Honda S2000 is worth between $6,746 and $12,863 depending on the mileage, extras, and condition of the car. Get a free evaluation right here.
Is buying an S2000 worthwhile?
A fantastic high-performance roadster that is practical for regular driving is the Honda S2000.
For aficionados of sports cars and roadsters, the late 1990s and early 2000s were a brilliant time, as numerous fantastic models, including the Nissan 350z, Mazda MX-5, and of course the Honda S2000, were debuted. The Honda S2000 is still extremely desirable because it is still one of the best sports cars you can buy.
It’s a fantastic alternative for anyone seeking for a used roadster because to its renowned VTEC engine and classic design. There are a few drawbacks to purchasing an automobile that is 22 years old, though, because of its age. Before purchasing a Honda S2000, consider the ten items listed below.
Which year of the Honda S2000 is the best?
What years are ideal for purchasing? Truth be said, there is no undisputed “best year S2000. On paper, the 2002 and later versions should be chosen because they have updated suspension and glass back windows.
What S2000 color is the rarest?
Right now, there is a great deal of uncertainty in the world. We’ve briefly discussed the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the world auto market, but for many auction organizations, it’s either sink or swim. Live auctions that were scheduled for the spring or summer have been pushed back until the fall or switched to being conducted only online, as will be the case with RM’s upcoming Essen sale in June and its next Palm Beach auction in late March.
Little seems to have changed at Bring a Trailer in the meanwhile. A 2008 Honda S2000 CR sold last week for $80,325 with buyer’s premium. By surpassing a never-driven, never-registered AP1 that sold for more than $70,000 the previous year, that vehicle set a record. Why did this S2000 sell for more than double its $37,000 MSRP and 34% more than the typical #1-condition (Concours) value?
The listing made it obvious that this car was unique. One was that this CR had barely covered 1300 kilometers. In addition, the vehicle was first owned by Honda’s American division before being sold to a worker.
Between the 2008 and 2009 model years, fewer than 700 S2000 CRs were built. The S2000 CR only offered air conditioning and radio as options, doing away with the standard car’s spare tire to cut weight and lower the center of gravity. These options make this CR less uncommon but more bearable. Less than ten percent of CRs had the dual delete option. The rarest color of the automobile, with just 90 produced, is Grand Prix White, not this one. It has an interior that is two-toned yellow and black with Alcantara trim, much like all CRs.
This S2000 is immaculate. The plastic air dam under the front fenders has several toothpick-sized scratches on it, which is the only imperfection that can be seen in the images. Not even 13 miles or 1300 miles seem to have been driven in the car.
Many viewers of the auction who left comments on Bring a Trailer expressed disappointment that this car wasn’t driven. I disagree with that viewpoint. As the engineers expected, the majority of S2000 CRs were driven hard. This vehicle, at a specific point in its past, was one of the few CRs of museum-caliber. It would have been inappropriate to remove it from the wrapping at that time. It belongs in a museum, and I’m going to agree with Indiana Jones on this.
If this sale is proof of anything, it’s that desirable cars in excellent condition still fetch high prices. That isn’t only accurate for Bring a Trailer. A 1950 Jaguar XK120 offered in RM’s online-only Palm Beach auction sold for $143,000, four grand more than the $139,000 industry average for Concours-quality vehicles. Many consumers are naturally hesitant to enter the market at the moment, but some are still eager to spend money when the right vehicle comes along.
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.
How durable are S2000 engines?
The S2000 continues Honda’s tradition of building some of the world’s most dependable automobiles. The S2000 has shown to be a dependable mode of transportation, whether you use it daily or as a weekend warrior, despite its high-revving engine and aggressive suspension. Even better, because the S2000 is still a Honda, replacement parts are still widely accessible and reasonably priced.
On its reliability assessment, Repair Pal even gave the Honda S2000 four out of five stars. The only maintenance required, according to CarZing, is an oil change around every 6,000 miles, which serves as additional support. Of course, once the automobile has accumulated 150,000 miles, other maintenance tasks like clutch replacement, brake work, and perhaps strut replacement may be required. However, there have been numerous accounts of S2000 owners logging 300,000 or more miles on their vehicles without any significant problems.
In fact, a Road and Track editor just bought a Honda S2000 with more than 300,000 miles on it. He claimed that the vehicle runs “amazingly” and that no significant repairs are required because everything is “tight and calibrated.”
How many S2000s exist?
The S2000 was initially made available in more than one trim level in the US for the 2008 model year.
[14] 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. [15] 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. [16] [17] The S2000’s creator, Shigeru Uehara, said that the CR was sandwiched between the Type S and a potential Type R. [18] 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. [19] 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. [20]