Honda s2000

The Honda S2000 is a two-door sports car manufactured by the Japanese automobile manufacturer, Honda, between 1999 and 2009. The S2000 was created to celebrate the manufacturers 50th anniversary. This article provides some information about the Honda S2000, its history, changes to specification and why you might want to buy one.

At the heart of all Honda automobiles are their engines and the engine designed for the Honda S2000 is a very special one indeed. Created using lightweight materials, the engine in the early S2000 sport scars are capable of revving up to 9000rpm, producing around 240hp. The early cars used a 1997cc engine mounted front-mid for optimum weight distribution. The VTEC unit in the Honda S2000 means that below 6000rpm the car is quite docile while driving through town but once you get above 6k the car springs to life with an eagerness to head to the red line as quick as possible. In S2000 terms this means a 0-60 sprint in around 6 seconds! The engine is mated to a manual gearbox with no option for automatic.

The Honda S2000 sports cars are available with two designs. The AP1 chassis was introduced in 1999 and ran until 2004 when the AP2 design started manufacture.

The AP1 Honda S2000 had remote central locking, airbags, cassette radio entertainment system and an immobilizer. From 2002 the model benefited from a heated rear screen and 2004 models were available in GT spec with hard top. From 2004 the car has heated mirrors, LED tail lights and an upgraded alarm system.

It has not been not long since Honda announced that production would cease on the Honda S2000. The news was declared in January after poor sales continued to get worse.

The main and most successful marketplace for the S2000 was in America where it enjoyed great success in the early years. It was originally launched in 1999 to celebrate Honda's 50th anniversary. However, sales of the roadster began to dramatically fall in 2006 and the trend continued year on year.

Although poor sales justify the news from Honda, many believe that the S2000 is still one of the most entertaining and fun-to-drive roadsters around.

In particular the handing on the S2000 was often praised for being perfectly balanced. The little roadster almost gripped the road because of its fine balance. This little car was definitely designed to please the driver!

Honda are set to use the money saved from the S2000 to produce some more mainstream products. Rivals of the S2000 will be pleased production has ceased as the car was favored by many -- so if you're after a fun little roadster what do you go for now?

The Nissan 350z is an obvious choice. However, your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Nissan 350Z than the Honda because of its bigger tank -- so you wont be saving money at the pumps. Taller drivers will also far prefer the extra head room in the Nissan 350Z compared to the Honda -- which will make for a more comfortable ride.

Another down point on the Nissan is that it is massively more bulky than the S2000, which some people may dislike. Another contender is the slightly more pricey Porsche Boxster. The Boxster is a true sportscar with excellent horsepower. The Porsche certainly packs a punch and beats the Honda is this particular battle. On the down side, cars with more horsepower often qualify for higher insurance premiums.

Hondas are renowned for their reliability which is definitely a good thing to know if you're looking for a used Honda S2000 as you can rest assured knowing that its likely to keep running for years to come.

So if like lots of motorists across the world, you're disappointed that there wont be any new models being produced anymore you'll be pleased to know that there are plenty of used Honda S2000s available in used car dealerships across the country.