Honda May Bring Back the S2000 in 2024

Finally, some good news out of 2020.

According to Forbes, sources at Honda are heavily implying that we may see a revival of the beloved S2000. Motor1 reports that we can expect to see the reborn S2000 as soon as 2024.

A lot has changed – and still might change – in the quarter century between when the original S200 was released, and when its replacement will become available. new safety and emissions standards will make the production of any new low volume sports car difficult, but we hope that Honda stays the course.

The good news is that Honda also has a quarter century of technological advancements that will hopefully help to make this dream a reality. Ever since the original S2000 was discontinued in 2009, fans have waited and hoped for a replacement to carry on its legacy.

What We Know

Details are slim. Apparently, low weight and attractive proportions are still on the menu. The car will make heavy use of aluminum and composite materials to keep the weight down below 3,000 pounds. The original S2000 weighed around 2,700 pounds.

The new S2000 is rumored to be powered by a variant of the Civic Type R’s 2.0- liter turbo four. Currently, that engine is set up for transverse mounted front wheel drive applications. Honda will either have to get clever, or make the next S2000 front wheel drive.

Obviously, we would prefer for the reborn S2000 to remain a rear wheel drive car. However, nobody does front wheel drive better than Honda. You might be familiar with the Lotus Elan M100 of the early 1990s. It was a revival of the Lotus Elan, which itself inspired the Mazda Miata, a car that reignited the roadster craze in the 1990s.

While the Elan M100 was maligned by Lotus purists when new, it is also acknowledged by many as a wonderfully balanced front wheel drive roadster. Could Honda do something similar?

So, is it possible that Honda could be planning a front wheel drive S2000 successor? It’s far to early to tell. Again, we wouldn’t trust just anybody to try to build a front wheel drive sports car. We have faith in Honda to do it well, though, if that’s the route they decide to go. We’ll be watching this story closely.

Photos: Motor 1

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.
He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.
In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.
You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.
When he's not busy working on his Harley-Davidson bike, the vastly experienced writer has covered an array of features, reviews, how-tos, op-eds and news stories for Internet Brands' Auto Group and is also a co-founder and co-host of the popular podcast Cammed & Tubbed.

Check him out on Instagram at: Camvanderhorst.

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