If you’re a fan of modern-era sports cars, you undoubtedly know that the Honda S2000 is one of the greats. It will almost certainly go down as a classic that we’ll all wish we bought when they were somewhat affordable, as that day will soon disappear. The S2000 in front of you is perhaps one of the cheapest and most risky entry points into ownership of Honda’s signature sports car, as the current engine is blown after years of poor choices by previous owners. The seller is offering it here on eBay for $6,500 or best offer.
It always makes me a bit sad to see cars like this. It undoubtedly began life as someone’s prized weekend driver, and somewhere shortly thereafter it became a rolling experiment with the seller noting it was previously turbocharged. While I am undoubtedly someone who greatly favors cars left in stock condition, the S2000 is one of those cars that really was brilliant right out of the box. If it didn’t make enough power, you knew that all along it was never sold on the merits of its peak horsepower number but rather the brilliance of the entire package.
Despite looking quite haggard from the outside with a poorly modified hood and jacked-up rear suspension, the interior remains largely stock, with the factory 3-spoke steering wheel still in place. The gearbox in the S2000 is nothing short of amazing in terms of its precision and slick-shifting. The seats are tired but they weren’t the car’s best feature, so I’d approve of swapping in some Recaros if they blend in with the general aesthetic. Of course, the iconic engine start button is present, which has inspired numerous copy cats.
The stock S2000 engine is a 2.0L, 4-cylinder powerplant that revs to the heavens and produces 240 horsepower. They were known for their near-bulletproof reliability, not unlike its forbear the Acura NSX. Someone had to work awfully hard to blow this engine, leading to low compression in 3 of the 4 cylinders. A quick search on car-part.com finds several salvage yards with S2000 engines available, with the low end sitting at about $6,000. Due to this S2000 also having a salvage/rebuild title, I think the seller will have to drop the price a bit to make this one a compelling project that leaves enough cushion to find a replacement motor and perform the other improvements undoubtedly required at this point.
Unfortunate that the engine expired.
Would have been interesting if it could have been swapped into the green MX5 in the background..
I have owned an 03 (AP1) and later an 04 (AP2). Both great cars. Not exactly daily drivers nor are they particularly well suited for wide-shouldered drivers. But definitely a blast to drive. A true sports car that some also refer to as a four wheeled crotch rocket. The one featured here is rough, but I would still expect it to be grabbed quickly. These are simply hard to find in any condition.
I’ve owned two l of these and both were with rebuilt titles. These Honda “go karts” are a nightmare on insurance especially if you have your children attached to your policy – ask me how I know! That said they are a blast to drive! The owner of this one in particular is very optimistic in his pricing as there are numerous running models throughout the country with salvage titles in the $12K range if you look hard enough. Non salvage models start at $15K and go up from there so this is more of a “parts car” IMO without the motor as it sits.