The HOT S2000 That Nobody Loves

This is the used S2000 that none of us want to buy, with a list of tacky mods and an even sketchier ad trying to get rid of it.

Even by today’s standards, the Honda S2000 is a fantastic sports car, and naturally they have remained popular in the used car market. The problem is that many of these cars have been driven hard, and distastefully modified, over the years. This makes those particular Honda roadsters less attractive to someone looking for a nice S2000.

Some people refer to a used car that has been well-maintained, and that has not been modified, as unmolested. This S2000 has clearly been molested.

HOT!!!! 2007 Honda S2000

The Craigslist ad for this 2007 Honda S2000 introduces it with “HOT!!!!”. That is with four exclamation points, so you know that it has to be really hot. The ad goes on to state that this car is fast and reliable with “too much to list”. In reality, they probably just didn’t want to post all of the modifications that the next owner will likely just tear off.

There are no details at all, leading us to believe that this car is stock or near-stock under the hood, but during its 11-year life, someone added quite a few aftermarket components inside and out.

Up front, it has a CR front lip with a splitter kit, though the splitter rods seem to be screwed directly into the bumper rather than the reinforcement. One big bump and it’s all getting ripped off. Additionally, four huge fog lights sit behind the grille. A vented hood and headlights that might have been purchased on eBay round off the exterior “upgrades.” Along the sides, this S2000 has the stock AP2V2 wheels, but the oddly-placed black stripes add that distinct custom feel. Oh, and out back, there are stripes that engulf the tinted taillights.

Somebody save this car

On the inside, this 2007 Honda S2000 has two-tone red and black interior with lots of gauges. It has a dual gauge pod on the a-pillar and a three-pod gauge cluster, because we all know how important it is to monitor the condition of your stock engine. It also has an aftermarket shift knob, which looks nice. To our eyes, it also looks like it might have a short-throw shifter – which makes the shifter the only good thing about this car.

Best of all, whoever posted this Craigslist ad for the ragged-out S2000 didn’t bother to clean it, so the car is filthy in the pictures. Maybe they left it dirty to try to hide some of the stone chips.

So, if you have been looking to spend $15k on an S2000 and like the old “fast and furious look”, this is the car for you. On the other hand, if you have the ability to restore the sad-looking exterior, you could save this car from what appears to have been a hard life.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com