The Last and new S2K

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:26 pm

The Last S2000 and the S to come
The last S2000 offering will be the "lightweight package" and it will follow the Type R
proposal's target of 100kg weight reduction, bringing the car from
1250kg to 1150kg, changing the power to weight ratio from 5.16kg/ps
to 4.75kg/ps. This should provide performance at turbo levels but
with the direct feel of natural aspiration.

-target of 100kg weight reduction
-balanced engine internals (Type R treatment)
-Type R exclusive interior
-air conditioning becomes a factory option
-SRS air bag becomes a factory option
-sound deadening material deleted
-front tire: 205/55R16 to 205/45R17 (implemented on AP2)
-rear tire: 225/50R16 to 245/40R17 (implemented on AP2)
-Type R exclusive suspension tuning
-Type R exclusive uprated brakes
-Type R exclusive body color(s)
-spare tire deleted
-mechanical LSD
-power soft top deleted
-lightweight carbon hard top
-audio becomes factory option

The S2000 is expected to be discontinued before March 2008, so the
lightweight package should be sold sometime between now and then.

After the 2008 year, the S car will move to the Acura line as a SLK Competitor. The new version will have four seats and shift upmarket toward a more affluent SLK-type audience.

While the S2000 has had its fans, and that brilliant 2.0-liter screamer of a four-cylinder is almost worth the price of admission alone, overall it’s been too raw and hardcore of a package to deliver the kind of sales that Honda originally hoped for.

So now it’s rethink time, and a new mock-up is underway according to a source familiar with the program. The new sportster is at least two to three years away. This gibes with earlier reports that peg the car’s successor as not coming to market before 2009.

While it’s still in the car’s very early days, our source says we can expect: A) rear-wheel drive B) an altogether less raucous mechanical package than today’s S2000 and C) a car that looks totally different than the current model.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:01 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

While the S2000 has had its fans, and that brilliant 2.0-liter screamer of a four-cylinder is almost worth the price of admission alone, overall it’s been too raw and hardcore of a package to deliver the kind of sales that Honda originally hoped for.

Bunch of wussies...

I just bought one. It's not THAT raucous. No more so than an MR2 Spyder or a Miata.

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:06 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

While the S2000 has had its fans, and that brilliant 2.0-liter screamer of a four-cylinder is almost worth the price of admission alone, overall it’s been too raw and hardcore of a package to deliver the kind of sales that Honda originally hoped for.

Bunch of wussies...

I just bought one. It's not THAT raucous. No more so than an MR2 Spyder or a Miata.

But those come in at a much lower price point. I can see it compared to a Boxster though.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:39 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

While the S2000 has had its fans, and that brilliant 2.0-liter screamer of a four-cylinder is almost worth the price of admission alone, overall it’s been too raw and hardcore of a package to deliver the kind of sales that Honda originally hoped for.

Bunch of wussies...

I just bought one. It's not THAT raucous. No more so than an MR2 Spyder or a Miata.

I agree Karl. With all that luxurious sound deadening they're quiet compared to the ITRRRRR's. I think the implimentation of such an S2k is long overdue. It's a shame it comes along as the car is becoming obsolete.

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:20 pm

I think uncle will have a little something to say about the airbag delete option.
They must already know that the GXP outperforms the present version. :twisted:

Anyone know why Mazda hasn't gotten the word yet? :roll:

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:31 pm

The Mazda Speed Turbo is still in the works.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:53 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

But those come in at a much lower price point. I can see it compared to a Boxster though.

Yeah but not *that* much lower a price point. I priced new Miatas. To get one with leather, LSD, power goodies and whatnot like my S2000 has, you're looking at probably high 20s. Brand new S2000s are what, 34K or so? A difference yes, but not a tremendous one.

I thought about a Solstice GXP, but I'm just not down with the whole dealers upcharging on the cars thing. Besides...no trunk with the top down? No thanks. This is a street car first - everything else second.

I'll still race ya Chuck... :twisted:

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Karl Shultz wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

But those come in at a much lower price point. I can see it compared to a Boxster though.

Yeah but not *that* much lower a price point. I priced new Miatas. To get one with leather, LSD, power goodies and whatnot like my S2000 has, you're looking at probably high 20s. Brand new S2000s are what, 34K or so? A difference yes, but not a tremendous one.

