When the first Honda road cars appeared on the market, people tended to treat them with a certain amount of ridicule. No one could have envisaged that the same company that gave the world the pint-sized S500 would eventually produce a sports car of the caliber of the S2000. Here was a car that made the world sit up and take notice because it signaled that Honda could produce a roadster with impressive performance figures at a relatively affordable price. This 2000 model Honda S2000 is a special car, and it could represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some lucky buyer. This classic is now 20-years-old, but it has an incredible 34 original miles showing on its odometer. The time has come for it to accumulate a few more, so it is being offered for sale here at Mecum Auctions. It is located in Kissimmee, Florida, and is due to go under the hammer in early January of 2021. I have to say thank you to Barn Finder Kyle K for spotting this fantastic car for us.
For those of us with more than a few birthdays under our belts, the closing years of the 20th century seemed to signal the demise of the low-capacity rear-wheel-drive 4-cylinder roadster. They appeared to be as dead as a dodo, and there was no prospect of anyone resurrecting the concept in serious numbers. Then Mazda unveiled the MX-5, and it proved to be a game-changer. Suddenly we found ourselves with a small convertible that seemed to perfectly capture the concept of classics like the original Lotus Elan, along with models that had been produced by Triumph and Austin-Healey. Honda saw this and saw that it was good, so they developed and introduced the S2000 in 1999. However, they chose to add more muscle and presence than was available from the MX-5. They produced a convertible with bulging fenders and an appearance that easily matched that of the BMW Z8. The ace up the S2000’s sleeve was that it sold for around 25% of the BMW’s price. It appeared that Honda was onto a winner.
This S2000 is a stunning looking car, and the Silverstone paint that it wears is one of the nicest colors available on the S2000 color palette in that model year. It is hardly surprising that its presentation is perfect. The story behind this classic is unknown, and why it has been left to sit for two decades is a mystery. It would appear that the storage environment must have been close to ideal because the car looks factory fresh. There is no sign of any deterioration in the paint, the trim is perfect, and there is no evidence of any oxidization on the original 16″ alloy wheels. If the buyer is looking for a car that appears to have just rolled off the showroom floor, then this would have to be a strong candidate.
It doesn’t seem that many years ago that manufacturers were striving to achieve what they considered to be the “magic number” in their production road cars. What they were seeking was an engine that could deliver 100hp/liter or 1hp/cubic inch. Honda didn’t just achieve that figure with the S2000; they blew it out of the water. The 2.0-liter (or 121.9ci) F20C VTEC 4-cylinder engine pumped out a mind-blowing 240hp at 8,300rpm. That equated to 120hp/liter, or 1.96hp/ci. For those with a sense of adventure, the engine would willingly rev to a red line of 8,900rpm! In a volume production road car, that really is something. Those horses found their way to a Torsen limited-slip rear end via a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission. However, this wasn’t a car that was merely about a gem of an engine. Honda was determined to create an entire package and to make the car the best that it could possibly be. To that end, countless hours were devoted to chassis development, with the company achieving its aim of instilling perfect 50:50 weight distribution to maximize handling potential. The suspension and brakes were just as impressive. It featured double wishbone suspension on all four corners while stopping duties were handled by enormous 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS. The S2000 was not as highly-strung as the engine specifications might suggest. Driven sedately, it was a comfortable beast to drive in stop/start commuter traffic. However, give this 2,809lb classic a poke with a stick, and the story changed markedly. That motor would happily howl all the way to the 8,900rpm rev limiter and would propel the car through the ¼ mile in under 15 seconds. Give it enough space, and you’ll find yourself nudging 146mph. Mecum doesn’t indicate whether the Honda is in a roadworthy state, but they say that it comes with a huge collection of documentation. This includes the Owner’s Manual, Window Sticker, along with other original paperwork. A nice touch is that there is also an unopened box of genuine Honda Car Care Products included in the sale.
Choosing a Honda over the Mazda did come at a cost. The S2000 was fully 25% more expensive than the range-topping MX-5 Miata SE. However, the owner would want for nothing in the comfort and luxury stakes. Besides air conditioning and dual airbags, the interior is equipped with power windows, power locks with remote entry, push-button engine start, a power top, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped wheel, cruise, and an AM/FM stereo radio/CD player with remote control. It is no surprise to find that the interior of this car is perfect. After all, it really hasn’t had the chance to cop any abuse in its 34 miles of use.
If there is one feature of the interior that I love above all else, it is the gauge cluster. These digital displays tend to “bleach” in bright sunlight, making them hard to read. Honda put a lot of thought into this, and while the specifics are unknown outside the company, they developed a system that minimized this problem. The bar-graph tachometer is a fantastic feature, and it was almost a necessity in this car. The motor’s free-revving nature means that standard analog gauges struggle to keep up with the actual revs. The electronic cluster alleviates this issue, and its beauty is that it is easy to read at a glance. Leaving all of that aside, it just looks cool!
When it was new, the 2000 Honda S2000 sold for $32,000. That wasn’t cheap, but it was a Roadster that was hard to top at that time. Only the Corvette, the Ferrari 360 Spider, the Viper R/T 10, and the Plymouth Prowler offered a better power-to-weight ratio, and all of those were considerably more expensive than the Honda. As is the case with so many cars from this era, values did take a bit of a hammering for a while, but they have experienced a significant upswing in recent times. It is possible to find rare examples selling for around $20,000, but those cars will tend to have some higher numbers on the clock. Prices of more than $30,000 are typical for low-mileage vehicles, but there haven’t been many sales for cars with odometer readings like this one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a final sale price of $40,000, although it could potentially go higher. When you take that into account, is this a classic that you might be tempted to bid on?
