Why Now Is The Time To Buy A Honda S2000

The S2000 has proven time and again that key performance mods will make it a formidable track weapon that can go toe to toe against sports cars more than double its value.

byDanny Choy|
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There's little that could be more rewarding than building your dream car to your explicit specifications. And even though the Honda S2000 benefits from one of the strongest aftermarket support in the tuner community, owner Jared Floyd was interested in creating his own performance components instead. YouTube channel Singular Entity profiled Jared and his bespoke S2000 in volume 8 of its Car Life series. 

Jared Floyd, who bought his 2002 Honda S2000 brand-new, is a mechanical engineer and basically applied his background to make his car faster. One of Jared's first jobs was an ATV project for Cannondale, where he worked very closely with the team at Ohlins suspension, who gave Jared a crash course on what it takes to take apart and re-valve dampers in order to tune an ideal suspension. From the assorted bin of spare springs and dampers from the Cannondale project, he managed to Frankenstein a suspension setup with custom top and bottom mounts. But while Jared had a lot of fun throwing his S2K around turns, keeping up with cars with double the power, his tiny Honda roadster still got left behind on the straights.

In order to close that gap, Jared opted to supercharge his Honda. And while there were plenty of off-the-shelf supercharger kits for the S2000, he wasn't a fan of the way the kits mounted and fabricated his own setup instead. According to Jared, his S2000 delivers a healthy 345 horsepower to the rear wheels. 

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Whether it's the legendary tuners J's Racing, Spoon Sports, and Amuse, or tinkerers like Jared Floyd, the S2000 has proven time and again that key modifications performed on the suspension, power output and aero will transform the Honda FR sports car into a formidable track weapon that can go toe to toe against sports cars that boast double the price tag. And while most auto-journos preach the driving experience of the MX-5 Miata, the S2000's supremely rigid X-bone chassis and high-revving F20C (and later the long-stroke F22C1 variant) simply yields a greater performance potential than the Mazda.

The Honda S2000's tiny 2.0 liter F20C motor delivers 240 horsepower at 8,600 rpm and a sportbike-like redline of 8,900 rpm. These were figures that stunned the industry when the S2K arrived in 1999. With a power output ratio of 120 horsepower per liter, I cannot think of a mass-produced naturally aspirated engine that packs a denser punch. As modern cars now rely on turbocharging for the balance between power and efficiency, it's unlikely that a free-revving engine like the F20C will be made again. Case in point, even Honda decided to develop its very first turbocharged Type R engine for the new Civic Type R. They literally don't make like they used to and that will only make the S2000 even more sought after.

Still not convinced the S2000 is a worthy investment? Earlier this week, Mike Spinelli sat down with Michael Prichinello and Zac Moseley of Manhattan's Classic Car Club to talk about cars you can drive for free, AKA cars that will hold its value, or even appreciate, in the years ahead. After the trio sounded off a selection of early '70s Mercedes, BMW E28s, Fox Body Mustangs, 2001-2003 Jag XJs, and second-gen Camaros, Spinelli finally ended the discussion with the one car I was waiting to hear all along – if you're going to buy a car to enjoy and become a short-term investment at the same time, go with a Honda S2000. Check out our video below:

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