I thought about a Solstice GXP, but I'm just not down with the whole dealers upcharging on the cars thing. Besides...no trunk with the top down? No thanks. This is a street car first - everything else second.

I'll still race ya Chuck... :twisted:

Get off the internet, find your camera, and show us some pics of the new car! I'll own an S2000 one day

Loved them since the first one I saw. Plus I'm a Honda enthusiast at heart, and it's the only one without wrong wheel drive!

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:13 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Get off the internet, find your camera, and show us some pics of the new car! I'll own an S2000 one day

Loved them since the first one I saw. Plus I'm a Honda enthusiast at heart, and it's the only one without wrong wheel drive!

Tomorrow, once I have access to a 4+MP camera and nice weather.

They're wonderful cars. I just spent some time, late at night, detailing the interior. Yeah, I know...get a date or something...but as it stands, the S2000 is the current love of my life. For now.

I'm still waiting for a comeback from Chuck. I figure if he beats me in his apparently all-conquering AS GXP, whatever. But if I beat him, well...

:twisted:

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

Karl Shultz wrote:

Tomorrow, once I have access to a 4+MP camera and nice weather.

They're wonderful cars. I just spent some time, late at night, detailing the interior. Yeah, I know...get a date or something...but as it stands, the S2000 is the current love of my life. For now.

I've liked this car since I saw Rick's bright red S2K! And riding in it with him on an AX course is a blast. It's a sports car. It's not supposed to be quiet. It's supposed to be fun! They make the Accord for quiet. We do need pictures Karl.

Btw, I priced one and it was $37K. I picked the bling-bling version with the aero parts. Never talked to a dealer to see what they would come down to though. I agree with you on this stupid dealer markup the GM dealers are doing.

Karl Shultz wrote:

I'm still waiting for a comeback from Chuck. I figure if he beats me in his apparently all-conquering AS GXP, whatever. But if I beat him, well...

All-conquering AS car, ha. He has a lot more to worry about than beating your S2000. There's a certain old fiberglass car he needs to get around at nationals :wink:

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:25 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

But those come in at a much lower price point. I can see it compared to a Boxster though.

Yeah but not *that* much lower a price point. I priced new Miatas. To get one with leather, LSD, power goodies and whatnot like my S2000 has, you're looking at probably high 20s. Brand new S2000s are what, 34K or so? A difference yes, but not a tremendous one.

There's about a 10K difference if they are optioned similarly. Even more if you talk about the last generation Miata (NB).

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:36 pm

Ashraf Farrag · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 8:23 pm

Looks nice! Interestingly enough, just found out that one of our Mazda club members just bought one, too.

Want to come play on track, Karl?

:twisted:

I know Wael from his days as an RX-7 owner and he only knows how to make and install quality stuff. His attention to detail is impeccable (anyone would attest that having seen his 3rd gen RX-7 in its heyday).

...now that there is a bar for the ess-deux-mille, I wonder if I could be converted from the Miata camp...

Regards,
--Ashraf

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:52 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

I'm still waiting for a comeback from Chuck. I figure if he beats me in his apparently all-conquering AS GXP, whatever. But if I beat him, well...

:twisted:

Hey, can Bryan and I run the RX-8 in AS? BS is empty

- AB

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:38 pm

Ashraf Farrag wrote:

Looks nice! Interestingly enough, just found out that one of our Mazda club members just bought one, too.

Want to come play on track, Karl?

Ashraf -

I've heard anecdotally (somewhere on s2ki.com I'm sure) that Elda is no longer in business and the rollbar basically no longer exists. I bought the car under the assumption that I"d only be able to track it with Honda Club, ITR Expo, or some other Honda-centric group that allows the factory hoops.

I think you should drive one. It basically takes everything I like about a Miata, and fixes the things I don't like - mostly that they're slow in a straight line. I think the trunk may be a shade larger in the S2000, but that's probably picking nits. It's not a large trunk in either case.

Aaron, come on aboard A Stock as far as I'm concerned...the more the merrier - although I don't think you can "bump up" from one stock class to another. Maybe we could all run in BSP? :twisted:

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