DrivingEnthusiast.net

On Sept. 8, 2007, Honda US ran the largest S2000 gathering ever held, with 500 cars and 1000 participants (and registration cut off because it got too large). That and the release of the 2008 CR model are the good news.

The bad news is that eleven days passed between the event and the release of the following 5-paragraph press statement. And three accompanying images (which are all very poor). There should be a detailed writeup, with dozens of images. The follow-up is always at least as important as the initial event!

Clearly there are still a handful of S2000 enthusiasts inside Honda US who are trying to make a difference... and there are some press types who are doing business as normal. Those press types are apparently the same people who have let the car languish for the last few years... who alternate between offering white with red/black and white with black interior every other year for some unknown reason, who leave all the interesting color combinations (and the optional nav system) back in the home market, and whom refuse to bring over the dealer installed performance options the JDM market has enjoyed for years. And let's not forget the US website, which is even less than a shadow of the extensive Japanese site (90% of which could have been translated for very little money).

Does Honda even know how to sell this car here? Fortunately, it's still offered (despite sales dropping off the cliff) and it's still the purest regular production sports car offered in the country. We'll see it thru the 2009 model year... and likely no further.

Honda Hosts Largest Gathering of S2000s in History

Nearly five-hundred S2000 roadsters and their owners attend the Honda S2000 Homecoming

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., hosted nearly 500 Honda S2000 roadsters and their owners at the first-ever Honda S2000 Homecoming at Honda's Torrance, California, facility, the company announced today. Held on Saturday, September 8, the event represented the largest gathering of S2000s to date. Almost 1,000 guests attended the show and had an opportunity to meet Shigeru Uehara, the chief engineer for the S2000 who flew from Japan to attend the event. S2000 enthusiasts also had an early viewing of the all-new S2000 CR before its scheduled on sale date in early October.

"It was very rewarding to see so many fans of the S2000 gathered together for this event," said Shigeru Uehara, chief engineer of the Honda S2000. "I was very happy to present the S2000 CR as my gift to enthusiasts in the United States."

"This is what owners have wanted for a while," said S2000 owner Mike Trinh, a Community Organizer of S2K International, a group of owners that meets regularly in Torrance and West Covina, California. "The Homecoming isn't just about the car; it's about the community, getting all of the owners together to share stories and information."

The Honda S2000 represents the purest expression of Honda fun-to-drive DNA with its two-seat, open-topped roadster configuration and sophisticated front-engine, rear-wheel-drive platform. As a true sports car that can serve as a practical and fun daily driver and also feel equally at-home on a racetrack, this concept further evolves with the addition of the club racer-inspired S2000 CR to the Honda lineup.

The S2000 CR (CR for "Club Racer") introduces more track-oriented suspension settings, aerodynamic-enhancing bodywork, a removable hardtop, higher rigidity and reduced weight to the S2000 formula. The added features are designed to appeal to enthusiasts who enjoy open track-day events and also provide a more ideal starting point for racers who modify the S2000 for competition in club racing events.

Images

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Shigeru Uehara, chief engineer for the S2000, traveled from Japan to attend the S2000 Homecoming.

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S2000 Homecoming guests get their first look at the all-new 2008 Honda S2000 CR.

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Honda hosted almost 500 S2000 vehicles and their owners at the Honda S2000 Homecoming on September 8, 2007.