No torque, no worries - plenty of pics

[Mark355]

2006 s2k. I like this car. A lot. It's really special to me. I researched s2ks for a year before I bought one so I know a great deal about them. Any questions, feel free!

I like to think this is one of the last lightweight, pure driver-oriented cars that we'll see since everything is moving toward bigger, heavier, fancy electronic gearboxes, more safety, yadda yadda. Car is mostly stock besides small stuff like clear JDM sidemarkers, aluminum CR shift knob, tint, etc. I will eventually be going hardtop. Just bought some winter wheels/tires as well as this is my daily driver. Onto the good stuff!

[Zaris]

23 years old in a Honda S2000. I envy you. It's got all the right angles and I'm told that there's very little wrong with the car, just that the cabin can be tight for some tall people.

I, myself, am trying to buy a Boxster before I'm thirty.

And I especially like the picture you took below. I see lots of S2000s roaming around Los Angeles, but not enough with their tops down.

[prizrak]

Nice car a friend of mine used to have one and still regrets selling it. Congratulations!

[thevictor390]

Torque is over-rated

The S2000 has always been a favorite of mine. I briefly considered one but I use my back seats too often. Very nice!

[airmenair]

Wow that is a verry clean car. Props

[thevictor390]

just noticed the wind guard between the headrests

[Mark355]

Originally Posted by Zaris

23 years old in a Honda S2000. I envy you. It's got all the right angles and I'm told that there's very little wrong with the car, just that the cabin can be tight for some tall people.

I, myself, am trying to buy a Boxster before I'm thirty.

Hey, thanks! Yeah, the interior is definitely made for the Japanese physique. I'm kind of a small guy--5'8" 150 lbs so it's very comfortable for me. I actually need to move the seat up two inches to be able to depress the clutch fully. I've heard of guys up to 6'2" fitting in these with no problem, but if you're on the heavy side entry and egress will be really hard. The seats are narrow and the sills are high.

When you close the door, it's almost touching your shoulder and the transmission tunnel is right up against your right knee when on the throttle. It's not interfering though (for me). Combine that with the F1 style instrument cluster, and it seriously makes you feel like you're in a GP car. I love it.

All the best with the Porsche! Those are great cars.

[Mark355]

Detailed it today. Silver can be a tough color to polish but I managed to capture some reflections:







I want to drive somewhere and do one last photoshoot for the year before my winter wheels go on.

[gaasc]

I'm loving your S2k, although I'm left wondering why a low 2 seater as a daily driver instead of the weekend fun car.

Do you like the digital dash? i love that thing


Congratulations on your purchase.

[nist7]

This should be in the NSFW section!

Big grats on a very nice car.

I too am looking for similar light, RWD roadsters in my near-future but current school obligations and financial constraints is making that dream looking quite bleak. But with such a newer sporty car what is the insurance? Also I'm guessing the shifter and the clutch are lighter than other manuals so may be a good platform/car to learn how to drive manual? (yes all I know is to drive slush boxes.... )

edit: that little rear window is awesome. but does that have any actual function as it seems so small?

[argatoga]

Great car. And yes torque is for losers.

[freeferrarisdonotexist]

Originally Posted by gaasc

I'm loving your S2k, although I'm left wondering why a low 2 seater as a daily driver instead of the weekend fun car.

Ahem



Nice car. I love S2000s, they are in a way the MX5's big brother.

[bone]

Originally Posted by gaasc

I'm loving your S2k, although I'm left wondering why a low 2 seater as a daily driver instead of the weekend fun car.

Do you like the digital dash? i love that thing


Congratulations on your purchase.

not everyone needs to haul around stuff. if i have a passenger seat to put my laptop on, i have enough cargo space to go around...

nice S2K!!!

not a fan of the text though, it sounds...denigrating

[FleeceLINER]

Seriously, pretty damn cool.

[Der Stig]

Mmmm...S2k....

Very nice, a friend of mine has one- I am quite jealous. I sat in one at a dealership when I was 16 when I was short and very scrawny and it fit like a glove.

Love the silver/red combo.

[_HighVoltage_]

Excellent car!

