Honda S2000

[Peter-E36]

Hi folks, considering one of these and while this is a BMW forum I know a lot of yee are knowledgeable and interested about other cars too

So which model is "the" model to get? I had a look online but not sure which models were available where. Would I be right in saying a facelift AP1 is the one to get seeing as it has the revised suspension, carbon fibre syncros etc etc?

As most of you know by now I'm getting old and boring and I'm only looking for as new and as low a mileage car I can get. So if you know of any suitable car somewhere or of someone that could be tempted into selling theirs - do give me a shout, I'll appreciate the heads up

Any leads @[Dillon]

[JohnH]

If you decide on one have a look at JDMAuctionWatch.com. You could bring one in from Japan but be warned shipping takes up to 12 weeks

[mk2glenn]

If you decide on one have a look at JDMAuctionWatch.com. You could bring one in from Japan but be warned shipping takes up to 12 weeks

And be prepared to pay twice the price of one already in Ireland! JDM S2000s are not cheap at the minute:sad: In fact no Honda is!

[Gitzer]

Get the older ap1 2ltr model. Better and rev higher as far as i can remember

[johnmcs2000]

All of the cars that were released here were the 2.0 litre AP1 engine. The AP2 refers to the 2.2 litre that was released in Japan and the USA in around 2006. AP1 engine revs to 9000 rpm the AP2 2.2 litre to 8000 rpm. Both have the same BHP but the AP2 has slightly better torque. There was several minor tweaks to the car over the years, 1999 to 2001 had a rear plastic glass on the hood, 2001 to 2003 minor suspension changes and proper glass on the hood, 2004-2006 further suspension changes with nicer bumpers, 2007-2009 had a traction control system added. (this is all from memory, I cannot remember when the carbon synchro's were added)
Some say the original suspension set up was too hard and the second iteration was best. Others say the final iteration was the best.

They are very tyre sensitive cars and have a reputation as being very twitchy on the limit. There are many many great after market parts to upgrade them but the only way of improving power from the engine is to go forced induction. Be careful of buying one the final edition ones as the road tax is crazy as they in the highest bracket of CO2 emissions. Also, be careful of the insurance cost.

I drove one daily for 4 years and most of the time loved it. It has the best gearbox I have ever used. I found it very loud to use every day, conversations are spoken loudly, and the radio blasted to hear it, get one with a hardtop as a result to minimise the noise levels if using regularly. The engine is bombproof but needs to be revved hard to get the performance out of it. The exhaust note is lovely. Only once did it bite me, but luckily there was plenty of room and no other traffic. Basically, the back end let go in the wet unexpectedly leaving me to correct it too late on an uphill right hand turn. They look beautiful, are very reliable and seem to be holding their value well now.

Most common issues if I remember correctly are seized bushes, sticking brake calipers and faulty MAP sensors causing a Kangarooing effect in traffic.

All in all, I'd totally recommend one, more as a second car than a daily driver though. Gp to S2ki.com for all the info you could ever want on them.

John

[Peter-E36]

All of the cars that were released here were the 2.0 litre AP1 engine. The AP2 refers to the 2.2 litre that was released in Japan and the USA in around 2006. AP1 engine revs to 9000 rpm the AP2 2.2 litre to 8000 rpm. Both have the same BHP but the AP2 has slightly better torque. There was several minor tweaks to the car over the years, 1999 to 2001 had a rear plastic glass on the hood, 2001 to 2003 minor suspension changes and proper glass on the hood, 2004-2006 further suspension changes with nicer bumpers, 2007-2009 had a traction control system added. (this is all from memory, I cannot remember when the carbon synchro's were added)
Some say the original suspension set up was too hard and the second iteration was best. Others say the final iteration was the best.

They are very tyre sensitive cars and have a reputation as being very twitchy on the limit. There are many many great after market parts to upgrade them but the only way of improving power from the engine is to go forced induction. Be careful of buying one the final edition ones as the road tax is crazy as they in the highest bracket of CO2 emissions. Also, be careful of the insurance cost.

I drove one daily for 4 years and most of the time loved it. It has the best gearbox I have ever used. I found it very loud to use every day, conversations are spoken loudly, and the radio blasted to hear it, get one with a hardtop as a result to minimise the noise levels if using regularly. The engine is bombproof but needs to be revved hard to get the performance out of it. The exhaust note is lovely. Only once did it bite me, but luckily there was plenty of room and no other traffic. Basically, the back end let go in the wet unexpectedly leaving me to correct it too late on an uphill right hand turn. They look beautiful, are very reliable and seem to be holding their value well now.

Most common issues if I remember correctly are seized bushes, sticking brake calipers and faulty MAP sensors causing a Kangarooing effect in traffic.

All in all, I'd totally recommend one, more as a second car than a daily driver though. Gp to S2ki.com for all the info you could ever want on them.

John

Thanks John, that's some nice feedback and info there!

There are a lot of cars I'm interested in buying but it seems to be an impossible task to find decent examples of any performance cars in Ireland. Still though, keeping an open mind and scanning the usual sites/forums for cars and surely sooner or later something will pop up

[johnmcs2000]

What is it you're looking for from the car? Sports car? Open top? RWD? 4WD? or FWD? etc etc etc.

[Peter-E36]

What is it you're looking for from the car? Sports car? Open top? RWD? 4WD? or FWD? etc etc etc.

Powerful RWD sports coupe/roadster, don't mind a cabrio but getting a convertible isn't the point, just has to be a driver's car - something that'll put a smile on your face everytime you drive it I don't mind if it's something thirsty or expensive to tax or uncomfortable/impractical but I just don't want a money pit! I sold my e36 because I was sick of running around to mechanics all the time.

Cars I'm considering are:

Early E92 335i coupé
Late E46 M3
Late E85 3.0 Si Roadster
Honda S2000

I'm keeping an open mind for sure and considered lotus elises and what not but seems specialist cars like that will be a nightmare if anything goes wrong, especially with fibre glass body parts etc etc

So, know of a good car for me John?

[johnmcs2000]

What is it you're looking for from the car? Sports car? Open top? RWD? 4WD? or FWD? etc etc etc.

Powerful RWD sports coupe/roadster, don't mind a cabrio but getting a convertible isn't the point, just has to be a driver's car - something that'll put a smile on your face everytime you drive it I don't mind if it's something thirsty or expensive to tax or uncomfortable/impractical but I just don't want a money pit! I sold my e36 because I was sick of running around to mechanics all the time.

Cars I'm considering are:

Early E92 335i coupé
Late E46 M3
Late E85 3.0 Si Roadster
Honda S2000

I'm keeping an open mind for sure and considered lotus elises and what not but seems specialist cars like that will be a nightmare if anything goes wrong, especially with fibre glass body parts etc etc

So, know of a good car for me John?

No I don't sorry. Enjoy the shopping/driving.

[Dave]

Could you really get into a 4 cylinder having owned a 6 for so long?


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