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Revision as of 00:10, 17 December 2004 by 65.240.128.253 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Honda S2000 | |
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| Manufacturer: | Honda |
| Production: | 2000 – |
| Class: | 2000 – : Roadster |
| Body Styles: | 2-door Roadster |
| Predecessor: | Honda S360 Honda S500 Honda S600 Honda S800 |
| Successor: | none |
| Shares components with: | none |
| Comparable models: | BMW Z3 BMW Z4 Mazda Miata Nissan 350Z Roadster |
| This article is part of the automobile series. | |
The Honda S2000 is a roadster automobile built by Honda. The S2000 continued Honda's tradition of lightweight roadster 'S' cars. Like previous 'S' cars, the name of the S2000 comes from its displacement of 1997 cc, which is near 2000 cc. Launched in the fall of 2000. From its inception in 2000 to 2003, S2000s were manufactured in Honda's Tochigi plant. S2000s since then have been manufactured in the Suzuka plant.
Platform
The rear wheel drive, or RWD, platform surprised many in the industry since Honda currently only produces one other RWD car, that being their flagship model, the NSX. The remainder of Honda's consumer cars are significantly front wheel drive. The S2000 does follow the tradition of Honda's previous 'S' cars, such as the S600 and S800 which were both RWD.
Notable in the S2000 is the X-Bone Monocoque Frame Suspension which provides a signficant amount of stiffness to the frame of the car. This improves handling of the car under strenuous conditions. Also dependability of the steering is improved by improving the stiffness of the car itself.
Standard power amenities including an electric roof that took only 6 seconds to operate allowed the car to be daily driven with few problems. Decent luggage space by roadster standards and low maintenance costs added to the flexibility of the two-seater sports car. The engine was started by the press of a 'start' button on the dash instead of a turning of the key ignition like normal cars.
A Torsen limited slip differential mated to a six speed manual gearbox delivered the power to the ground. Special Bridgestone S-02 Potenza tires featured a wider contact patch to improve cornering ability. Other technological features included a very stiff X-bone frame for chassis rigidity, double wishbone suspension, electronically-assisted steering, and integrated roll hoops.
Powertrain
The initial S2000 came equipped with a F20C engine block, 2.0 liter, inline-4 engine producing 240 horsepower (179 kW) at 8300 rpm and 153 lb ft (208 Nm) torque at 7500 rpm. The It is one of the few naturally aspirated engines to produces over 100 hp per liter. When operated like an ordinary car at low revs, the S2000 could be driven economically. However at low rpms the torque the engine could provide was realtively small until the car could be pushed beyond 6000 rpm VTEC engagement. This made drivability under normal conditions more strenuous than a regular car since shifting would have to be done often to achieve normal drivability.
However, with the right road conditions, the engine could be opened up to an amazing 9000rpm limit. Honda's VTEC variable timing system activated at 6000rpm, giving the car additional torque and power and thrusted the car forward with a feverish pace, accompanied by a frentic exhaust note. Keeping the car within this 6000-9000rpm range on racetracks was the key to speed.
In 2004, Honda increased the stroke of North American S2000 engine, thus displacing 2.2 liters and putting out more torque as well. The new engine block designation the updated model is F22C1. Officially the torque was increased to 162 lb ft from 157 lb ft and power output remains the same at 240 HP. However dyno tests have shown that the engine does produce more power than its smaller predecessor. Designed for the only for the US market, the 2.2L engine featured a lower redline of 8000rpm while the rest of the world retained the original 2.0L engine with a screaming 9000rpm red-line. The additional torque due to increased displacement alone would increase the drivability of the S2000, however, Honda also improved the gear ratios to improve performance and drivability under normal conditions.
Awards
The S2000 was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2000 through 2002 and 2004. Its engine won the International Engine of the Year award in the "1.8 to 2 liter" size category for five years from 2000 through 2004.
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