2002 Honda S2000 AP1 Spa Yellow

Jun 22

7 min read

Black SL500 Convertible — 2002 Honda S2000 AP1

ANOTHER BUCKET LIST CAR

I was in high school in the early 2000s when the S2000 made its debut. Fast and Furious was at its peak, high schoolers were dreaming about JDM imports and nitrous, and the S2000 made an amazing splash in the car scene. At that time in my life, these were cars I saw from a distance. No one I knew owned one, they were rare in my town, and the possibilities of actually driving one were very slim. It was out of reach, but something I admired none the less.

Fast forward some 20+ years, I live in a completely different place, hang out with different people, and work at a job I thought would never be viable for me. Surprises keep coming my way. Some exceed expectations and some disappoint, but oh boy let me tell you, the S2000 falls deeply into the former.

On my journey through life I've deeply ventured into things that I have been overly passionate about and tried exploring them with deep curiosity and open-mindedness, exposing myself to some opportunities that I never thought possible.

Thanks to a very good friend, an S2000 is sitting in my garage for a few days and let me just say, I can't thank him enough. I can imagine how it would be incredibly hard to let a piece of art like this go with someone else for a few days, but he insisted I drive and enjoy it. That's what real friends are there for. Today I will give a brief but very deep impression of what driving one of my bucket list cars is like.

THE LOOKS (I LOVE YELLOW!)

You have most likely seen the banner car in this website. It is my old NA2 Miata which was not originally yellow but black. I chose yellow for it because I truly love sportscars in that color. If I ever had the fortune of picking a Ferrari in a specific color, yellow would be it. So this S2000 is off to an incredible start. The paint condition is outstanding, the pearl has shimmer, the clear coat is all present, and has significantly fewer chips or imperfections than even my NC1 Acura NSX. All this with the same amount of miles and 15 more years!

While I loved the look of yellow with black accents on my old Miata, this S2000 steps it up a notch with a set of gorgeous gunmetal 17" BBS wheels. Why do I think this is better? Because the finish on the wheels adds a level of sophistication and OEM+ essence that purely black wheels don't usually achieve. Wheel size is also in good taste, making it look like something the manufacturer (who certainly knows best) would have put on. A quality pairing for this level of car in this condition.

You could argue that the S2000 is peak Honda design. While I do adore the looks of my NC1, I can understand how it could be polarizing. On the other hand the S2000, just like the NA1 NSX, is a gem from every angle. Needless to say, this combination is a winning formula and does not surprise me seeing them sky rocket in value.

Below are some photos taken at sunset where the lighting wasn't quite perfect but helped accentuate the pearl yellow paint. Be aware that I am trying to be true to the car's condition and attributes. Considering a brand new car as a 10/10 I wouldn't hesitate giving this one a 9.5 cosmetically.

NOTE: Due to the lighter format to keep the website running smooth, photos don't work on Desktop and Laptop Safari Browsers. They do work on Safari iPhone and other browsers on iOS Desktop and Laptop.

INTERIOR

This might be not be the most popular comment, but I love Honda interiors. They speak to me as reliable, durable, familiar, and nostalgic. While I did not spend time riding around in an S2000 in my youth, I did spend time in other Hondas and let me tell you, it brings me back. The smell, the buttons, the ease of use, all of it just hits me in the best way possible.

The interior of this car is another solid A. The buttons are all crispy clear, the shifter leather in great shape, and the instrument cluster has every light working as it should while displaying none it shouldn't. The seats have very light wear for a car that is almost 25 years old. The dash does not have a hint of distress anywhere, probably thanks to the windshield cover that's put up every time it sits outside for a short period of time. But, how does it feel when you jump inside?

Let me start by saying I own my favorite car ever, and that is my Miata (or any Miata). It is a 2001 NB2 Special Edition, which was meant to feel upscale with its Nardi wood trims, leather seats, and Bose stereo. To be quite frankly, while it's only 1 year older than the S2000 they feel like cars built in two different eras. If it were 2002 and I were to jump into an S2000 after driving my Miata, I would have thought I was driving a car from the future. The build quality seems significantly higher in the S2000. The stitching on the seats, the materials in the AC vents, and the quality of the shifter would make it seem that the S2000 is 10 years newer.

