Last week, we wrote about Honda’s executives officially approving the production of the S660, which would put the automaker back in the sports car market. Honda is now rumored to plan on bringing back the S2000, a car that enjoyed a successful ten-year run from 1999 until 2009. This reintroduction to the Honda line has more hype than the new Godzilla franchise – which will hopefully wash away the sour taste of the Roland Emmerich tragedy of the 1990s. Okay: back to the car!
Keeping in line with Honda’s emphasis on efficiency, the new iteration of the S2000 will house a mid-engine layout, boast all-wheel drive, and come in a hardtop. You would also be safe to assume that a version of Honda’s hybrid technology will also come standard. This means that the powertrain will come in the form of something like a 2-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine with VTEC technology – somewhat mirroring the Civic Type R.
The rumor mill began churning when the United Kingdom’s AutoExpress magazine reported that a “Honda insider” told them of a secretive meeting – is this a David Brown novel? – at Honda’s Tochigi Research and Development center regarding the project, which would not go into effect until 2017. While our fingers are crossed, this could be one of those alleged leaks that never come to fruition; a way to sell a headline and get some automotive enthusiasts to write about it (*cough* *cough*).
And in case you wondered, “Whatever happened to the Honda S2000?” The model was discontinued after falling victim to new emissions standards and rising fuel costs. In response to fulfill the “need for speed,” the automaker changed from a 2-liter to a 2.2-liter until it finally came to the conclusion that its sportscar line wasn’t going to sell in its current version.
We at AutoPark Honda will keep you updated with any releases or announcements regarding the S2000.