When the last Honda S800 was sold in 1970, who knew it would be 30 years before Honda would continue the lineage with another FR roadster? Well, after 10 years in production, that lineage is coming to another end when the S2000 ceases production this fall. There is no known successor.
The last Honda S2000 will come in Grand Prix White, which, according to Honda, is a reference to the Mexican Grand Prix-winning 1964 RA272 F1 race car and the original S-series car, the 1965 S500*. Honda calls it the “whitest white in the world,” a bit odd since the RA272 was actually an off-white color that more closely resembles the Championship White of the Type R Civics and Integras.
One lucky Japanese citizen will be awarded this final car to roll off the line in a random drawing, the results of which will be announced in August. If you live in Japan and have a valid driver’s license, you can throw your name in the hat. Will it be another 30 years before the S-series is revived?
* Something didn’t seem right here, so we took a second look. This “1965 S500” is taken from Honda’s website, but did something get lost in translation? The S500 was made from 1963-64, replaced by the S600 in 1965.
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
btw, I hope it’s not 30 years before a successor comes out.
Oh please Honda. Give it to an Aussie.
They don’t want to give it to an Aussie…. you guys will through in a rotary and slap some big wheels on it! J/K though, seriously they should just give it to me 🙂
^ 😆
Just purchased a used but in mint condition 2005 S2K. I previously owned a 2001 model that I sold when I moved. Long story short. I’ve been in all kinds of Hondas since 1973 and am a loyal customer because Honda has been loyal and responsive to me.
Although I have little doubt in Hondas technical expertise I do question some of the decisions they have made, especially recently. Take the new Insight for example. It is supposed to be a car for 4 people, but try getting in the back seat without hitting your head on the door frame. And one must have to have no legs to fit in the back seat. It may look like a Prius, but it isn’t. And where is the superior gas mileage of the 1st generation Insight?
This is what Honda should have produced:
I hybrid version of the old (with improvements) del Sol, or something like it. A small two-seat commute car with the sexy looks of an S2000 with removable top and electrical rear window. A car whose looks turns heads and makes you want to go to work in it everyday. The previous Insight excited the nerds, which includes me, but my wife and others thought it ugly. And it was!
I think Americans want in a car something that stands out, and that includes a broader range of color options too. When I bought my del Sol VTEC, the most expensive model, I couldn’t get it in that beautiful apple green that was available for the cheaper models, while the cheaper models had all my color options. Why Honda? Never made sense, still doesn’t.
As for gas mileage, over the years Honda’s gas mileage improved as engines became more powerful. My 1973 Civic 1300 got 30 MPG while my Preludes (1984 and 1986) got about 33 MPG. And my 2005 S2K averages 28 MPG on the highway (premium gas to be sure). Are we at an MPG end? My VTEC del Sol averaged about 38 MPG, so why even build a hybrid when one can do that good with an internal combustion engine?
So Honda please listen: Build a REALLY GOOD LOOKING two-person vehicle. Forget the 50 MPG stuff and shoot for something that stirs the sole. We need to fell excited about that which we spend our hard earned dollars on.
Finally, don’t follow the Chevy route. The Volt concept is just plain stupid. What does Detroit expect us to do? Buy a car good up to 40 miles, and buy another that can take us 500 miles? The folks that live on limited income can’t afford to have a garage full of special purpose vehicles.
I yield the rest of my time to the gentlemen of the great Honda Corporation.
Hi Lawrence,
I think the Insight had to make a lot of concessions to make it work – the Prius-like shape (and lack of a droptop) was done to optimize aerodynamics. But I agree, I also liked the del Sol, especially in what I think they called Samba Green!
Hi Ben,
Samba Green, Yes! Thanks.
The del Sol was a nice concept with poor execution, from a performance point of view. The body was too flexible and could easily get you into trouble if pushed too hard, which was easy to do with its beautiful VTEC power.
So if you are listening Honda, stiffen the body of the del Sol, making it more like the S2000, put in an “efficient moderate performance gas, hybrid or diesel power plant and leave the rest pretty much alone alone. And if you would like my wife and I offer our services in helping to evaluate the design from a performance and aesthetics point of view.
Go Honda!
Larry