[tranceporter]

i almost picked up a laguna blue ap2 this past summer. i had an amazing price locked in but it wouldn't of been practical for me at all. such an awesome car, i love ap2's

[peh]

Gorgeous car. Normally not a fan of two seaters (one might aswell get a motorcycle!), but the S2000 is technically excellent. Like the engine bay also. That's stock?

Is it really all that cramped, though? Clarkson seemed to fit allright in it:

+ YouTube Video

He's 6'5", I believe. Same as me!

BTW, don't tell me you live in that castle aswell.

[LeMans GTR]

I like the car the more I look at it, I really hate that steering wheel thought, it's just so cheap and finicky; and by winter wheels do you mean tyres or rims?

[Mark355]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

Originally Posted by gaasc

Do you like the digital dash? i love that thing

I love a nice set of analog dials, but the digital one in the s2k is actually pretty cool and kind of fits the character of the car. It's very clear and easy to read. Looks especially awesome at night too. Fun to watch the lights go crazy when you hit 6k+ rpm, which is the VTEC range.

Originally Posted by nist7

But with such a newer sporty car what is the insurance? Also I'm guessing the shifter and the clutch are lighter than other manuals so may be a good platform/car to learn how to drive manual? that little rear window is awesome. but does that have any actual function as it seems so small?

Unfortunately, the insurance is rather high and for a number of reasons. It's in the same risk category as a Corvette which is twice as expensive. The AP1s (first gen s2ks 00 - 03) had different suspension geometry and lots of people wrecked them due to snap oversteer (driver error, but the car wasn't exactly forgiving). Also, the car is a target for thieves. Biggest problem is people slashing the softtop and stealing the seats. Kids like to put them into their Civics because they fit perfectly in some model years. If you want replacement S2000 seats from Honda, they cost.. ready for this.. $9000 for a set. Some owners of an early S2000 that has depreciated over the years have had their car deemed a total loss by insurance providers after the seats were stolen because they're so ridiculously expensive to replace. You can buy seat locks from the forum members of s2ki.com. I'm 23, single, clean license, no accidents at which I was at fault, and I pay $1600/yr with $1k deductible. I got $1k off the top for good-student discount. Guess it actually does pay to study! Without that, and I wouldn't have been able to justify getting an s2k--would have been just too expensive.

The clutch is weighted perfectly. Once the tranny is warm, it shifts beautifully with just enough notchiness for a nice gated feel. Read any magazine review for this car and it will probably say the transmission is world-class. Learning stick on an s2k won't be a problem. Just be aware the car has a light flywheel and likes to rev high. It's a close ratio gearbox so you'll be changing gear often. Being a small displacement motor, there's not much torque to help you get off the line so a bit more finesse with the clutch is required for smooth takeoffs. Practice and you'll be fine!

In regards to the wind deflector, it's there to reduce wind buffeting with the top down and despite being pretty small, it actually does work pretty well. Below 50 mph with the top down and windows up, very little wind enters the cabin and you hardly need to raise your voice to talk to a passenger. I'm actually not much of a convertible guy and will be getting a hardtop eventually. I bought the car for its engine and handling.

Originally Posted by bone

nice S2K!!! not a fan of the text though, it sounds...denigrating

Thanks. I put that decal on two weeks ago as a joke.

Originally Posted by peh

Like the engine bay also. That's stock? Is it really all that cramped, though? Clarkson seemed to fit allright in it.

Yep, it's all factory including the airbox.

It's no where as small as something like an Elise, but the inside is not spacious. My dad is 5'10" 240 lbs and struggles to get in and out. Have no clue how Clarkson worked the pedals without his legs hitting the steering wheel. Must be a limber guy.

Originally Posted by LeMans GTR

I like the car the more I look at it, I really hate that steering wheel thought, it's just so cheap and finicky; and by winter wheels do you mean tyres or rims?

The wheel is leather but takes a beating. I don't think the previous owner took much care of the interior. I spent a whole day cleaning and conditioning all the surfaces when I first got it.

For my winter setup, I picked up a set of first-gen s2k AP1 16" wheels pictured below and will be buying Bridgestone Blizzak tires. Not an ideal cold weather car, but it was either buy it and drive it year-round or not buy it at all and get something boring. I love cars too much not to have this in my life so here we go.