Honda S2000 Successor Could Be Coming Sooner Than We Thought
A replacement for the Honda S2000 could debut next year.
According to Car and Driver, one source says Honda will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2018 by unveiling a successor to the Honda S2000, along with an RC213V-S superbike. Rumors of a baby Honda NSX have been circulating for quite some time now, and it could as a sports car offering in Honda’s lineup since the NSX is sold as an Acura in the U.S. Originally expected to use the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the Civic Type R, the source says that’s no longer the case since by 2018, that engine will be old news. “We need to take things forward,” they added. “As a celebratory model, the sports car must be special, so it must have a new powertrain and a unique chassis.”
SEE ALSO: Honda Trademarks ZSX, Could End Up on Baby NSX
Japanese publication Holiday Auto reports the S2000 successor will feature a two-stage electric boosting system that is similar to a technology used by Mitsubishi. The system essentially uses an electrically driven supercharger, a conventional turbocharger, a bypass valve and other components typically associated with forced induction. Mitsubishi found that these sort of systems are more fuel efficient than current twin-turbo setups and feature little to no turbo lag. As an added bonus, they’re compact and lightweight.
That means Honda could use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a twin-charge system to generate over 320 horsepower, while mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Interested? Expect to see the model debut in 2018 at either the Paris Motor Show or the Los Angeles Auto Show. Given that it’s targeting the U.S. market, it’s more likely it will bow in Southern California.
[Source: Car and Driver]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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If this car doesn't come with a 6 speed manual no one will buy it. You couldn't even get an S2000 in an automatic. What made the S2000 great was simplicity same with the NSX and they completely ruined it. Dealerships are taking a loss on each NSX and which ever little sold was under MSRP.
I would like to see a car without forced induction and without hybrid technology, but I fear those days may be gone for good.