Will Honda mark 25 years of S2K with a new one in 2024?
Honda was ready to put the S2000 name to rest. However it appears like it has turned tail on plans to abandon Formula 1, the Japanese carmaker has fallen back in love with its iconic sports car too. Nothing new there. Throwback models are dime a dozen these days from Nissan GT-R to the Fairlady, Toyota GR86, and Supra, and even Honda’s own NSX, among others.
2024 S2000 A Classic Front Engine, Rear Drive
One thing likely to change however, is that a new S2000 will ditch the original’s splendid high-revving normally aspirated 2-litre four pot. Blame ever more draconian emissions regulations for that. But then there’s nothing at all wrong with the prospect of a lusty 260 kW 430 kW version of the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type-R’s 2-litre turbo-four, is there?
Also expect the 2024 car to retain a classic front-engine, rear-wheel-drive roadster get-up. But hang on a second! Honda does not build a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive platform right now. Which leaves room for Honda to plausibly join forces with another carmaker in order to develop a new shared platform for the next S2000.
Honda Celebrated 20 Years of S2K in 2020
Honda already showcased a fresh-faced carbon fibre rich 20th-anniversary edition S2000 at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Show (above). The company was even talking up a comeback back in 2018, but that went quiet for a while. Now according to honda-tech.com there’s smoke again. Which could very well lead to a great, if controversial reborn fire.
It goes without saying that a Honda S2000 remake would retain the proportions of the great original. Sources suggest that Honda plans to make the next-gen S2000 as close as possible to the original in every respect. Which would likely also entail another great original (below) S2K trait: lightweight
Will S2000 share its heart with Alfa Romeo?
General Motors seems a plausible partner. Honda and GM already collaborate on autonomous technology and Honda’s first EVs will be built alongside Chevrolet and Cadillac models in GM’s Mexican plant. The Chevy Camaro and Cadillac ATS’ GM Alpha platform seems a logical S2K base. Stellantis is another plausible partner, with Alfa Romeo plotting its own comeback spyder project at the moment. Now that would be a most interesting alliance…
Whatever happens, it is said that a new Honda S2000 would arrive in time to celebrate the a quarter century of the original in 2024. And the prospect of a light, fast and incredibly agile and powerful S2K is a mouthwatering one indeed. Roll on 2024!