Honda S2000 (1999–2009): Specs, History, Variants and Buyer's Guide
In 1999, Honda built a car that made no commercial sense. It had no turbocharger, no automatic gearbox, no all-wheel drive and no practical roof. It had two seats, a manual folding canvas top, a naturally aspirated four-cylinder that spun to 9,000 rpm, and a chassis developed specifically for it. Honda called it the S2000, and over ten years and roughly 110,000 cars it became one of the most honest performance cars ever to leave Suzuka.
This is the full story of the car — what Honda engineered, how the AP1 and AP2 generations differ, what the special editions actually changed, and what the numbers on the VIN plate tell you before you ever open the bonnet.
Origins: from the SSM concept to the Suzuka line
The S2000 was not a spontaneous product. Honda showed the SSM — Sport Study Model — at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show, a compact rear-drive roadster study built to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary and to revive a nameplate that had been dormant since the S800 went out of production in 1970. The S500, S600 and S800 of the 1960s were small, high-revving, chain-driven sports cars; the new car was intended to inherit that philosophy rather than its engineering.
The production car appeared at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale in Japan the following month. It was not a stretched Civic or an adapted Integra. Honda gave it its own platform — internally the X-bone frame — with a spine-like central tunnel and a network of closed-section beams designed to give an open car the torsional rigidity of a coupé. The engine sat entirely behind the front axle line, the gearbox drove through a separate secondary reduction gear, and the fuel tank was positioned between the seats to help achieve a 50:50 front-to-rear balance.
The S2000 was the last Honda developed without a committee looking at the sales forecast first. Everything about it — the redline, the roof, the lack of an automatic — was a decision somebody had to defend.
AP1: the 9,000 rpm opening act
The first-generation car, known by its chassis code AP1, is defined by one component: the F20C. A 1,997 cc inline four with a square 87.0 mm bore and stroke, dual overhead camshafts, Honda's VTEC variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust cams, forged connecting rods, and cylinder liners made from FRM — fibre-reinforced metal, an aluminium matrix reinforced with alumina and carbon fibres that Honda had been refining since the NSX.
The output figures were extraordinary for the period. In US trim the F20C produced 240 hp at 8,300 rpm and 153 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm; Japanese-market cars were rated at 250 PS with a higher 11.7:1 compression ratio and a torque figure of 22.2 kgm. Either way, the engine made 120 horsepower per litre — at the time, the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated production engine in the world. The redline sat at 9,000 rpm and the fuel cut arrived around 9,200.
That engine dictated the character of everything around it. The six-speed manual had closely stacked ratios to keep the car inside the narrow power band, the Torsen limited-slip differential was standard fitment, and the chassis was tuned around a car that rewarded commitment above 6,000 rpm and felt merely brisk below it. Below 4,000 rpm there was very little to talk about. Above 6,000 the cam profile changed, the note hardened, and the car became something else entirely.
Chassis and steering
All four corners used double wishbones — the rear arrangement was an in-wheel double wishbone layout, unusual for a front-engined car, chosen for camber control under load. The steering was electrically assisted, one of the earliest applications of EPS on a performance car, and it was praised at launch for its precision rather than its feel. Ventilated discs front and rear handled braking, and AP1 cars rode on 16-inch wheels with 205/55 front and 225/50 rear tyres — a deliberate stagger to build in a margin of understeer.
AP2: more torque, more civility
For the 2004 model year, North America received the AP2 and with it the F22C1: 2,157 cc from the same 87.0 mm bore but a longer 90.7 mm stroke, rated at 237 hp at 7,800 rpm and 162 lb-ft at 6,800 rpm. The redline dropped to 8,000 rpm. Europe followed a year later; Japan's Type S kept the high-revving 2.0-litre.
On paper the AP2 looks like a downgrade — 3 hp gone, 1,000 rpm gone. In practice it was an answer to a legitimate complaint. The extra 9 lb-ft, delivered lower down, made the car dramatically easier to drive at ordinary speeds, and the longer stroke gave it enough mid-range to pull cleanly out of a corner without a downshift. The AP1 remains the purist's choice; the AP2 is the one you can live with.
The AP2 also brought a comprehensive revision rather than a facelift. Springs and dampers were retuned for a more compliant ride, the wheels grew to 17 inches with 215/45 front and 245/40 rear tyres, the transmission gained carbon-coated synchros for cleaner shifts, the bodywork picked up a revised front lip and oval exhaust tips, and the lights were updated front and rear. In 2006 the car gained drive-by-wire throttle and, in most markets, Honda's VSA stability control — the first time the S2000 had any electronic safety net.
