2008 Honda S2000 review

Launched in 1999 the Honda S2000 two-seater, rear wheel drive, sports car has always been a spirited but edgy machine well suited for experienced drivers for fast road use or track days. The fine high revving two-litre petrol engine has been highly praised but the handling, especially in wet conditions, has been unpredictable and raw.

Now the latest version has new suspension settings to make it more communicative, predictable and exhilarating to drive say Honda UK.

The S2000’s handling and performance characteristics have been enhanced by a change to the suspension identical to that fitted to its Japanese market counterpart – the S2000 Type-S.

Retuned stability and suspension

Re-tuned dampers, uprated springs and thicker anti-roll bars improve the car’s stability, vastly improve the agile handling and make it more predictable and trustworthy. The steering has also been tuned to give better feedback to the driver.

The new suspension in no way harms the ability to absorb the rough road surfaces we have in the UK and ride comfort is firm, but not harsh. The S2000 retains its well-loved 9,000rpm 240PS 2.0-litre I-VTEC variable valve timing petrol engine and slick six-speed manual transmission.

S2000 performance

Top speed is 150mph, 0-62mph takes 6.2 seconds and the average fuel consumption is 28.2mpg. CO2 emissions are 236g/km so unfortunately it is in the top Vehicle Excise Duty Band G, which costs currently £300 but as from April this year will increase to £400. Expect to pay the top whack for insurance as it is classed in group 20 and servicing intervals every 9,000 are not conducive to low running costs.

Also featuring on the latest Honda S2000 are a new design of 17-inch alloy road wheels, a new additional exterior body colour – Synchro Silver and three new leather interior colours. The headrest frame has also been re-shaped to offer better roll-over protection.

Honda says the S2000 averages around a 1,000 sales in the UK each year but they hope this will increase to about 1,200 units now the car has more refinement. The model is priced from £28,050 for the Roadster and £28,600 for the GT model with an electrically operated folding roof.

Having driven the latest S2000 briefly over some dry and twisty Cotswold roads the first and last impressions are that the car is now what it should have been in the first place. The edginess is still there but the handling and performance of the suspension hasn’t been refined so much as to remove the character from the car.

The free-revving engine loves and needs to be worked hard to get the best from it but importantly thanks to the variable valve timing it remains user-friendly at lower speeds in traffic.

Honda S2000 rivals

The car still suffers from lack of interior space – it is a bit snug if you are six feet tall and the boot too is pretty small so plan on travelling light. Otherwise it’s a great car and very well equipped, but it needs to be because it has to compete against the Mazda MX5 which is much cheaper and still handles much better, the 2.0-litre BMW Z4 which is also cheaper and a thoroughbred sports car.

The Porsche Boxster is more expensive but has bigger and more powerful engines, the Nissan 350Z Roadster which is roughly the same price and of course the soon to be released new Mercedes SLK Roadster, the benchmark model for this segment.

MILESTONES

Honda S2000 2.0i VTEC GT

Price: £28,600

Engine/transmission: 2.0-litre, all-aluminium, 4-cylinder, DOHC variable valve control, 240PS at 8,300rpm and 208Nm of torque at 7,500rpm, 6-speed manual gearbox and rear wheel drive

Performance: 150mph, 0-62mph 6.2 seconds, 28.2mpg, CO2 236g/km, VED Band G £300 a year (£400 from April)

Tax liability: 34%

Insurance group: 20

For: Engineering quality, superb free-revving engine, good looks, high specification, better handling than before

Against: Not cheap against the competition in this sector, lack of interior space

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