Honda has started with the process of developing a successor to the hugely popular S2000 roadster.
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The S2000, which had a 10-year lifespan from 1999 to 2009, was a front-mid engined, rear-wheel drive roadster with a VTEC engine that famously revved till 9,000 rpm.
It was always going to happen, as Honda has seen the huge success with the new MX-5, and the huge amount of hype surrounding the 124 Spider, and with increasing pressure from S2000 fans, it was always inevitable.
With the release of the new Mazda MX-5, and the Fiat 124 Spider soon to be released, there is a roadster missing to complete the picture.
The biggest roadblock in the development of the new S2000 is the lack of a donor platform, which means Honda would have to design something brand new.
Autocar states that various power plants are under consideration for the S2000 but it is likely that the base variants will be using a retuned version of the 1.5-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine that is found in cars offered in the Japanese market.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard about a new Honda sports auto, but earlier reports speculated that the company’s next enthusiast model would be a mid-engine “baby NSX” coupe with possible hybrid power.
As well as the 1.5-litre, there’s also rumours that the new 230kW/400Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre turbo from the Civic Type-R could also be used in a more hardcore, extreme version of the S2000 that will nearly certainly be badged “Type-R”.
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During a recent S2000 owners’ club event organized in the British Isles, a few representatives from Honda’s R&D department dropped a hint about a return of the beloved model.
