Attention all Honda fans, it’s time to buckle up because we’ve got a bit of juicy Honda news to get you over the hump today. We’ve heard for a while now about the return of the 2015 Acura NSX, and the S660 roadster and now Honda is reporting news of a new S2000. Fans of the roadster have waited for the new S2000 for years now, could it be turbo?
Reports of the new roadster have been flying around the Internet, but with very little substance as to the details of the vehicle. According to UK’s Auto Express, the new S2000 will feature the 2.0 liter four cylinder Earth Dreams motor that will crank out 350 horsepower out of the box.
What the hype on the new S2000 is all about
It definitely looks as though the S2000 will serve as the intermediary platform between the S660 and the NSX. And if the NSX Is any clue, Honda is getting serious about performance again.
Sharing the “Earth Dreams” engine as the new Honda Civic Type R, the S2000 has also been rumored to get the Acura SH-AWD treatment.
They also say it should get some hybrid tech from the folks at McLaren, who are sourcing their engines from Honda for next year’s Formula One season. The result is a car with a zero to 60 mph time of around five seconds and 40 miles per gallon.
On top of this, the car will carry a more simplified version of the all-wheel drive system from the next NSX. They claim this car could go on sale in 2017 with a price tag of about £35,000, or around $60,000.
What does this mean for American Honda enthusiasts if these rumors hold true? If done right, it could usher in a new era of Honda performance in the US, one that’s long been dormant since the discontinuation of Honda’s sport compacts.
Honda’s turbocharged Earth Dreams motor finally provides the turbocharged kick that many Honda fans have tried to replicate by bolting turbo kits onto their naturally aspirated motors for years.
If the Earth Dreams motor does finally make it stateside, that’s not what we’re concerned about. It’s more the drivetrain that is rumored to make it into the S2000. And even if we don’t get the cool version of the car that the rest of the world gets to enjoy ( what else is new? ) it’s fair to say Honda is not turning it’s back on performance any time soon.
Honda also races a 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 in the IndyCar series, and recently released a HR22T sportscar version of that platform for use in LMP1 cars. All these engines have shown that Honda looks to get serious in the performance arena, and all we’re missing is the Earth Dreams motors in the US.
Honda S2000, the minimalist roadster with a sky high rpm range and a high strung penchant for shining on the track, now with AWD? Purists may balk at the heavy and overpowering nature of the AWD system, which many feel strays away from the balance and control the S2000 provided.
However if Honda can mirror the performance found in their hybrid Accord, offsetting the weight and cumbersome nature of the SH-AWD, it could still work. 350 horsepower in a hybrid platform with good gas mileage and excellent handling characteristics?
[…] is it any surprise that the success of lightweight rwd cars recently, that the S2000 may be making it’s return to production? Perhaps this time powered by a Earth Dreams turbocharged Honda VTEC powerplant? With […]