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One car enthusiast who wants to come back is the Honda S2000. However, a new high-speed natural aspiration engine is not possible with increasingly stringent emission regulations. This is one of the main reasons the US-spec 123-mile Club Racer was recently sold at auction for $200,000. It’s not an example of low mileage, nor is it NA anymore as it’s been turbocharged to extract a ridiculous amount of power.
Indeed, forced induction has taken this 2000 example to an impressive 520 hp, making it more than double what the 2.0-liter engine used in the original turbo-less configuration. As expected, torque also increases substantially, at a staggering 510 Nm (376 lb-ft). In comparison, the untouched S2000 used to produce 208 Nm (153 lb-ft) in the past.
You can tell by the sheer size of the rear wing this is no ordinary S2000. YouTuber AutoTopNL with his insatiable thirst for speed to ride a small Honda that could ride on the limitless sections of the Autobahn. It’s still a rev-happy car with a manual gearbox, one that just happens to go away like a stink on Germany’s glorious highways.
From the way it sounds to how quickly the gearbox reacts to changes, this S2000 should be absolutely great to drive. It’s not clear what kind of changes are going on under the hood – other than the big turbo – but this little Honda sports car delivers incredible acceleration. Flat, it manages to hit 166 mph (267 km/h), but getting there seems more fun than an outright top speed.
Keep in mind that the S2000 is a very light car by today’s standards, weighing in at just around 1,250 kilograms (2,756 pounds) in OEM form. With 520 hp on tap, the power-to-weight ratio is excellent and the fact that you can take the top down makes the car even more enjoyable. With stick shift and rear-wheel drive, it’s hard to beat it in terms of desirability.
Fans can take comfort in knowing the MX-5 is still around and Mazda has pledged to keep the Miata formula for the upcoming NE generation in a few years. Forbes speculated a few years ago about a possible Civic Type R-powered S2000 for a potential 2024 launch, but we’ll believe it when we’ll see. With the EV shift, we had a hard time believing that would happen.
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