The contact points with the driver are significantly nicer. The steering wheel has a shape that, just like my NC1 NSX, feels incredibly comfortable to hold and of perfect size. While the steering wheel is fixed in place, I found myself having ZERO issues with it once I dialed the seat for my 5'11" frame. The seats have the perfect amount of bolster and the leather feels premium. Lastly, the driver centered cockpit with the digital gage cluster... heaven.

Quite evidently, the S2000 continues the same design language from the outside once you step into the car. The sense of cohesion and sensibility make this a very special place to sit. This car feels so good today, I couldn't imagine what it must have felt like in 2002...

THE DRIVE

Now for the best part... the drive. Often times you'll hear people cite "don't meet your heroes" insinuating that they are usually not as good as you had imagined while looking at a poster in your bedroom wall. I met my hero and it was everything I had expected... except better. A part of me thinks I just happened to drive an extremely good example of one, but now I know what this is capable of in terms of smiles per miles.

From the moment you start the car it's a special experience. While many cars these days come standard with the push start feature, this one does not feel mundane. While it might be largely due to the fact that the cockpit is very driver focused, the red button to the left of the steering wheel gives a sense of occasion when pressed.

You'd think that once you hit the button the party starts, but no, there is no grand explosion like it would be on a Corvette or even my NSX. The S2000 purrs at 2k rpm and softly comes down to its idle over a 30-45 seconds. Once settled, you grab onto the "world-famous" Honda shifter and release a clutch pedal that makes you say "I can't believe it's not butter". I have yet to find a better clutch shifter combination.

The car effortlessly starts its journey. You press the gas and the party is still not started. An engine so smooth you feel like it's being massaged while the power delivery is not quite what you'd call exciting (yet) but very linear. The one trait that does start showing the "mullet" effect is its chassis behavior. While the engine is not quite singing, or furiously drooling to go bananas, the chassis is wanting to dance. Through the steering wheel it takes your hand while moving your behind through the seats. If you've ever danced salsa, it is very similar where one hand goes to your partner's, and the other to the body making you move both arms and booty.

While the sensorial experience started with the shifter and the clutch, the steering gets exponentially tighter as the 80s F1-looking speedometer starts adding digits. It's the S2000's first signal that it's time to drive. You can feel every single imperfection on the street, without it being jarring, and you can feel the front and rear weight transfer as soon as you turn the wheel 3mm to either side. I have heard countless reviewers say that the S2000 is very raw and about its chassis behavior, but many times these butt dynos can suffer from placebo effect... this is not that. The car is incredibly responsive and it lets you know that if you overdo it, you will have to do some work or pay for the consequences. This made the drive incredibly exciting even at speeds around 40-50mph.

So when does the party turn from a sensual salsa to a frenetic merengue? At 6k RPM. Everything just goes ballistic. The engine literally screams. The car itself feels like it's about to achieve warp speed even if realistically you aren't getting far from a modern minivan. The howl of the VTEC is something every purist needs to experience, and the S2000 does it incredibly well all the way to 9k rpm. And it doesn't do it with no drama, it gives you ALL the drama. I laugh as I type this because I remember my wife saying "why is it trying so hard, I am scared" while I rowed from second to third at almost redline. I had a big grin on my face.

This car combines feelings I've had partially in many cars, doing all of them at once. The steering, the shifting, the brakes (McLaren like precision), the chassis, and the screaming engine. What a fantastic experience!

Lately I've driven some incredible cars, and I am extremely grateful for it. While I am known for being a little on the niche side, particularly liking small roadsters, the S2000 manages to surpass my expectations. I am a firm believer that the specs of a car are not nearly as important as a car that just speaks to you for who you are as a driver, and this S2000 spoke to me. As raw as my Lotus, as reliable and "practical" as my Miata, it truly is a best of both worlds, and if you had to have only one do-it-all sports car, this would be at the top of my list.

Thank you, Andrew.