Honda is taking aim at the Mazda MX-5 and Fiat’s forthcoming 124 Spider by developing a successor to its popular S2000 roadster, company insiders have revealed.
Introduced in 1999, the original version of the Japanese manufacturer’s two-seat roadster garnered a reputation for its strong powertrain and lively handling, but the second edition of the car was axed in 2009.
Now a third generation is said to be under development as Honda tries to reconnect with the S2000’s dedicated fan base. Representatives from Honda’s advanced engineering department are said to have attended a recent S2000 owners’ club event in the British Isles - a sign that the firm wants to listen to enthusiasts in order to help it to position the next version of the car accurately.
The new S2000 will stay true to the original’s principles of a front-mounted engine, sited behind the axle line, and rear-wheel drive. It will be pitched as a faster alternative to the MX-5, although its performance should be more of a match for that car’s stablemate, the forthcoming Fiat 124 Spider, which uses a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine instead of the Mazda’s naturally aspirated 1.5 and 2.0-litre units.
Honda has a number of powerplants under consideration for its roadster. More basic editions of the car could be powered by a retuned version of the firm’s forthcoming 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The four-cylinder unit has VTEC variable valve timing and produces around 150bhp in the Japanese-market vehicles it powers. This is likely to be ramped up to around 180bhp for the most modest S2000, giving the car around 25bhp more than the most powerful MX-5 and beating the US-market 124’s 158bhp.
This would leave scope for a hotter variant that could use a detuned version of the Civic Type R’s 306bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. It would also feature more extreme suspension and chassis settings, including a rear limited-slip differential, and could give Honda a useful extension to its Type R sub-brand, as well as a rival for the more potent, Abarth-badged 124. All versions of the car would feature a short-throw six-speed manual gearbox.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Yeah, the Honda Civic 1.8...
Honda 20% sales fall in 2014 due to...
News: Honda are putting Smaller Turbo engine in next Civic
xxxx wrote: Just found out,
So only 5 years behind Ford then. If you include stuff like VW's 1.4 Tsi, then 8 years.
xxxx wrote: Just found out,
'More efficient', now we are getting back to my original point. The 1.8 is not, as you claim, an inefficient engine, but there are other slightly more efficient petrol engines available. To rely on the EU figures would be naive, it has been shown time and time again they do not represent real world performance, and given we all drive in the real world and not in a lab, I know which I'm more inclined to believe. As I see it, downsized turbo petrols are not delivering their claimed efficiency improvements, and certainly not enough progress to warrant all the technology they rely on. However, given Honda's history of producing impressive engines, their new engines may just be worth the wait.
Will86 wrote: xxxx wrote:
Sorry but Honda are almost last in bringing out mass market downsized turbo petrol engines and their sales have suffered big time, in the UK at least. You think the current 1.8 is efficient despite the high CO figure and bad reviews (see above) so we're just have to disagree. IMO