[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Nevermind the concept that Honda still has bulletproof reliability is laughable. They HAD bulletproof reliability. They lost it by buying parts from the lowest bidder like US Domestic manufacturers did through the 90's-2010 (and many still do). Nothing better than average now.



I'd love to be proven wrong and have them release this car and have it be a fantastically engineered machine. I might even buy one, I was and still am a Honda fan. However, I agree with the other poster who said it was likely to be vaporware, unfortunate but the stats point in that direction. Anyone remember the S3000? Yeah, that was vaporware too.

Last month I visited the Honda dealership before they closed and three of the guys I worked with are still there and I asked about the current gen Accord they were doing an oil change on and the first thing out their mouth was the cars had all kind of problems with oil leaks having to do with the use of direct injection now. I just lol'd and said that there aren't going to be reliable cars anymore because of the stricter and stricter laws cars are made to be leased now.

[Year's_End]

The idea of a potential hybrid powertrain doesn't bother me anymore, which is actually kind of refreshing. The latest slew of hypercars have done a great job of altering my perception of the concept. I'm just curious as to how the potential implementation would go down; a KERS system like the TheFerrari's would be neat, or just using the e-juice as an extra source of power while doing that "torque fill" thing would be cool, though I can't see how it would work into the whole lightweight picture.

My biggest fear is that Honda will royally botch the styling up. Fingers crossed that the end product gives us a good show.

[fecurtis]

Keep in mind that just because a price of a car in one country is x, doesn't mean you simply apply the exchange rate and suddenly have an idea of what it'd cost in the US.

Cars in Canada for example, are on average much more expensive than in the US even though the exchange rate is 1.00 USD to 1.09 CAD. The typical bump in MSRP in Canada tends to be higher than 9% over the same model in the US.

If Honda actually decides to make this car and it doesn't look like ass, I'd imagine it'd cost around $30k-$40k.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Keep in mind that just because a price of a car in one country is x, doesn't mean you simply apply the exchange rate and suddenly have an idea of what it'd cost in the US.

Cars in Canada for example, are on average much more expensive than in the US even though the exchange rate is 1.00 USD to 1.09 CAD. The typical bump in MSRP in Canada tends to be higher than 9% over the same model in the US.

If Honda actually decides to make this car and it doesn't look like ass, I'd imagine it'd cost around $30k-$40k.

You raise a great point. The VW GTI costs $26,330 GBP which, using today's exchange rates, translates to $44,370 USD. We all know that the GTI starts around $26-27k stateside. Using similar math, the S2000 would probably be right around $40k USD, which is right where it should be.

[derryck]

Originally Posted by sxyblue

My second job was as a lube tech for Honda and having driven quite a few of them while I was there and a couple since then I absolutely still think it's a girls car and nothing special at all. I'm 5'9" 160 and always felt semi-claustophobic each time I set foot in that car so I'm amazed when I see anyone bigger getting out of one. I can see the appeal of a used one for around 15k or so but 60k for a Honda is just pure stupidity in my mind cause they're going into M3, Boxster, Vette territory and I think they're not gonna sell much. One reason I love the NSX is that it's much cheaper than other cars with similar performance-348 or 911, much more reliable and can be driven everyday, if the price is true than the S2k has lost much of this given that recently I talked to the guys at the dealership that I worked with and they were telling me of the problems Hondas are having now with the use of direct injection. Even to this day I ask people why they got an S2k over something like an Evo 9 cuz I'm always impressed every time I drive one.

Wow...I can only guess you're not a 'car guy' then. The S2000 was and is a special car especially the AP1s. Performance was on par with the NSX when it came out at one third of the price. I have owned 6 figure P-cars as well as several M cars and nothing I have ever driven can touch the shifter in the S2000. The S2000 has proven to be very reliable aside from some small nagging issues like window switches going out repeatedly. I can't believe Honda hasn't picked you up as their CEO with all this 'knowledge' you have. How has this multi-faceted...multi-billion dollar organization become one of the top manufacturers on the planet with all of this crap they put out?

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by derryck

Wow...I can only guess you're not a 'car guy' then. The S2000 was and is a special car especially the AP1s. Performance was on par with the NSX when it came out at one third of the price.

That's more of a testament to how outdated the NSX was.

[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by derryck

Wow...I can only guess you're not a 'car guy' then. The S2000 was and is a special car especially the AP1s. Performance was on par with the NSX when it came out at one third of the price. I have owned 6 figure P-cars as well as several M cars and nothing I have ever driven can touch the shifter in the S2000. The S2000 has proven to be very reliable aside from some small nagging issues like window switches going out repeatedly. I can't believe Honda hasn't picked you up as their CEO with all this 'knowledge' you have. How has this multi-faceted...multi-billion dollar organization become one of the top manufacturers on the planet with all of this crap they put out?

