Honda’s legendary rear-drive roadster holds its own against one of the world’s greatest supercars.
The S2000 is arguably one of the best performance cars ever offered up by Honda, with a curb weight around 2,900 pounds and power levels creeping up on 250 horsepower. By modern standards, that’s rather light. However, the McLaren Senna is one of the best performance cars ever offered up by any automaker, with a curb weight of just 2,641 pounds and power levels creeping up on 800 horsepower.
There isn’t much information on either of these cars, but this particular McLaren Senna is owned by a gentleman named Phil, who has appeared in a few YouTube videos showcasing his incredible British supercar. The car is likely stock, but that is ok, considering that it is one of the most track-capable road cars in the world.
As for the Honda S2000, we can see that it has a roll cage and it is clear that the driver knows how to get around a road course, so there is a chance that the Japanese roadster has been modified. That being said, we don’t have any idea what might be done to this S2000 beyond the safety equipment, but it still does a remarkable job of scooting around Laguna Seca.
The Racing Action
The video takes us along for a ride in the S2000 as the driver makes a few laps around Laguna Seca. Early in the video, we are shown a still shot of the field with an array of impressive performance cars including a few McLarens, a few S2000s a Corvette Z06, a Cadillac CTS-V and a Porsche 911. Since the entire video is shot from inside of the Honda, the only time that we see the other vehicles is when they are right in front of the S2000. Fortunately, the video includes subtitles with commentary of the runs that point out key points along with adding a bit of humor to the racing action.
Early in the video, the McLaren Senna blasts past, but the Honda battles back, passing shortly before the famed Corkscrew turn. On the next lap, the Senna comes back around and this time, the driver means business. The Honda hangs sort of close for a few seconds, but the Senna quickly disappears.
As an interesting point, take note of how quickly the McLaren pulls out of sight on a lap that is 12-seconds faster.
"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.
