FY08 Honda S2000 Club Racer (CR)

[twmwong]

Well...you can tell how crap they are by just looking at the Acura sports car concepts and designs...it's full of ugly things that I'd not image myself buying

what a bitter disappointment.

I actually feel physically repulsed by the look of the CR. I don't doubt that dynamically it will be cracking, but you'd think with Honda's resources, they could produce something that's both functional (aero-wise) and also pleasing to anyone with any sense of good taste.

Does their research really tell them that this is what customers want? if so? who did they sample? the 12-17 year olds leaving the cinema after watching the fast and the furious?

At least Honda Japan are still capable of creating credible performance cars worthy of Honda's sporting image. I think the UK and Honda U.S should place their resouces on complying the Japanese cars for their home markets instead of concocting their own cars, those efforts are eroding away the affinity I've had with Honda...

[Jingers]

before we go further, i think this s2000 might have actually been designed in japan with help from japan honda.

Suspension and steering modifications
The S2000 CR has the same 2.2-liter 237-hp engine as other S2000s, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s just a dress-up job. The most dramatic changes involve springs and shocks that Honda calls “significantly stiffer.” Although no figures are available, our experience with Uehara’s other creations like the Acura Integra type R tells us that he knows the meaning of “significant.” Thicker anti-roll bars round out the suspension changes. A quicker steering ratio will allow drivers to avoid shuffling hands in tight corners. A limited slip differential and defeatable electronic stability control carry over from the regular S2000.

Tires
The S2000 CR’s biggest handling gain over the regular S2000 may come from gumball Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires similar to those used on the former Japan-market NSX-R. The 215/45R-17 front and 255/40R-17 rear tires have a treadwear rating of 140, which means they are barely able to be called conventional street tires.

Front and rear spoilers
A ludicrously large body kit and a rear cowl fairing behind the seats are claimed to smooth airflow over the S2000 CR. But the most over-the-top aerodynamic modification is the massive rear spoiler. The wing has three distinct horizontal surfaces: the upturned outside sections produce downforce while a flatter center section smoothes airflow over the car. The whole affair is affixed with black supports that look more like a back yard racer’s weekend concoction than factory pieces, but who are we to argue if it works? Honda claims overall downforce on the rear axle at speed, a rare trait for a street car.

Weight savings and chassis
Air conditioning and the sound system are jettisoned in the name of weight savings, but you can add them back in as options. The S2000 CR also loses its power folding softtop to shed a few pounds, and in its place it gains a beefy rear strut tower brace with four mounting points. This is said to enhance the already stellar rigidity of the S2000’s shell so it won’t flex when cornering. A removable aluminum hardtop provides shelter from the elements and admission to tracks where open-top cars aren’t allowed. With the top off, the S2000 CR will weigh approximately 2765 pounds, almost 90 pounds less than the regular S2000.

It is significantly faster on a track, according to Honda
The result of these changes is a claimed two-second reduction in the S2000 CR’s lap time around Honda’s Tochigi test track. That’s a huge difference; you could add 50 horsepower to a regular S2000 and you might not see your lap time drop that much.

Interior modifications
Every special edition needs to look unique, so the S2000 CR has a bunch of dress up features that distinguish it. The most obvious is the Apex Blue paint, which is a pearlescent bright blue evocative of Audi’s Sprint Blue. Black badges and gunmetal gray five-spoke wheels round out the exterior mods. Abundant yellow stitching on the doors, steering wheel, seats, and shifter (which has shorter throws than the already insanely short ones in the regular S2000) complements yellow woven seat inserts. Faux-suede seat bolsters and door panels replace the leather items on the regular S2000 in the name of grip, and they’ll also broaden the S2000 CR’s appeal to PETA members. Faux carbon fiber trim is a slavishly trendy addition, but we can forgive anything in a car this raw.

Pricing
The S2000 CR goes on sale in the fall of 2007 as a 2008 model. The car shown at the New York show isn’t 100 percent production correct, but the body kit, spoiler, and wheels are accurate renditions of what you’ll see in dealers. Pricing isn’t confirmed, but it will certainly be more than the regular S2000’s $35k base price and probably less than $40k. Given the expected production volume of less than 2000 units (no limit was confirmed), Honda will lose money on the deal, a fact that company representatives actually admit. Such corporate honesty is rare, but Honda can afford it. The S2000 CR is a fitting tribute to the man who put “Honda” and “performance” together in the popular lexicon. Let’s hope it’s a harbinger of more great things to come and not a last hurrah.

[Noel]

maybe honda US knows what they are doing, and this is the market look US ppl want. their taste doesnt have to be the jdm race prep look. so in the end maybe honda US believes the look of this car will sell more than the look of a jdm race prep version.

Not quite, less than 24 hours and there is enough eruption in the S2Ki community on how "great" this product is. It may be created by one of the best Honda engineers ever had, but it sure raised Mugen to a whole new higher pedestal in terms of true Honda affiliated performance tuning.

[Jingers]

[Noel]

You can't hotlink S2Ki images, Jing ... I thought you know this by now.

[Jingers]

getting lazy before easter weekend

[nipnip]

the car does look better in black or white compared to the baby blue

[hebe]

The black/white ones Jing posted actually look pretty good

[00dc2]

people are bitching cos it hasnt received a power or braking boost.. but its got lighter and stiffer with harder suspension, more direct steering ratio...

i think this is just a symptom of people starving for new sports cars from Honda..

we need replacements for the nsx,s2000,integra,prelude,crx... enough with the civics, cr-vs, jazzes and accords..