Specifications: AP1 versus AP2
| Specification | AP1 (1999–2003) | AP2 (2004–2009) |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | F20C, 1,997 cc I4 | F22C1, 2,157 cc I4 |
| Bore × stroke | 87.0 × 84.0 mm | 87.0 × 90.7 mm |
| Valvetrain | DOHC, 16v, VTEC | DOHC, 16v, VTEC |
| Compression | 11.0:1 (US) / 11.7:1 (JDM) | 11.1:1 |
| Power | 240 hp @ 8,300 rpm | 237 hp @ 7,800 rpm |
| Torque | 153 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm | 162 lb-ft @ 6,800 rpm |
| Redline | 9,000 rpm | 8,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual, Torsen LSD | 6-speed manual, Torsen LSD |
| Layout | Front-mid engine, RWD | Front-mid engine, RWD |
| Suspension | Double wishbone, all round | Double wishbone, all round |
| Wheels / tyres | 16", 205/55 F, 225/50 R | 17", 215/45 F, 245/40 R |
| Kerb weight | approx. 1,250 kg | approx. 1,270–1,295 kg |
| 0–100 km/h | approx. 5.5 s | approx. 5.7–6.0 s |
| Top speed | approx. 240 km/h (export) | approx. 240 km/h (export) |
| Fuel tank | 50 litres | 50 litres |
Figures are for US-market cars unless noted; ratings varied by market and model year. Japanese-market cars were subject to the usual 180 km/h limiter, and JDM AP1s carried the 250 PS tune.
Special editions and variants
S2000 Type S (Japan, 2001)
The most focused factory car of the AP1 era. The Type S kept the F20C but added a fixed hardtop, deleted a meaningful amount of equipment, and shaved weight accordingly. It was built for circuit work, sold only in Japan, and remains the most collectable of the early cars.
Type V and S2000 GT
Japan's Type V and the UK's GT were the comfort end of the range — leather, air conditioning, and in the GT's case a hardtop. These are the cars that make the best daily drivers and the least interesting auction listings.
S2000 CR (Club Racer, 2008–2009)
The CR is the one everybody remembers. Honda removed the folding roof entirely and fitted a fixed hardtop, deleted the sound deadening, made air conditioning and the audio system optional, stiffened the springs and dampers, added a front lip and a fixed rear wing, and finished it in Berlina Black, Grand Prix White or Apex Blue Pearl. It is the stiffest, loudest, most track-biased S2000 that ever left the factory, and fewer than a thousand were built.
Ultimate Edition (Europe, 2009)
A send-off rather than a performance package: Grand Prix White paint, a black and red leather interior, unique badging and a numbered plaque. It marked the end of production in August 2009, after which Suzuka's line was cleared for other work.
Living with one: what the numbers do not tell you
The S2000 has a reputation for being unforgiving, and it is partly deserved. The AP1 in particular has a short wheelbase, a limited-slip differential that locks aggressively, and enough rear grip to make the transition from grip to slide sudden rather than progressive. Driven smoothly it is one of the most rewarding cars of its era. Driven badly — or on cold, cheap tyres — it will bite. This is a car that rewards tyres and geometry more than it rewards horsepower.
The practical picture is mixed. The boot is small but usable for a weekend, the roof goes up and down in seconds and can be operated from the driver's seat, and the driving position is excellent. The cabin is cramped, the ride on AP1 springs is firm, and the car is noisy at speed. Nobody buys an S2000 for refinement.
What to check before you buy
- Valve clearance and VTEC operation — the F20C and F22C1 need periodic valve adjustment; a car that feels flat above 6,000 rpm is a car with a problem.
- Oil consumption — high-revving Hondas use oil. Ask how much, and check the level yourself.
- Rear subframe and sill corrosion — roadsters of this age rust from the bottom up, especially in salted-road markets.
- Roof condition — the canvas and the plastic rear window are wear items; a replacement is not cheap.
- Clutch and gearbox — second-gear synchros are the usual weak point; a crunch on a fast 1–2 shift is a negotiating point, not a deal-breaker.
- Accident history — the aluminium front structure is expensive to repair correctly, and many cars have had cosmetic front-end work.
How to read an S2000 VIN
Every S2000 carries the chassis code in the VIN itself, which makes identification straightforward once you know where to look. In a typical US-market VIN such as JHMAP1145YT000001, the structure is:
| Positions | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World manufacturer identifier — JHM, Honda, Japan |
| 4–6 | Chassis code — AP1 or AP2 |
| 7–9 | Body, engine and restraint codes |
| 10 | Model year |
| 11 | Assembly plant — Suzuka |
| 12–17 | Sequential production number |
Position 10 is the one worth memorising. On the S2000 the model-year codes run:
| Code | Model year | Code | Model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | 1999 | 5 | 2005 |
| Y | 2000 | 6 | 2006 |
| 1 | 2001 | 7 | 2007 |
| 2 | 2002 | 8 | 2008 |
| 3 | 2003 | 9 | 2009 |
| 4 | 2004 |
Verdict
The S2000 is the last of a line. There is no successor, no hybrid follow-up, no electric revival. Honda built a naturally aspirated, manual-only, rear-drive roadster with a 9,000 rpm engine and then, when the market moved on, stopped. That makes it both a bargain and a risk: clean, unmodified cars are appreciating, and the ones that have been lowered, turbocharged and abused are becoming the majority of what is for sale.
Buy the best standard car you can find. Keep the original wheels. Change the fluids. And take it somewhere with a long, empty on-ramp, because the reason this car exists is a noise that starts at six thousand revolutions per minute and does not stop until nine.
Comments
Post a Comment