2008 Honda S2000 Convertible

This car, Lot 388, sold at $47,300, including buyer’s premium, at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas Auction on October 3, 2019.

Our subject Honda S2000 fetched more than two times the SCM median value. Seeing this, my jaw dropped. The S2000’s much-deserved rise has finally begun, I thought.

A Rising Sun on a rising tide

This example is special, though. It had been kept most of its life in Honda’s museum in Ohio before it was raffled off to a company employee, the first registered owner. In its life it racked up 2,045 miles. Given its pristine condition, low miles and provenance, it’s understandably worth more than a run-of-the-mill dealer-purchased S2000.

Still, a rising tide raises all ships. And what a ship the S2000 is.

The first iteration, from 1999 to 2003, was an impressive thing indeed. Its 1,997-cc (2-liter) 4-cylinder had an indecent 8,900-rpm redline just before which, at 8,300 rpm, it produced 240 horsepower. Further down the rev range, the DOHC made 153 foot-pounds at 7,500 rpm. At full rev, just a hair below redline, it clocks in at 93 decibels — four decibels louder than the Ferrari F355 spider at full throttle.

The original S2000 — thanks to its perfectly distributed 2,813-pound curb weight and its all-control-arm suspension — is almost annoyingly planted. Unfortunately, it isn’t permanently so. Some owners found the limit of the 1999–2003 S2000’s grip, which happened to coincide with the end of their talent. Go figure.

For the refresh, Honda engineers gave the S2000 a few more progressive handling characteristics. They stiffened up the front springs and softened the rears. This allowed it to gently step out, rather than snap off the tarmac and into the trees.

Right now, you’re likely thinking, “But Nick, a loud engine and planted handling isn’t nerdy.” Too true. Just wait.

Honda engineers also lengthened the stroke of the 4-cylinder engine, bumping it up to 2,175 cc (2.2 liters) while simultaneously increasing compression ratio. This lowered the redline to 8,000 rpm. That made peak power more accessible, a carryover 240 horses. However, that now kicked in at 7,800 rpm instead of 8,300.

Additionally, peak torque climbed from 153 to 162 foot-pounds at 6,500 rpm. The engineering team also removed a handful of carbon-composite cone rings from the 6-speed manual transmission for more buttery shifts.

The front and rear of the car also received updated styling. And, on the interior, designers scalloped the door panels, clad the stereo in silver trim, and fitted speakers into the headrests.

The result of all these changes (and more) is a sports car that is slightly quicker to 60 mph, handles a bit more forgivingly, and has a minutely more livable interior.

The nerdy part

Let’s be honest — if GM put this kind of effort into a refresh of a sports car, it’d want those efforts to result in 250 additional horsepower. They’d add a supercharger, too. Then designers would finish it off by fitting a wing on the back big enough to obscure the sun for a large portion of the planet.

But not Honda.

It put all that work into correctly, and admirably, adjusting the car, making it incrementally better … in ways most passersby (or owners) might never notice. And that’s pretty darn nerdy.

This brings us back to Ant-Man. He’s really the only honestly fun and accessible Avenger. Thor (Viper) is super enticing and great to look at — although he’d be obnoxious to spend any lengthy amount of time with.

Same goes with Cap’ (Corvette). “You’re great, we get it. Just chill out,” I imagine I’d find myself thinking.

Now that nerdy pursuits are no longer looked down upon, nerds can live openly without shame and without fear of social reprisals or scorn.

So go ahead, buy that S2000 and forget what your Porsche and Bimmer friends say. Yes, your car is super-nerdy. But it’s better than theirs and they’re just too proud to admit it. ♦