Honda S2000 zips to speed with stronger engine and gearbox
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
BLUE RIDGE, N.C. -- The pedal's down and those low-profile Potenza tires are talking as we romp over the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in an enhanced issue of Honda's raucous two-seat S2000 roadster.
Drawn from Honda's success in motorsports, the S2000 comes in classic sports car format with a front-mounted engine directing forceful torque to the two rear wheels.
It's ideally balanced with half of the weight posed on front wheels and the other half resting on the rear.
And it contains an impressive list of components -- from a rigid monocoque chassis to the double wishbone suspension system, precise electric-powered rack and pinion steering, plate-sized disc brakes with anti-lock controls, a tight-shifting six-speed gearbox linking to the Torsen limited-slip differential, and a high-revving aluminum engine with Honda's variable value timing and lift electronic control (VTEC).
The only kink: Original issues of the S2000 stocked a four-cylinder engine that red-lined at 9000 rpm with the torque peaking way up there at 7500 rpm.
We spent a week in 1999 driving the first S2000 around town and found it difficult to get the revs beyond 6000 rpm due to limitations of traffic and speed zones.
Yet the car felt rather tepid and timid when working with revs below 6000 rpm.
The following week, by coincidence, we found ourselves in Japan running speed laps on the vast Twin Ring Motegi race track with a right-hand-drive version of the S2000.
On the track we discovered that this car behaved like an entirely different animal -- there was no speed limit and the pavement was free of traffic so we could push the engine into its sweet spot above 7500 rpm and draw out the aggressive personality, which was not apparent at street speeds.
Back-to-back experience guiding an S2000 around town and around a race track revealed the problem -- its racy traits could be felt on a track, but not on the streets.
Honda must have realized the problem too because the S2000 for 2004 stocks a revamped powertrain designed to feel good on city streets as well as a race track.
Improvements include a larger displacement for the four-cylinder engine (up 0.2-liter to 2.2-liter) with a wider band of power, revamped transmission gearing plus revised suspension tuning.
Power from the new engine comes up quicker -- at only 3000 rpm versus 6000 rpm on the earlier plant.
And the red line drops to 8200 rpm but there's more peak torque coming sooner -- it's 162 lb-ft at 6500 rpm now compared to the previous unit with 153 lb-ft at 7500 rpm.
Total output on the engine runs to 240 hp at 7800 rpm, instead of the former 240 hp at 8300 rpm.
What you get is better acceleration at lower speeds with the enhanced power band coming on stronger and sooner.
Honda's test-track times for a revamped S2000 indicate it can run up from zero to 60 mph in less than 5.5 seconds.
Gear ratios for the six-speed manual shifter drop marginally for the four lower gears and climb slightly for the two top gears.
Also, carbon-fiber synchronizers have been applied to all forward gears.
The result: A perfect short-throw shifter stick, ideal articulation with direct-shift linkage in a run up the gearbox and masterful control for the driver.
Body rigidity for the S2000 has been increased on the 2004 version by reinforcing key points on the body and chassis. The platform -- a load-dispersing monocoque structure that Honda calls the X-Bone frame -- has a central tunnel which functions as the car's backbone, with X-type cross-bracing applied to create an unyielding foundation of uncommon torsional strength and rigidity.
To this solid foundation, engineers attached an in-wheel suspension system borrowed from Honda racers. Control arms link to ball joints pinned inboard of the wheel's centerline, which reduce unsprung mass and optimize tire contact with pavement and resultant adhesion.
The suspension design, when combined with that rigid frame and some sticky Bridgestone Potenza tires, produces movement characteristics in precise and acute terms.
Wheels and tires increase in size this year to 17 inches in diameter, which improves the tire's ability to grip hard when cornering.
The S2000 looks as aggressive as it acts.
A sleek wedge-shaped shell shows an extended prow and curt tail with the aerodynamic face marked by clear-lens and triple-beam headlamps, a clean wrap of monotone bumpers and vast horizontal air intake window that's wider for 2004 for a bolder look.
Flanks bulge at front wheelwells with muscular shoulders accentuated by sheer vertical planes arching over the openings, followed by rolled side slabs and more contours from rear wheelwell extensions.
The back decklid tapers into curving corners capped by wraparound lamps and body-colored bumpers. New oval exhaust tips at the tail signify this car's powerful posture.
A convertible soft-top lid with rear glass window drops in only six seconds under power controls with the push of a single switch. The lid stows behind the passenger compartment and hides below a soft boot cover that snaps in place.
Twin roll bars behind seatbacks work with the reinforced windshield frame to forge a three-point area of protection for heads of the driver and passenger in the event of a rollover incident.
In the cockpit a new design for door panels carves out more room for shoulders and elbows of riders.
There are two form-fitting bucket seats set on either side of a high center spine, which has an improved console with twin cupholders and a storage tray.
Standard equipment includes dual frontal air bags, air conditioning, power controls for windows and door locks and mirrors, keyless entry system, cruise control, a digital instrument panel and seats trimmed in perforated leather, aluminum shift knob with leather wrapper, a 30-watt audio kit with CD player and optional dealer-installed headrest tweeters.
Honda puts the MSRP for a reworked S2000 at $32,800.
|
| 2004 HONDA S2000 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
2-seat roadster
|
| Model Options: |
2-seat roadster
|
| Wheelbase: |
94.5 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
162.2 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.2-L I4 VTEC
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/6
|
| Drive: |
Rear
|
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc
ABS
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
20/25 mpg
|
| MSRP Price: |
$ 32,800 |
|
|
|
The Big Lot! is dedicated to privacy, security, and service. Read our Privacy Policy.