hellaSleepy

GT Motoring gave the s2000 there very first "Pleasure to Drive" award.


Speaking of the year 2000, IMO Honda had there best line up of cars, the Civic Si, Integra GSR/Type R, Prelude SH, S2000, and NSX. All excellent cars, now 4 out of those 5 are discontinued

energetic

I would also like to add the following to your post since the S2000 was also listed in Car & Driver Magazine’s list of 10 cars in the history of automotive industry which you must drive before you die. I took the liberty to bold few words of the following text that really makes me a proud owner of the S2000.

Honda’s S2000 bowed in 1999, and we were immediately smitten. How can you not fall for a car with 120 naturally aspirated hp per liter? How can you not fall for a car with a 9000-rpm redline or the world’s most perfect short-throw six-speed shifter? Most important, how can you not love a car that pairs that drivetrain with a chassis so beautifully balanced—yet not so tame as to allow the driver to relax—and offers the whole package for just over $30,000? We couldn’t resist the S2000’s charms and named it to our 10Best Cars list four consecutive years in the early part of the past decade. Not only did the S2K driver enjoy a rare intimacy with his machine, but the S2000’s roadster construction put the driver in direct contact with the environment beyond his car, too. Indeed, one of our staffers races an S2000 to this day. Wise choice, dear readers.



Part of this story was also posted in our Home page.

Car and Driver recognizes the S2000 – Take a bow S2KI

A 2

You sound like you badly wanted a Z4, but could only afford the S2000

NoContest

Great handling, acceleration, tight steering, click-click shifting, beautiful design (I still look at mine everyday as if I just brought it home) all in a open top, 2 seater that won't drain your bank account.

Oh yeah, Honda reliability.

How do you not love it.

Reckon

I think it will be remembered as a true sports car. Balanced and powerful, its the type of vehicle that picks its driver. It's not easy to master, but if you can master it, it's easy to fall in love with.

I think its a little early for legacy. I don't believe the S2000 ever really took off, especially since it was still out of the price range for the majority of buyers in the tuning scene. That may change down the road as used ones get bought up by a younger crowd. And I think those with money didn't see it as a true sports car because of its price tag and 'lower' hp numbers (Honda, please, I would rather spend my money on a Porsche or a Ferrari because of their name - mentality of some of the richer folks I have had the pleasure of meeting, not all of course).

I'd like to think that it had an impact on Ferrari and Porsche, but it's hard to know for sure. Admitedly, Porsche and Ferrari have always been leading edge companies and while I am sure there was a thing or two that the S2k wowed them with, I'm not sure it had a huge impact on them.

I think it's legacy will be summed up in the fact that those who own and keep an S2k love it like no other car and couldn't imagine having anyting else be as fun. And those who own but don't keep will be remembered as stating that they just couldn't get used to it (I've heard that a few times from some private sellers I was looking at when waiting to buy me S2k) or that they wish they had never let it go.

cenix

in all fairness, s2ki has its share of honda-tech-type of tuners/people, too.

for honda, i would say the pinnacle of their sports car development will be considered to be first as the nsx, and last as the s2000, with regards to the last 20 years. when speaking of honda sports cars, these two will always be mentioned in the same sentence. the s2000 itself i think will be considered as the scrappy runt of the group that could. it's always being classed/compared in the same level of sports cars that have two or more cylinders over the s2000 at generally a higher price point.

lazymashi

the car's debut (1999) impacted every car maker...
think of all the cars at the +/- 10k price range back then... now think of their performance... it couldn't get better than the s2k...

nissan = after 300zx tt, nada... i honestly believe s2k created 350z... thus the infamous comparison amongst the two and the birth of rivalry...
mitsubishi = they knew eclipses couldn't compete... so what did they do? enter evo...
subaru = wrx's hp ratio was close on paper, but only on paper... enter STI...
toyota = nada... they just gave up on celica and mr2...
porsche = consistant engine upgrade, and also the introduction of boxster S (2001)
bmw = same with z3 and its M division...
audi = tt, but too heavy and sluggish...
ford = mustang gt foxbody... v8 only produces 20 more hp at crank...

but regards to this, there is one uniqueness that truly stands out (and someone mentioned it before)... the start button...

blkwidow

For some reason (my opinion) I don't think the sk2 influenced all those cars.

ziggy55

I really enjoyed reading all of the responses on our amazing vehicles. The S2000 left a huge legacy in the sports car market, and with the Honda motor company, with its reliability, driver focus cockpit, value for the money and the performance aspect of the total package; it shows how intriguing this vehicle was for its time. I feel if it wasnt for the NSX and the s2000, honda would just be another car maker that creates nice cars but doesnt have real sporty intentions. With the introduction of the s2000 it made us think of honda being more then a eco or bland car manufacture. It brought the spirit of honda back into play for the enthusiast and created a legacy in the past 20 years of pure honda sports cars. Hopfully honda will return with a sports car soon, and rekindle the passion that most of us feel honda is all about.

CanuckS2000

I had a 1992 Miata before the 2001 S2000. Some of my friends still think I have a Miata....just saying.

My miata had a push start button installed by the PO. (using the emergency flasher button).