Honda Cooks Hotted-Up S2000

[3stagevtec]

"CR" version of venerable S2000 expected to churn out upwards of 260hp, weigh 200lb less. (Honda photo)



Ever wondered what might result if Honda gave its S2000 the Type-R treatment it reserves for the go-fast versions of its cars in Europe and Japan? Well, you could be about to find out.

The Japanese marque has just confirmed that among the cars on its New York motor show stand in April will be a hotter version of its eight-year-old roadster; it'll be called the S2000 CR and, says Honda, will take the car's performance "to an entirely new level."

Official information on the more hardcore S2000 will be scarce until its unveiling on April 4. All Honda has said about it so far is that it's "club racer-inspired," "aggressively tuned," and has been "engineered around the expectations and needs of Honda performance enthusiasts."

So how is Honda going to achieve the necessary added aggression? Given its preference of high-revving atmospheric engines over forced-induction ones, a turbocharger probably isn't on the cards. It's more likely that the company will apply its latest VTEC valve timing technology to the car's standard 237hp 2.0-liter motor, which, allied to upgraded induction and exhaust systems, should boost headline power up beyond 260hp.

Added to that will be power-to-weight ratio gains achieved through weight saving. Aluminum body panels, aluminum updates to the car's �X-Bone� body structure, the removal of the car's air conditioning and part of its audio system, and the substitution of leather seats for lighter, manually-adjusted buckets, could save as much as 222lb from the 2800lb curbweight.

All that means that, while the standard S2000 has a power-to-weight ratio of 188hp per ton, this more track-focused one could have as much as 225hp per ton. Special circuit-biased tires, lighter alloy wheels and a stiffer chassis are also racing certainties.

The new S2000 CR is going on sale in the U.S. this autumn.

www.speedtv.com
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[Plex]

S2000 one of my favourites..

[kesnut]

very nice...