The long-debated, long-awaited return of the Honda S2000 has been promised more than once, only to be dismissed just as quickly. Now, though, there seems to be a genuine “light at the end of the tunnel” for anyone hoping to see the famous Japanese roadster back on the road.
According to Forbes, a source inside the Japanese brand has suggested that Honda’s marketing team is assessing whether a new S2000 could be viable, essentially testing whether there is still a market for a car with this sort of brief.
Honda S2000: staying true to the original recipe
If it does happen, the same source claims the new Honda S2000 would stick closely to the original’s core idea: the same layout (front-mounted longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive), compact proportions (the original measured 4.1 m long and 1.75 m wide), two seats, and comparatively low weight.
In Forbes’ telling, “comparatively low” means under 3000 lbs - that is, under 1360 kg - which would be a respectable figure by modern standards given today’s safety requirements. Even so, hitting that target would likely mean Honda making extensive use of aluminium and even carbon fibre in the new S2000.
Engine? Probably turbocharged
One of the defining traits of the previous S2000 was its naturally aspirated F20C four-cylinder, happy to spin past 8000 rpm - different times… If a new S2000 becomes reality, the most likely candidate to power it, per the Forbes source, would be the Civic Type R’s K20C: a 2.0 l turbo with 320 cv and 400 Nm.
That would require some engineering changes, because in the Civic Type R the engine sits transversely at the front, whereas in the S2000 it would need to be turned 90° to sit longitudinally.
The jump to 320 cv would be significant versus the original’s 240 cv, and the same source even suggests the final output could climb to 350 cv.
Is it really possible?
Interestingly, this scenario appears to run against the direction Honda has been taking, including the push to electrify its range in Europe. What is more, back in 2018 Hayato Mori, Honda’s senior manager for product planning in Canada, said market research had shown there was not enough demand for an S2000-style model and that it would be impossible to make money with a car of that type.
What Honda’s leadership has said about an S2000 return
From Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo in 2017, the idea of the S2000 coming back sounded less far-fetched - though still far from easy - when he said it was not yet time to “resurrect” the iconic model.
At the time, Honda’s CEO stated: ““Around the world, more and more voices have expressed the desire to reinvent the S2000. It is not the time yet. We need time to decide whether the S2000 is reinvented or not. If the marketing team investigates and sees that it is worth it, then perhaps that may be possible”.
With that in mind, could 2024 be the moment Honda decides it is time to bring the beloved roadster back? Might it arrive electrified, as seems likely for the next Civic Type R? What do you think - would you like to see it back on the road, or would you rather it stayed in the history books?
Sources: Forbes, Auto Motor und Sport, Motor1.
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