Big Power S2000 Takes on McLaren 720S in Drag Race

Aim High

For the most part, the Honda S2000 has always been thought of as a Mazda Miata rival. Both are, of course, high-revving, manual transmission-equipped roadsters built for driving enjoyment. But when you throw some serious power at an S2000, you get a machine that's capable of punching way above its weight class. In the case of this Nitto/Driving Line Driver Battle, that means the ultra-exotic, ultra-expensive McLaren 720S.

Photos: Driving Line

To The Extreme

The 2001 Honda S2000 is owned by Stuart Leiby, who has modified its factory F20C to the extreme with a 68mm Xona Rotor turbo and internal upgrades to handle the 1,200 horsepower it cranks out. Behind it, a sequential gearbox helps transfer power to the rear wheels, where a set of Nitto NT555RII drag radial put it to the ground.

Photos: Driving Line

>>Join the discussion about this high horsepower S2000 vs the 720 S right here in S2Ki.com.

The Contender

On the other side, we have Kenny Tran's daily driver - a 2018 McLaren 720S that's been treated to an IDS titanium exhaust and downpipes, a combination that's good enough for 870 horsepower, which it puts to the ground via Nitto NT05R drag rubber. And though, on paper, it seems like the underdog here, most of us are well aware of just how well the 720S performs at the strip.

Photos: Driving Line

>>Join the discussion about this high horsepower S2000 vs the 720 S right here in S2Ki.com.

Interesting Showdown

Both drivers have experience on the track, as Tran used to compete in Sport Compact and Leiby has been drag racing for 16 years. Everything points to a very interesting showdown between these two cars and drivers, as both cars run a low 9-second pass on one of the first test runs. 

Photos: Driving Line

>>Join the discussion about this high horsepower S2000 vs the 720 S right here in S2Ki.com.

Problems Surface

Unfortunately, once the practice runs are finished and the two race for real, the S2000 runs into some trouble. Leiby was toying around with some of the launch boost settings to help the car get off the line a little better. But partway down the track, the power came on fully and caused some wheel hop, which seemed to break an axle or hurt the rear differential.

Photos: Driving Line

>>Join the discussion about this high horsepower S2000 vs the 720 S right here in S2Ki.com.

Close Win

That, unfortunately, hands Leiby the automatic loss in this showdown, which was shaping up to be a good one. The two drivers move on to the control car race, where both pilot identical Dodge Challengers for the win. That one turns out to be incredibly close as well, with Tran taking the win by just three-tenths of a second.

Photos: Driving Line

>>Join the discussion about this high horsepower S2000 vs the 720 S right here in S2Ki.com.

Disappointing Finish

In the end, it's highly disappointing to see this interesting race end in such an unspectacular fashion, but it's clear from the practice runs that this S2000 was more than capable of hanging with the ultra-expensive 720S. With any luck, we'll get a rematch in the future, because there's nothing more we'd love to see than a Honda dusting a McLaren on the track.

Photos: Driving Line

>>Join the discussion about this high horsepower S2000 vs the 720 S right here in S2Ki.com.