Auto Express has a short (1 page, 70% Photos) piece on the 2002MY S2000.

It looks like it's being driven in Japan - no headlamp washers.

Everything is as we knew:
- Leather trimmed gear stick knob.
- Alloy dead pedal.
- Glass rear window with demister. (No mention of the size...)
- 'Chromed' headlights. (The black bit around the projector lights is silvery in appearance.
- Chassis changes.

The chassis changes is the semi interesting bit. They don't detail the changes (I'm sure some US guys will get all the seetings from a 2002MY soon enough.), but bascially they say that the back end has been tied down to make the car more friendly.

I wouldn't rush out to buy the magazine, but if you've a minute in a newagents you could easily read it.

I'm happy with my 2001MY.

-Brian.

 

I agree, I like the unfussy nature of the styling of the earlier model years.

I think a hardtop is the best upgrade for anyone thinking of trading up to a new MY spec. (IMHO)

I too would like more details on revisions to the chassis, I wouldn;t be suprised if they had got confused with the transmission upgrades though

 

I wonder what tyres the 2002 has

 

The great thing about this car is

a. so few people have them, no-one else has a clue what MY is what. In fact I haven't even seen another one (except in the Cotswolds! )
b. there is almost nothing worth changing on it (and, often, changes are for the worse (like the rear window))
d. what happened to c
c. Ah, there it is

Pete

PS
Anyway, silvery bits in the headlights would bugger up my avatar

 

LOL

Maybe they should have gone for a 'shark tooth grill' instead of the the chromed lights

-Brian.

 

The Article:

Honda S2000
For most drivers, the Honda S2000 handles like a dream, with exactly the sort of feel you'd expect from a powerful, rear-drive roadster. But try one on a track, and only the most experienced will be able to tame its tail-happy antics. While this isn't a problem for most of us, it only takes one misjudged corner, emergency lane change or wet roundabout to discover these traits the hard way and lose that no-claims - or worse.
In response to this, Honda has reworked the car for 2002. On the outside, little has altered and even the sus-pension changes are more tweaks and recalibrations than major hardware updates. But it's all designed to make the S2000's handling more predictable. The standard front wishbone suspension and rear torsion bar set-up is retained, but messing around with the anti-roll bars, spring rates and damper settings has meant that the rear tyres are more firmly planted under hard cornering. A slight reduction in the steering gear has also been incorporated to improve feel and feedback through the wheel.

As a result, the old car's twitchy habits have all but disappeared. Where there used to be a tendency to understeer at low speeds, followed by a rapid transition into a tail-out slide, the S2000's handling is now neutral unless provoked. Even past the limit of adhesion it is easier to predict when the rear is going to snap out, and you don't need the talent of an F1 driver to catch the slides when they do happen, either. And while the S2000 is now generally more forgiving all round, it also allows those who enjoy performance driving to approach fast corners with a level of confidence not available on the old car.

Apart from being safer and easier to drive quickly, it's also a lot more fun - without resorting to the electronic stability systems or other artificial safety devices used by some rivals. And besides the out-of-sight changes, there are a few visible tweaks to help you spot the revised car - if you look closely. Several new body colours are available, and in line with rivals the rear window is now made of glass instead of plastic. It comes with a rear demister, too. Inside, the revision only stretches to a leather-bound gearstick and a CD/MiniDisc player fitted as standard.

The engine is unchanged, though. Honda's amazing 2.0-litre unit still pumps out a naturally aspirated world record of 237bhp and spins right up to 9,000rpm. Its peaky nature can be tiresome in congested cities, but out on the open road it's great fun. And the safer chassis characteristics mean you can relax and enjoy the ride.

It's hard to spot the changes on the surface of the S2000, but Honda has made the handling more rewarding and safer. Minor chassis tweaks have curbed the old model's tendency to slide - but it's still possible to have some sideways fun on the track.

At a glance

* Facelifted Honda S2000 out in March; price remains at

 

my paintwork is all messed up with concrete dust, and I wonder about the new version. With 10000 miles up in 6 months ( I'm normally 8000 miles a year ) what percentage of new price do you think I will have to fork out to change?
Is it worth the bother? Can i get a better colour than the red which I still LOVE? What do you guys think?

 

These guys are claiming that there are more than just the visual changes to the 2002 model........

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/knotty5/php3/...w.php3?id=33310

 

Thanks for the link. Interesting, I didn't know that they tweaked the suspension for MY2002 too. They didn't mention the transmission changes though...

 

Very interesting if true.

They also claim that the price in the UK remains the same.