How could you buy this,& then put only 34 miles on i?
I guess if you have that kind of money,you’d buy a second one to drive.
If this is the same car (and I am remembering the story correctly), a car-related website recently reported that this S2000 was purchased by a woman who already had one that she drove regularly, but thought she should stash another away just in case her DD wore out. She has since decided to pass the unused car along….
Or something like that.
These are great fun to drive, pretty rapid and make nice noises. Think of a Super-Miata and you’ll be pretty close. They have everything Honda fans love: precise controls, quality finish and high-winding powerplants. What they are not, at least to me, is good daily drivers, as the engine needs to be kept at high revs, necessitating a lot of shifting, especially in traffic. The ride’s a bit harsh, too. For me, a Miata would be a better choice for real-world use.
No matter. Someone will drop Big Money on this, I’m sure, and display it in a collection.
That story is absolutely correct. I saw this car, and I know the owner. Stayed at her airbnb this year.
Better to find a 100K miles car, and DRIVE it!
I guess I understand the collecting bit, but for a fun car, putting on the miles is what I have one for.
You can find these all day long with 20-40k on them, as people bought them as second cars. So I wouldn’t see the appeal in paying a massive premium for this, because you’d either be storing it or spending money sorting it out to be a driver.
Funny. I’ve got way too many cars, and my wife never misses an opportunity to mock me if she catches me perusing BarnFinds like a kid in a candy store.
Last week I picked up a low milleage silver S2000 for her. Since then she stopped teasing me about my car addiction and lack of space. Funny.
They are very fun cars. Mine, or I should say “my wife’s” (lol), S2000 with 2.2l had never experienced 7800 RPMs until my foot touched the go pedal. Note to self; don’t drop the clutch with wife in passenger seat of “her” car.
I have been lucky enough to own two of these. An 03 (identical to this one) and later an 04. Both absolutely incredible, uncompromising true sports cars, accurately described as a four wheel crotch-rocket. The biggest obstacle for me was the cabin width. More room in the 04 for sure. That one had 18K on when I reluctantly sold it for financial reasons. Sigh.
20 years ago I visited my local Honda dealer and I was talked into trying one. I was at an age that I could afford it and I was a past buyer from that dealership so when they saw me checking the car out they thought they had a live one on the line. I liked the convertible as it was a sunny warm day, plus the stick was Honda slick (as always) and the power was amazing, but, I didn’t like the way you had to rev it like an Indy race car. I didn’t think twice about saying no thank you (though I did later that month buy a new Accord from them). Years later I was told by the same salesman that they had bumped the engine size and made the engine more manageable, so for a few seconds I pondered, but never got one. Finally in 2006 the wife and I bought our new Miata. To us, it is a great compromise. More than enough power for me, plus fun as all get up and go. I told my wife I wanted a convertible for our retirement, but thought I would get an ol one. I drove a fairly nice 67 Fury, but that had the typical bad power steering and I figured it wouldn’t be reliable for long trips. The Miata was the best bet. Brand new, reliable, good MPG. My wife doesn’t pack the whole house when we travel, so the trunk is just fine in size too. The Miata in the mountains or along one of the great lakes or oceans is a marvel. I highly recommend it. This car is beyond that, though. Some rich old cotter will put it with his 53 other cars and it will never get driven, too bad.
Unlike some of you, with a Honda, I love life near the redline. Just me I guess…
No, not just you. I used to wind the piss out of both of mine.
loved the rush. Seeing that tach rise faster and faster until you could barely hang on . . .
Incredible cars, unbelievably fun to drive.
I’ve got a 2000 model year 34K mile Silverstone over red/black interior, the “brochure” car. These truly are as great as they are made out to be.
As a pristine first year car, this one will easily top $40K. The only thing that may keep it from hitting $50K is the black interior but my guess is that it still will.
SirRaoulDuke
As per my earlier comment above I own a low mile first year AP1, same color but with the more desirable (and considerably faster) red and black interior.
Your description is bang on, other than the fact that I personally fit in “none of the above” in the money category. Ha, I am well past young, too. Lol
Anyway, I just looked this sweetheart up on the auction site after reading your comment. To my amazement, they have it listed as a “Star” car with the estimate at $125K to $150K !
Not sure how they came up with that, it is not a CR. It hits the block on Thurs Jan 14th, I’ve marked my calender -thought that you may want to as well. I can’t wait to see what she does.
Have a great holiday my friend.
Johnny Tran called and he wants his car back.
Where’s that white Jetta?
Sorry, Jr Too soon. Doubt Tran will be calling anyone to go fetch his car. He was killed off in the first F&F.
$40k? I would not be shocked to see this go for $55k. This AP1 is a highly desirable car prized by the new younger collectors with lots of tech money, crypto money, and legal weed money. And those are the people who have gotten richer during the pandemic while the rest of us got poorer.
I find these much better than a Miata. An order of magnitude better. Razor sharp reflexes with Honda precision, the shifter is like a rifle bolt in its action. Yes, you have to drive it like you stole it to squeeze out the speed; glorious things happen when you hit 6k RMP.
It will bring more, I think.
High-water marks on BaT have been $70K (Black) in Feb of ’19 and $76K (Yellow CR) this year.
Never can tell who will show up hungry for this car, but it might hit $80K. Would not surprise me a bit.
Edit: Just read above about the estimated sell price on the auction site. Ummmm… Yea, that would REALLY shock me. More than one museum/collector would have to want the car very badly. If there is a reserve in that stratosphere, I predict RNM “The Bid Goes On…”
This is an amazing find. It’s a special car. I have a 2001, AP1, red with 314,500 California miles on the clock. Still drives great. :) Wonder what mine is worth? :)