Is the S2000 The Perfect Second Car?

Today Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained unveils his new S2000 project car, this will be his fun car foil to the ever practical XV Crosstrek. This mustard yellow AP1 S2000 features Honda’s F20C engine that revs all the way to 9,000 RPM, and had the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated engine until the release of the Ferrari 458 Italia. The s2000 may be impractical but it makes up for that with clever engineering and an incredible driving experience.

The S2000 is technically a mid engined car since the entire engine lies behind the front suspension to improve the car’s handling. This called for very tight packaging of the transmission to ensure everything fit into this tiny roadster. To aid in cornering Honda focused on making this car very rigid even with the absence of a fixed roof. This resulted in the X-bone structure that ensured this roadster was light weight and structurally rigid. All of this engineering comes together to create a very fun car with an accessible price tag.

The S2000 features some very impressive engineering that can now be had in a car that runs right around $20,00o for a good one. The S2000 is still one of the greatest Hondas ever built, and I fear we may never see a car quite like it. The high revving, low torque engine, coupled with their clever engineering, make this one of the most “Honda” cars ever built. Now watch Jason Fenske, Honda Subaru Fan boy for life, tell you about his latest old Honda purchase.