This time it’s Motor Trend pulling the fire alarm… getting our hopes up. But there may be something to it.

Exactly three years ago in 2008, Best Car Magazine in Japan published the following two pictures. We commented on them at the time. Back in those days it was well known that an S2000 replacement would be coming, and since then it became known that it was cancelled for economic reasons.

The gray car is a clay or fiberglass styling buck that was photographed being hauled into a Honda building in Japan. Somebody got very lucky, because shots of future models are very rare in Japan compared to North America and Europe. The light-yellow drawing is the guess of the magazine as to what a production S2000 replacement would look like based on their belief that the gray car was the styling buck for it.

Only problem is that they were dead wrong. Look at the distance between the front wheel wells and the door in the gray car: only a couple of inches. Their speculative drawing in light yellow shows a completely different car with completely different proportions - which is obviously an S2000-type front/mid engine rear wheel drive car. The current S2000 measures 18.5″ at the wheel centerline here. That kind of room allows the engine to be set well back into the chassis, contributing to the legendary near 50/50 fr/rr weight balance.

So the light yellow car below and the gray car are two different cars entirely. But the gray car existed at the time as a styling buck, so the big question remains: “what is it”?

We may now have an answer. Now take a look at the sketch below from the new Motor Trend. Yes, it’s clearly the gray car in it’s current iteration.

Why? Look at the same measurement up front, then look at the back of the car. The rear overhang would be the same, and the area immediately behind the seats (storage for the top) is identical. The headlights are a variation of current Honda corporate styling themes, and the grill is the new Honda styling theme that is currently developing. The hood is the minimum height required to meet the stringent European pedestrian impact regulations (which the departed S2000 did not and could not meet).

An image like this in a magazine is usually nothing more than speculation. The car magazines are full of them. However the new news is a patent that Honda has filed in Japan. Motor Trend interprets it as “mid-engined” but that is where they are probably wrong. Using a “subframe from a current car” more likely means that a transverse front wheel drive drivetrain was simply moved to the back, as Toyota did for years with the MR-2 and MR-S. Technically, “mid-engine” means a lengthwise mounted engine with the transmission at the back, behind the engine.  The dimensions of this car clearly do not support a true mid-engine layout, so this is obviously a rear-engine rear wheel drive car with a transverse engine. That would also provide an economy of production, because an existing FWD engine architecture and transmission would be used, whereas the other architecture would require a unique transmission. “Orphan” parts like unique transmissions are not possible in this day and age.

Motor Trend’s next supposition is that this car would replace both the Beat and the S2000. Maybe Honda could put such a spin on it… but we hope not. The S2000 was a classic sportscar, and that means a mid-mounted front engine and rear wheel drive and the handling dynamics that provides. As was it’s predecessors the S500, 600, and 800. The dynamics and balance of all previous Honda “S” models were outstanding, in a way that a rear transverse engine could not support. If we had a vote in this, we’d say to forget replacing the S2000 until it can be done the right way, with the proper architecture, expected dynamics, and the expected power-to-weight ratio. And it doesn’t have to offer a hybrid powertrain solely for the sake of being a hybrid (as everybody in Japan seems to be blindly running to these days). If Honda can create a hybrid powertrain that is oriented towards performance, then use it. But we don’t believe they can – yet. Even Toyota with their FT-HS prototype, is unable to blend a gasoline engine with a hybrid system without adding several hundred pounds in the process… negating the entire purpose.

So as usual our hopes were raised.. and very quickly dashed.

Controversy remains amongst S2000 owners: is the CR worth the extra cash, or could you build something better yourself from the vast S2000 aftermarket? The same answers apply to any factory built “track” car.

The answer is yes and no…

Yes, because better parts exist.
No, because very few people have the experience to correctly match springs, dampers, and sway bars properly. “Very few” is perhaps one tenth of one percent of the potential buying population for this particular car. This tiny subset of potential owners probably has a race track to test the car on, but not the equipment to incrementally measure the differences and improve the overall performance. You won’t beat the factory engineering team for instrumentation and testing.

Yes, because better parts cost more money than most production car buyers will tolerate.
No, There are very few car buyers that will tolerate a set of $3000 coilover shock absorbers, even in this tiny subset or buyers.

Yes, because most aftermarket parts offer a greater range of springs and damping choices. A set of Clubsport KWs for the S2000 would improve handling even more, if setup right.
No, because few people will take the time to learn how to adjust compression and rebound, much less ride height adjustment and the required suspension alignment to match.

Yes, because the factory track car has to meet Federal regulations, safety standards, and more. Examples abound, including factory seats that have to meet crash standards (more fore/aft in a crash, side impact, knee placement and lots more) and incorporate an airbag. These seats inevitably provide less support than would be ideal for a car that will be used on the track.
No, because the best seats for the track are the worst seats for the ride to and from the track, as well as for your daily commute. Try turning your upper body around to back out of a parking spot with race seats.

So here we have a factory track car, carefully tuned by factory engineers on their own particular test track, and with compromise rates and settings chosen to meet their goals as well as the required Federal regulations (such as ride height). It’s a necessary set compromises, but nonetheless a major improvement over the standard car for that tiny subset of buyers who are looking to take their S2000 to the track.

If you are looking to buildup a track S2000, and are committed to the long term, this would certainly make a nice starting place. With a set of stainless brake lines, fluid, and pads your first track day would be 100% productive. The S2000 CR will provide:

• excellent tires from day 1 (versus the compromised base RE050s)
• the rare factory hardtop, which is all but a requirement for track groups these days (since convertibles are being phased out of most groups due to safety issues)
• faster steering gear (from the earlier S2000 AP1)
• a platform with about 8 years of continuous improvements, such as reinforced front upper control arm mounts and improved rear suspension pickup points – both missing in the earlier AP1 models. And a transmission that has been considerably improved from the earliest models.
• Improved aero, which experience has shown is an important improvement on this car.

All in all, in our humble opinion (having tracked S2000s for 11 years), a bargain at the price.

The S2000 continues to impress us, and win it’s class in events. This is the car featured int he current issue of Super Street, with a well written article on how the car was prepped for track battle.

Buttonwillow CW13 Config… Evasive Motorsports S2000: equipped with Voltex Aero, Evasive Spec Tein SR-C, Volk Racing RE30 wrapped in Yokohama Advan AD08. Driven by Robert Walker, Evasive Motorsports takes 1st place in the FR Street Class (and overall win in street class) with a time of 1:56.7 (New Street Tire Course Record).

And they’re still selling, even though production ceased last year. How many are left? Honda hasn’t said.

The S2000 is a true drivers car and will be sorely missed. Honda cut both it and the NSX out of it’s product plans… there are no replacements.

Another 20 sold were last month, with about 80 more left in stock at dealers across the country. Production ceased several months ago, so this is it forever. The end is near, and the final tally of S2000s sold will be clear in a few more months.

Honda, Acura Drivers Claim Five Titles at SCCA National Championship Runoffs 

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sept. 29, 2009) — In the first SCCA National Championship Runoffs since Honda Racing/Honda Performance Development [HPD] announced the Honda Racing Line program of support for grassroots racers, Honda and Acura drivers won five of a possible seven titles this past weekend at the famed Road America circuit in central Wisconsin.

Bob Boileau highlighted a weekend of outstanding performances by Honda and Acura drivers at the Runoffs, winning the Touring 3 race Saturday in his Team Honda Research-entered Honda S2000.