New Honda S2000 coming soon to fight MX-5 – report

Honda-S2000

Enthusiasts will be praying that there’s truth in this. Autocar reports that Honda is developing a new S2000 that will take on the Mazda MX-5. It will be more expensive and powerful than the ND Miata, and will also count the Fiat 124 Spider – a reworked MX-5 with a 1.4 litre turbo engine – as a rival.

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. The third-gen S2K will stick to the layout, but there won’t be a highly strung NA engine as those things have been consigned to history.

The UK mag speculates Honda’s 1.5 litre VTEC Turbo engine, already in service in the tenth-gen Civic and Jade RS MPV, boosted up to 180 hp for the sports car (the Civic Coupe surfaced last month with 174 hp and 219 Nm). That will leave room for a hotter Type R variant with a detuned version of the Civic Type R’s 310 PS/400 Nm engine, more focused chassis and LSD. All will use a six-speed manual gearbox.

The NSX is back, and while a “baby NSX” is being considered, the “new S2000” roadster has priority

Not so easy, surely. The mag adds that the biggest hurdle the “new S2000” will face is the absence of a suitable RWD platform. The report states that reps from Honda’s advanced engineering department are said to have attended a recent S2000 owners’ club event in UK, a signal that the carmaker wants to listen to enthusiasts to help it to position the next S2000 accurately.

Honda, which has revived the NSX supercar, is understood to be considering a mid-engined “baby NSX”, but the company said to be prioritising a return to the two-seat roadster segment. The S660 kei-car has been ruled out for markets outside of Japan.

“We are receiving requests from our regions who are saying they would like more sports cars, so we are considering ways to do that,” Honda’s global boss, Takahiro Hachigo, was quoted as saying.

Whether it’s a “baby NSX” or “new S2000”, the very fact that Honda is considering sports cars and reviving famous names is sweet music to car fans. They’re not the only ones – Toyota wheeled out a compact RWD coupe at Tokyo 2015, and the Zoom-Zoom brand is toying with the idea of a rotary-engined successor to the RX-7. Exciting times ahead.

GALLERY: Honda S2000

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Good move.

    Nissan, please learn from Honda, continue your IDX plan.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Sabahan on Dec 07, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    Bring it on! Just do it!!

    and I just watch it… and not afford it

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
  • 3belian on Dec 07, 2015 at 2:07 pm

    S2000 price sure crazy high when reach here… get greyimport/recon S660 oso gud enuf ody

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • macromedia on Dec 07, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    what rubbish is this? the S2000 has always being so much more pricey, with insane VTEC power and a rear wheel drive. While the MX-5 has always been the ‘oh my goodness this is so much fun top down drving and good handling, tho the speed is nothing to shout about but I don’t care at all’ car with a reasonable (not in Malaysia of course) pricing. Mazda be like whaaaa??? Ppl whoknows MX-5 be like huh???<?!??? Which is also why competitors can't quite get where they can come in to kill this 'monster', that is if you can call a cute little chi-hua-hua a monster/ It is like a ferrari revving it's engine, wanting to race MX-5 at the lights, … *confused looks as no words can described the confusion!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • heybadigol (Member) on Dec 07, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    No excuse for Honda to say “because of no suitable RWD platform” when there’s the NSX and S660 around (though they are mid engined). But if they really want an FR platform, then they need to develop a brand new one that is scalable for a larger sedan/coupe (perhaps can be used on an Acura ILX or TLX), so it won’t go to waste like the original S2000, who’s brilliant chassis was not shared with any other Honda or Acura.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • It will have to fight the all-new Fiat 124 based on the MX-5 as well which incidentally is more powerful that the current MX-5.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • The Power of Dreams on Dec 07, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    VTAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kicked in yo

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Bring the 1.0 S660 with a manual box pleaseee

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Tadalaku 1M on Dec 07, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    campro…….kicked the bucket yo….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Honda should reviled the Prelude

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
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