Honda S2000 : STEP BACK FROM THE EDGE

Expert Rating:

Honda's S2000 may now appear a little less extreme but its a more polished performer than ever. Jonathan Crouch explains why

Honda has been continually fettling its iconic S2000 roadster. Re-tuned dampers, uprated springs and thicker anti-roll bars give the car greater stability, agile handling and more responsive steering, to help harness the S2000s high-revving 240PS 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine. In short, this sportster is now a great deal more accessible to the uninitiated than it was before.

If youve ignored it in the past, it deserves a second chance.

Although the original S2000 did things that no other car could do, it also did a few that werent always desirable. A colleague of mine bought one as his first track day car only to trolley it into the tyre wall at Brands Hatch on its first outing. Tail happy would be an apt description of the original S2000 and even in the hands of experienced pilots, the combination of aggressive rear suspension, spiky power delivery and a rather peppy electric steering system always kept you on your toes. In the wet, it crossed the line from challenging to occasionally frightening.

Thanks to the recent changes and the revised throttle and the VSA stability system introduced a few years back, thats no longer the case. VSA is designed to help the driver keep control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres. It works by applying brake force to different wheels as necessary and managing the throttle and ignition systems. It isnt all about electronics though.

In recent times, the rear suspension has been made a good deal more pliant with softer springs and dampers and a less rigid anti roll bar. This reduces the amount of bump steer - the effect when the wheels steer themselves without input from the steering wheel - and results in a more benign back end with greater stability and roadholding. If you havent driven an S2000 for some time, youll also notice that the electric power steering is slightly slower (giving a more intuitive feel) and the chassis is more rigid than (to allow the suspension to work optimally). You might also note that the ABS system is more intuitive, so that it deals more intelligently with situations where levels of surface grip differ between one wheel and another: in other words, thanks to this, the car is not so prone to spinning under braking.

"The latest S2000 benefits from a number of changes that have gone a significant way to taming its handling"

Detail changes? Well, theres a fresh design of 17-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels and an extra paint colour Synchro Silver. On the inside, there are three more leather interiors to choose from Black with red stitching, Brown with red stitching and Red with black sides. There is also a design change to the headrest frame which has been re-shaped to offer greater roll-over protection. At full chat, the sound of this car is intoxicating.

Mind you, own an S2000 and you're going to be driving at full chat rather a lot. Not only because everything about it induces you to do so - though it does. No, more because you have to thrash the thing to within an inch of its life before anything really happens down below. Only from 7,000rpm onwards does the acceleration really begin to swell.

Yes, you read that right - 7,000rpm onwards. Most ordinary cars don't even function at this level. Not that the majority of their owners would ever know. For these people, the twilight zone above 6,000rpm is akin to Timbuktu, Levenshulme or the Planet Twix: some place they've heard about but never plan to visit. These people will not enjoy this car. Turn the key - and nothing happens. Not until you realise that someone with a charming sense of eccentricity in the Honda design department has decreed that this car should have a push-button starter.

You'll find it to the right of the steering wheel, inscribed with the legend 'ENGINE START'. Press it and the fun begins. The first thing you notice is the F1-style instrument display, with its digital speedo in the middle and a LED rev counter arching over it like a rainbow. The graphics suggest that you can light it up all the way to 9,000rpm - and for once they don't lie. This is the highest revving production engine you can buy, a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre unit that puts out an astonishing 237bhp without the aid of a turbocharger. This is the highest output per litre of any production car engine in the world, a unit which makes most other powerplants look like something out of the Ark.

To put it into perspective, most normally aspirated 2.0-litre engines struggle to put out 150bhp. Torque is still risible. The S2000 may be less raw now but its undeniably a better car.

Not many manufacturers have the humility to admit that they got something a little bit wrong but Honda wont let pride come before building a decent product. Now we can all enjoy the S2000s bark without worrying about its bite.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Honda S2000
PRICES: £28,280-£28,830 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 237g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 150mph / 0-60mph 6.2s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 20.6mpg / (extra urban) 35.3mpg / (combined) 28.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver and passenger airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4135/1860/1285mm