In the year 2000, Honda stirred up the automotive community by coming out with a new model. This wasn't an average, run-of-the-mill transportation appliance, either. It was the Honda S2000 roadster, a purpose-built, thinly-disguised race car for the street. With it's screaming 9000 rpm redline, ultra-stiff chassis, and superb handling, the 2000 S2000 was an extremely capable machine that could be had for little over $30,000.
The 2000 S2000's drivetrain is perfectly suited to going fast. It's engine is a naturally-aspirated 2.0L Inline-4 which makes an astonishing 240 horsepower at an incredible 8300 rpm and 153 ft/lbs of torque at 7500 rpm. This little motor screams all the way to its 9000 rpm redline, and produces a whopping 120 horsepower per liter, which is a marvel of engineering and a testament to Honda's talented development team. This power is fed to the rear wheels (as in all true sports cars) through a six-speed manual transmission. No automatic was offered.
This amazing little roadster was not just designed to go fast in a straight line. To the contrary, its main purpose is to carve corners, a task which it does exceedingly well. The foundation for a good-handling car is a stiff chassis, and the S2000's is one of the stiffest in existence. This allowed the engineering team designing the car to tweak spring rates, suspension geometry, and shock absorber damping precisely, without having to factor in chassis flex. The S2000's suspension, like all Hondas, is independent at all four corners, and enables to S2000 to carve and transition almost telepathically.
Overall, this Honda was designed for fun. From the moment the S2000 is awakened by a jab at its big red "START" button, to the application of its massive brakes approaching the final apex, the S2000 is a willing dance partner which can hold its own against pricer models such as the BMW Z3 and Porsche Boxter.
