2005 Honda S2000 Published 06/30/2005

It's said, "Youth is wasted on the young." Likewise the Honda S2000 may often be wasted on the timid.

I am a lover of the two seat open top roadster. There is nothing like the feeling of night air with top down following the full moon overhead on a winding country road. A good roadster creates a connection, a virtual conversation between driver and machine. Enjoying a convertible takes passion and a true love for the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Many convertibles are wasted on people who seldom drop the top because they might mess up their hair or because it's too hot or cold. Sadly, many convertibles are wasted on the vain.

Then there are those that buy a high performance sport car because of specs in a brochure. Emasculating performance potential, they sentence an awesome sports car to a life stuck in traffic daily from the subdivision to the urban office. Never experiencing the thrill of acceleration these cars are wasted on the bitter shriveled up existence of the suburban commuter.

The Honda S2000 is a high performance roadster that only a few will ever fully experienced. I am a two-seat, top down, roadster enthusiast. Yet even I can't fully appreciate the potential of the Honda S2000. While I love power and speed, I also love my driving privileges and am an advocate for safe driving. Unfortunately, the 2006 Honda S2000 begs to be driven above the speed limit. With it's race inspired engine, this car simply is not satisfied by restrained cruising.

Rated at 240 horsepower this high tech power plant produces an incredible 109 horsepower per liter of displacement. Specifications of the Honda F-22C1 engine include 11:1 compression pistons and a high revving 8,300 RMP redline. Aluminum Alloy cylinder walls reinforced with fiber provides lightweight strength and the Metal Injection molded valve train is a refined race tested technological marvel. Six-speed manual transmission is mated to the torque sensing limited slip differential at the rear wheels.

The Honda S2000 is unique to Honda as it is only one of two rear wheel drive platforms produced by this versatile company. The Acura NSX and Honda S2000 are a testament that you shouldn't have a high performance front wheel drive sports car.

Honda has earned a reputation in the general public for providing reasonably priced, high quality, front wheel drive automobiles. Yet Honda also lives in the fast paced world of International Formula One racing and dominates the Indy Racing League (IRL) to be showcased at the Kansas Speedway this weekend. Media eyes will be upon freshman phenomenon Danica Patrick in her Honda powered open wheel Panoz car. At least 10 of the top 20 cars in this league are Honda powered.

Yet for the general public, much of the race heritage and high performance of the Honda S2000 will not be appreciated. To the average American driver expecting tire-shredding torque of muscle cars, the 162 lb. ft. of torque produced moving a 2,835-pound automobile will seem underpowered. Seldom revving the engine to the 8,300 read line, most drivers will be unimpressed by its ultimate capabilities because we are still stuck in commuter traffic.

The 2005 Honda S2000 competes in a small but very influential part of the automotive market. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, and of course Porsche all make performance oriented, two seat, drop top roadsters. The Honda S2000 is somewhat quirky even beyond the high revving nature of the engine. The separate "Start" button reminds you this is not the family sedan and the High X-bone frame intrudes into the limited passenger space. Radio controls are on the left and of course a cupholder would be wrong.

Essentially unchanged since its introduction in 2000 the Honda S2000 is still a fresh and viable competitor. In 2004 Honda replaced the 2.0 liter engine still used in other countries with the American 2.2 version. This adding 10 lb. ft. pounds of torque and reduced redline 9,000 to 8,300 RPM.

Don't misunderstand; the S2000 is still a fine automobile for those long slow cruises under the full moon. But without a true passion for topless performance the 2005 Honda S2000 could be wasted on the timid.

2005 Honda S2000

Two seat, convertible roadster
Rear Wheel Drive

2.2 Liter 16 valve DOHC VTEC Inline 4 cylinder
240 hp, 162 lb. ft. torque

$33,665 MSRP

20/26 City/Highway EPA MPG

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