Life with the S2000

Friday, January 28. 2000

The most common question asked of me lately is, ”so how’s that Honda S2000?” Since the purpose of this newsletter is to share information, and to give you insights to me and my interests, I couldn’t think of a better place to answer that question! First of all, I’d like to say, I feel fortunate to have the car at all. Over three years ago, I decided that if Honda produced the SSM (Sport Study Model) I wanted to get it to replace my MR-2. At that time I asked Alan Pflueger if I could get one, he enthusiastically replied “you got it!” Later, as we realized how few cars we would get (only 5000 will be built for the US ), it seemed my chances for getting the car were getting slimmer and slimmer. Although it was difficult, Alan found a way to keep his word, and I want to say thank you!

For those of you who need an introduction to the S2000, it’s an all new 2 seat roadster built to celebrate Honda’s 50th anniversary as a car manufacturer. It has an amazing 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine, that produces an impressive 240 horsepower at 9000 RPM. The new rear wheel drive chassis uses many new technologies to save weight and provide a rigid, stiff body for the fully independent double wishbone suspension to mount to. Suffice to say, all the mechanical bits and pieces have been seamlessly blended into a wonderful little 2800 pound convertible.

I’ve had the car for three months now and this is the best car I’ve ever owned! The driving experience is wonderful, every control seems to be an extension of your body. Flick your wrist, it changes gear, twist the wheel and it changes lanes. The clutch is light, and engagement is very quick but easy to modulate. Braking performance is so stunning, I’m always worried about the car behind me not being able to stop as fast as me. When I put my right foot down…

The digital speedometer counts off the numbers very quickly and the tachometer arches across the top of the display, the engine passes 6000 RPM and the VTEC switches to the “hot cam” and then the excitement begins. Within about 2.8 seconds I’m at about 40 mph and need to shift to 2nd gear. Flick. Another 2.5 seconds and I’m passing 60 mph, and a split second later I shift to 3rd. Another Flick. 3rd gear tops out at 90 mph and I’ll need 4 gears to get through the ¼ mile on my way to a mid-14 second run.

On the road, if I’m not using all the 9000 RPM Honda has given me, I’ve been getting about 25-27 miles per gallon! The ride in the car is stiff, but not uncomfortably so, but maybe a bit stiffer than I expected. One thing I never expected was the reaction I get from everybody. Everyone is enthusiastic, “shakas,” “howzits” and “thumbs up” all the time. Unfortunately, there a few guys who want to race, and I prefer to do my racing on the track (so come on out to our Autocross, you know who you are!).

My first three months of ownership have been very trouble free, the only problems I’ve had are a rattle in the roof latch, and the scratched rear window. The roof latch should be easy to fix, it only requires a tension adjustment. The scratches on the rear window are another story. There is no doubt in my mind that it is simply a poor design on Honda’s part. The window folds into a tray that is made of a hard plastic, dust and vibrations cause this surface to seriously scratch the rear window. I’ve fashioned a towel to line the tray, but unfortunately the scratches are already there. I’m waiting for my Zymol Screen Clean kit to arrive, this should enable me to polish out the scratches.

The CD player hides behind a cover in the dash, this keeps dust out of the internals of the CD. Auxiliary audio controls are located on the instrument pod right at your fingertips. So far so good, but Honda seems to have forgotten the car is a roadster! Roadsters have a lot of road, wind and engine noise. These conspire to overpower the stock audio systems ability to put out sound that can be heard with the top down. In addition to the lack of power, the sound quality from the skimpy 6.5 inch speakers would have been poor by 1980’s standards much less 2000! I’ve already replaced the speakers with separate component speakers (see my web page for pictures of the installation in progress) and an amplifier is planned soon.

These few “problems” are so minor, they all fade when the top in down and the tachometer is showing 9000 RPM! Please remember I can sell Honda’s at our Pflueger Honda store so if you’re interested in learning more or acquiring this stunning car, please give me a call!