I never said it wasn't a good car, my opinion is that it's price was always too high. While I was working there, there were plenty of them around five years old with 75-100k for 13-16k which I thought was a pretty good deal. I've never been able to see how it can cost mid to high 30s when the MX-5 was half that. Now I'm responding to the speculation of it being 60k and how that's WAY overpriced considering the cars it'll be competing against and that I think very few people will spend 60k for it when there are Boxsters, M3/4, RC-F, Vettes, etc. new in the price range. I can understand the fact that people that have owned it think of it as a no-nonsense-all-about-the-car car but I still think if it's around 60k that will take it out of the price range of most of the people that want it and can afford it, i.e. younger people. Since I have never owned "6 figure P-cars as well as several M cars" I guess I'm not a motor enthusiast so sorry about that.

[fecurtis]

I did just notice that rumors indicate that it's a mid engined platform. If that's the case then I could see it being rather expensive.

Either way, every few years a new rumor emerges about the beloved S2000 coming back. I drove one back in college, admittedly it was one of the funnest cars I've ever driven. I'd love to see it come back, but it's a "I'll believe it when I see it" rumor in my opinion.

[secretsquirrel]

Originally Posted by sxyblue

I never said it wasn't a good car, my opinion is that it's price was always too high. While I was working there, there were plenty of them around five years old with 75-100k for 13-16k which I thought was a pretty good deal. I've never been able to see how it can cost mid to high 30s when the MX-5 was half that. .

Your reference point is/was misplaced IMO. The cars that it competed against performance wise were more expensive and sometimes close to double the price.

The car was as fast as a V8 mustang from 30-90mph and was the same speed as a Porsche Boxster S with quicker handling. It was also much peppier and handled better than a Z3. The 350z was a competitor, but it along the Porsche Boxster and Z3 got dominated by the S2000 in autocross class BS. As a result, the S2000 got moved up AS to battle against much more powerful competitors. e46 M3s are usually slower on an autocross than an S2000.

Many people would say "autocross isn't real driving". But I value precision and quickness more than going fast in a straight line. Its those qualities that make the car S2000 really special.

[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by secretsquirrel

Your reference point is/was misplaced IMO. The cars that it competed against performance wise were more expensive and sometimes close to double the price.

The car was as fast as a V8 mustang from 30-90mph and was the same speed as a Porsche Boxster S with quicker handling. It was also much peppier and handled better than a Z3. The 350z was a competitor, but it along the Porsche Boxster and Z3 got dominated by the S2000 in autocross class BS. As a result, the S2000 got moved up AS to battle against much more powerful competitors. e46 M3s are usually slower on an autocross than an S2000.

Many people would say "autocross isn't real driving". But I value precision and quickness more than going fast in a straight line. Its those qualities that make the car S2000 really special.

Looking at it from a sports car perspective I may be a bit misguided as far as my opinion of it, yes, since I've not owned one and have only driven it around the service department and several other times people I've known/met have let me test drive it on the streets. From my gripe with it, I think the market backs up my point in that it's no longer being made. The cars that it was in the price range of near the end of its run were the Evo, STI, 350/370z to name a few, and they had healthy enough numbers to continue because they offered some basic creature comforts that people have come to expect.

Let me give you my viewpoint from around 2006-09ish.
Evo 9 was 35k or 36k I believe and the S2k was 37k, correct me if I'm wrong. The S2k was 1) much smaller, requiring less material to build 2) came with less standard features even though I wouldn't have said the Evo came with Lexus-like standard equipment. Somehow it cost more and I thought it was absurd and still do. Like I said at the beginning of this thread, mid teens for a mildly used one is a pretty good deal but I thought asking mid to high 30s was 5-8k overpriced. Now with the rumors of a 60k S2k sounds even more absurd to me because I feel there's no way in hell there will be enough people out there that are willing to pay that kind of money for it to keep the model going when there are plenty of other cars in the same price range with more equipment because, lets face it, most people that pay 70k after tax for a car want them. Also reality shows us that there is a status/symbol premium that comes with a car, 60k for a Honda or something German?

[-Wingman-]

Confused about why people are arguing over a car that probably won't get built, or get so deconstructed from what is speculated, it can't even really be called the same car IF it ever gets produced.

For example, the NSX. Yes, I know they're coming out with an NSX in 2015 (basically meaning hold your breath for a few more years so they can keep revising a car that they haven't even launched yet), but they could have released the NSX a LONG time ago, and in a more potent form than what we should expect from the upcoming NSX.

[Boost4me]

That's some great news, the s2000 is by far the funnest car I've owned. Twist and turns are where the s2000 shines. Top down + 9k RPM's + razor sharp handling and Honda's best 6 speed transmission on a nice canyon road...boy do I miss that, no car has given me the same fun factor since. The new s2000 sure will have a lot to live up to