.jpg)
There is no road car on the planet that revs like a Honda S2000. The current 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine makes 237 horsepower at 7,800 rpm.
Like all current Honda automobiles, the S2000's suspension is independent, with control arms (as distinct from struts) at all four corners. It is distinguished from any other current Honda cars, however, by its rear-wheel-drive layout, a platform developed specifically for this limited-edition roadster.
On our favorite driving loop that offers a broad variety of corners and road surfaces, the S2000 offers kart-like handling and mastered the patchy bits with grace. It's smoother in the rough stuff than the Nissan 350Z, which isn't bad itself. No rattles or thumps, and it followed the contour of the road without softening or neutralizing it.
The six-speed gearbox is excellent, offering smooth shifts; its short-throw linkage and aluminum-tipped lever feel like a racecar's. There's an electric motor quality to the Honda S2000's power-delivery - like a Japanese super-bike: no punch in the back, just a sense that with enough forward gears, one might keep accelerating indefinitely.
The brakes are big (11.8 inches front, 11.1 inches rear) and fantastic, vented in front, with standard ABS. These are the best brakes we've ever encountered on any Honda vehicle, and they round out a set of sports car credentials that's tough to top.
The key to enjoying the S2000 is to drive it hard: Take off, wind the engine to 8,200 rpm in first gear, shift into second, stand on it, and don't shift until you hit 8,200 again. This is what the Honda S2000 has to offer over the less-expensive Miata.
We did not have a chance to drive a CR-version, but its wider tires and altered suspension settings should make it an even better performer on the race track.
.jpg)
