I say that they increase the displacement to 2.5 liters and see if they can keep the 120 hp/liter...

300 hp out of an N/A 4cyl would be hecka impressive in my opinion...

 

There were 330hp m badge Z3 and boxster S before 04. everyone else just adds power and improvements. s2k use to be 120hp/liter 9000 rpm. both of which was ahead of everyone else back in 2000. now its 109hp/liter 8000rpm. why does honda go backwards. being one generation behind is one thing, but two generations behind without any replace or improvement? Honda just let the s2k die slowly

 

If you're going to fact check me, at least google first.

They didn't make Z3 in 04, they made the Z4, and it didn't have 330hp it had 224. The Z3 M badge produced in 2002 was interesting, but it wasn't made in 03-05, and the New M Badge was done in 06.

The Boxster S did exist but was powered in the mid 250hp wise, spitting distance from the S2000, especially when extra 100lbs is figured in. In 05 they started uping the HP and for 07 they're at 300.

 

If Spoon can build a NA S2k engine and get 275 hp, Honda easily could have. Not to mention it could have added a mildly boosted turbo or supercharger. The fact is Honda spent its development time and money on bigger sellers, and the S2000 is a bit of an anomoly in the company. A well-respected senior designer managed to get it built, but I'm not sure Honda will continue in the vein of the S cars beyond the current S2k.

 

i agree^^^^^^i think s2000's are done, they killed it when they introduced the ap2 with the same powerbut a bigger motor? should have gotten a little boost in both power and trq, i think the trq the ap2 makes i made up with my inlinepro sticker?..oh well sucks but all in know is my03 should be worth a good bit of cash in the future....

 

Actually, they increased horsepower in 04 and again in 06. Not a lot but still. They just didn't advertise it. Dyno comparison trends seem to bear this out.

 

Yeah. I'm sure it's just as easy to mass produce parts that meet all sorts of world-wide safety, emissions, and environmental standards, while maintaining reliability and meeting Honda-acceptable NVH levels.

Damn. You should send Honda an email! I'm sure they'd be glad to hear the solution to the S2k's problems is: "If Spoon can do it, so can you!" You send the email today. I'll start saving pennies. I figure by the time your magical S2000 is in production, I'll have saved enough.

 

It's funny.... I just got an update from BMW about the new 2008 M3. It's going to have 414 hp and it's beautiful. I was just thinkinag about the M3 of 1999 when the S2000 first came out. It had a 240 hp powerplant and was half the car it is now.

I wonder what the S2000 would actually be like if Honda actually improved the S2000 twice since Fall 1999.

 

Roadsters have NEVER been about raw power or speed. Those who don't understand that are bound to be dissipointed with the S2000, because they don't have a clue what the car is actually all about.

In addition to that, we all tend to get jaded over time. The same thing happens when you ride a 10 second bike. If you run it through the gears hard on a regular basis, the performance starts to feel normal and you want more. That's one of the reasons (one of many) that I left bikes and went back to roadsters. With a good roadster, power doesn't matter that much, because it's all about the handling and having fun, so at least in my case, I never get tired of the cars. I can still have a blast in a Spridget or Miata. I've been down the jaded path to many times now to go that way again, because basically it's really just an illusion (or more accurately, a distortion of reality).

Given the choice of a 1500 lb. car with 100 HP and a 3000 lb. car with 500 HP, the 1500 lb. car will always be more fun, even though it's slower.

 

As a data point, I was just talking to a friend of mine with an E36 M3 LTW. She told me she didn't care for the E46 M3 and the new one has completely lost her. Not everybody thinks the new designs are an improvement over the old, even among the BMW loyalists.

A lot of them think the E30 M3 was actually the best car out of the bunch, with the most character and fun spirit.