Description
The Honda S2000 made its debut on the 15th April 1999, a special date, as it was on this day 50 years ago that that Honda was born.
It had first been seen as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show and the public reaction was enough to convince Honda to build it, so the Japanese company rewarded itself with a birthday present. A very, very cool birthday present!
Today the S2000 is considered to be one of the greatest cars Honda has ever built and we have, what surely must be one of the finest examples available today, a 1 owner from new, very late AP2 model finished in New Formula Red with just 14406 miles recorded.
The Car
The Hondas one and only owner purchased it on the 24th June 2009 from Trident Honda in Surrey, as a retirement gift to himself. He then kept the car for the next 15 years and it has only become available for sale due to the gentleman’s age and him not driving so frequently. Despite having only covered a shade over 14000 miles, it has been back to the supplying dealer for 4 services and it will have a health check and service done at our local Honda dealership (Heritage Honda Gloucester) prior to sale.
The Exterior
The S2K presents in near showroom condition, the New Formula Red paintwork is almost completely blemish free and has an incredibly deep and even gloss to it. The flanks are completely devoid of any carpark dinks, the nose is stone chip free and all panels align perfectly. The lights are all bright and clear and the hood is completely unmarked. All 4 wheels, again, are in excellent condition and are wrapped in a matching set of Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The condition does really need to be seen to be fully appreciated!
The Interior
Moving to the snug cockpit, it is clear that the Honda has been treated with the utmost care and respect. There are next to no signs of wear and tear, even the steering wheel still retains that satin sheen of a new car! The high back leather clad seats show no signs of damage, only some light wrinkling to the drivers side bolster, the carpets are immaculate and all the plastic trim is scratch and damage free. The incredibly cool digital dash all works perfectly, as does the electric folding hood and the rare optional front and rear parking sensors.
The Mechanicals
The 2-litre VTEC engine has always been the star of the show with the S2000 and one thing is for certain, in these days of forced induction and twin-clutch transmissions, the S2000’s specification reads like the stuff of dreams. You’ll struggle to find anything close to its absolute banshee of a naturally aspirated four-cylinder motor, with its stratospheric red line and scarcely believable specific output. For over 10 years it held the record for the highest power output-per-litre for a naturally aspirated engine… right up until some chaps from Maranello built the 458 Italia.
Its vital stats still remain exceptional to this day, 237bhp at 8300rpm from 1997cc. Red line? 8800rpm. Rev limiter? 9000rpm. Back in 1999 this was the exclusive realm of supercars and our Honda feels every bit as enthralling and visceral to drive today as it did when it rolled off the Suzuka production line.
The Paperwork and Accessories
The S2K comes with its V5, a clear and up to date HPi report, a folder containing the service invoices from Trident Honda and the original purchase invoice, its original book pack containing all manuals including its stamped service history booklet and an original Honda S2000 sales brochure. It also comes with a genuine Honda S2000 car cover (which was purchased with the car) and hood tonneau cover.
Conclusion
This is an exceptional example of a true modern classic. Completely unmodified, unmolested, 1 owner from new, 14k miles and ULEZ compliant, it doesn’t get much better really!
