2009 Honda S2000

2009 S2000 Photos
2009 Honda S2000 – Click above for high-res image gallery It's been ten years since Honda released the S2000 to celebrate its golden anniversary, but since Autoblog's inception, we have somehow never managed to publish a proper review of the high-revving roadster. With the final S2000 having rolled off the line on August 7, we figured it was time to make amends and get some serious seat time in one of the few pure sports cars left in existence. %Gallery-71387% Photos copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. To create a roadster, you've got to have the proper ingredients. It has to have two seats and a retractable fabric roof, but above all else, it's got to be light and agile. The S2000 qualifies on all counts. While it's not as minimalist as a Lotus Elise (or even a Dodge Viper), the S2000's cabin is devoid of over-the-top luxury or techno-wizardry. There's no navigation system, Bluetooth or iPod connector, and there certainly isn't anything on the order of an iDrive or MMI controller. No need – there isn't much to control. The only high-tech element of the interior is the (frankly rather dated) electronic instrument cluster. It's flanked by a handful of switches for the air conditioning and radio along with a stability control switch and push-button starter. Aside from that, the dashboard is essentially bare. Just ahead of the shifter is an aluminum panel that flips down to reveal a basic stereo and aft of the shifter lies the rear defogger, hazard lights and top switches. By modern standards, it's a sparse working environment and – if you fit – a great place to conduct the business of driving. In proper sportscar fashion, the cockpit is set well back in the chassis and the front axle is mounted ahead of the four-cylinder engine creating a front/mid-engine layout. The result is a perfect 50/50 front-to-rear weight balance with the driver's posterior sitting just aft of the center of mass. Compared to other segment stalwarts, the S2000's cockpit errs on the side of snug. While not as tight as the aforementioned Elise, it's much smaller than the BMW Z4, and although it packs an additional five inches of length and three inches of wheelbase over the Mazda MX-5, it only nets an additional inch of legroom and comes up short by three inches in head and shoulder room. Despite the lack of an adjustable steering column, the S2000 fit us well, and while the cockpit is snug, the seats are excellent. Between the door and center tunnel there isn't much room for lateral motion, but the thrones provide fabulous support no matter the environment. The S2000's minimal nature and limited space mean you won't find any adjustments for the bolsters or lumbar support – the seats simply adjust fore-and-aft, with a lever for the seatback angle. Compared to the MX-5, the electric roof mechanism seems like overkill, but dropping the top is simply a matter of popping two roof-mounted latches, …
Full Review
2009 Honda S2000 – Click above for high-res image gallery It's been ten years since Honda released the S2000 to celebrate its golden anniversary, but since Autoblog's inception, we have somehow never managed to publish a proper review of the high-revving roadster. With the final S2000 having rolled off the line on August 7, we figured it was time to make amends and get some serious seat time in one of the few pure sports cars left in existence. %Gallery-71387% Photos copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. To create a roadster, you've got to have the proper ingredients. It has to have two seats and a retractable fabric roof, but above all else, it's got to be light and agile. The S2000 qualifies on all counts. While it's not as minimalist as a Lotus Elise (or even a Dodge Viper), the S2000's cabin is devoid of over-the-top luxury or techno-wizardry. There's no navigation system, Bluetooth or iPod connector, and there certainly isn't anything on the order of an iDrive or MMI controller. No need – there isn't much to control. The only high-tech element of the interior is the (frankly rather dated) electronic instrument cluster. It's flanked by a handful of switches for the air conditioning and radio along with a stability control switch and push-button starter. Aside from that, the dashboard is essentially bare. Just ahead of the shifter is an aluminum panel that flips down to reveal a basic stereo and aft of the shifter lies the rear defogger, hazard lights and top switches. By modern standards, it's a sparse working environment and – if you fit – a great place to conduct the business of driving. In proper sportscar fashion, the cockpit is set well back in the chassis and the front axle is mounted ahead of the four-cylinder engine creating a front/mid-engine layout. The result is a perfect 50/50 front-to-rear weight balance with the driver's posterior sitting just aft of the center of mass. Compared to other segment stalwarts, the S2000's cockpit errs on the side of snug. While not as tight as the aforementioned Elise, it's much smaller than the BMW Z4, and although it packs an additional five inches of length and three inches of wheelbase over the Mazda MX-5, it only nets an additional inch of legroom and comes up short by three inches in head and shoulder room. Despite the lack of an adjustable steering column, the S2000 fit us well, and while the cockpit is snug, the seats are excellent. Between the door and center tunnel there isn't much room for lateral motion, but the thrones provide fabulous support no matter the environment. The S2000's minimal nature and limited space mean you won't find any adjustments for the bolsters or lumbar support – the seats simply adjust fore-and-aft, with a lever for the seatback angle. Compared to the MX-5, the electric roof mechanism seems like overkill, but dropping the top is simply a matter of popping two roof-mounted latches, …
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Retail Price

$34,995 - $36,995 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 2.2L I-4
MPG Up to 18 city / 25 highway
Seating 2 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd man w/OD
Power 237 @ 7800 rpm
Drivetrain rear-wheel
Curb Weight 2,813 - 2,864 lbs
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