Upon returning from Wake the Dragon 2011, our member LittleBlueS2 was inspired to pen an open letter to Honda. The scenic vistas, mountain roads and, above all else, the camaraderie shared between members of our community made a lasting impression on LittleBlueS2 to the point where a touching and heartfelt open letter was written to Honda. It is our hope that someone at Honda reads this and comes to understand that the sentiment echoed by LittleBlueS2 is shared by the entire community. Click through to read LittleBlueS2’s letter to Honda on 139 reasons not to kill the S2000.
On April 16, 2011, I had the privilege of eating dinner with 229 other enthusiasts at a remote resort in the North Carolina Mountains. Parked outside were 139 of your most fun, amazing, and drivable roadsters ever created, with one common mission: to drive on one of the most exciting roads in the Eastern United States, if not the entire country – the Tail of the Dragon.
My husband, Taylor, and I started our journey in the early morning hours of April 14th in Tampa, FL. We met with our local S2000 Owners group to form a caravan of 15 cars and started on what would become the best road trip we had taken in our entire lives.
After two days of driving along some incredibly curvy and picturesque roads, we arrived at Fontana Village Resort to join the celebrations for Wake the Dragon 2011. This Honda S2000-specific event has happened every year for the past 9 years with no plans of it ever stopping. “We will not quit, even if you have” seemed to be the motto of the S2000-faithful gathered there.
The afternoon of April 15th would prove to be a combination of rushes of adrenaline, nervous giggling, heavy concentration, and some very strong G forces as my husband and I made our first attempt at taming the Dragon. It was an exhilarating top-down ride through unbelievably tight turns and rolling hills with incredible acceleration and quick braking coming in fast sequence. If you haven’t driven a road like this, it’s hard to explain the rush of emotions you feel. Fear, excitement, nervousness, and joy all rolled into each other.
I leaned back in my seat and looked at the beautiful mountains and trees that stood before us while our “S” laid claim to the pavement, hugged the turns, and tore up the straights. It was a thing of beauty – a synergy of nature and machine. Nature, in its chaos and disorder, and the machine, in its preciseness and perfection, together creating a symphony of breath-taking sights and sounds as we wound our way through the Dragon.
That evening, the whole group convened at a banquet hall and shared pictures and stories of our travels and adventures all with the same underlying theme: our love for a car that you chose to stop making. You may have stopped production for economic or global climate reasons. I’d like to think that your assumptions are wrong. There is still a market as well as a strong desire and need for this car. Yes, you need this car just as much as we do.
The owners that converged on the Fontana resort in North Carolina that weekend were from all over North America. There were at least 30 people from Florida, several from Ohio, Illinois, South Carolina, Georgia and even a group that came all the way down from Ontario, Canada. We were all aware of the price of gas these days and yet we made the trip happily because at the end of the day, the S2000 makes us smile. Therefore, if you claim you stopped production only because you want to focus on more gas-economical cars because that’s what your customers want, you would be incorrect.
These are amazing pieces of machinery and I’m sure I’m not the only person that views them as works of art. From an aesthetic perspective, there is NO better looking roadster out there. You cannot convince me otherwise; nothing out there stacks up. Some people might contend the Porsche Boxster is a thing of beauty or that the BMW Z3 or Z4 far surpass the looks of the S2000. I would be quick to tell them they are wrong. I can tell that Honda didn’t take the design of the S2000 lightly.
Which is why we are all left pondering: How can you, Honda, walk away from a car that means so much to so many people? How can you so easily theorize that all the world wants are economical Civics and gas-sipping SUVs? The bottom line is that you can’t throw all of the world’s consumers into a box and expect them to be okay with it. I’ve seen far too many S2000s lovingly doted upon by their owners to ever believe that the market for fun, exciting, dare I say it, fast 2-seaters is disappearing. The only things that are quickly disappearing are cars that exhilarate us.
The lifestyle established by the S2000 is at danger of dying and you’re allowing it to happen. It’s only a matter of time before the world is down to a handful of properly working S2000s and eventually, those too will fade away. Without your active support, this car’s glory days are all but behind it.
I wish I could competently convey to you what it felt like to be sitting in a banquet hall with 229 other people that all love and respect these cars as much as I do. To feel that kinship and celebrate these machines together in such a grand yet intimate setting is something that is forever branded into my heart. It is a memory, an emotion, a feeling that will never leave me for as long as I live.
The morning of April 17th arrived and my husband and I packed up our car for the grueling 12 hour journey back home. For a long time, I silently reflected back on the last two days reliving every moment and realized that it was all possible because of the S2000. I’d give anything to be back there on that mountain, slaying the Dragon and feeling the cold wind nip at my cheeks as we tucked into each turn and roared down the straights. I fought back the tears of a stupidly emotional woman who gets too sentimentally attached to inanimate objects like our beloved S2000. But I can’t help it. To me, that car has soul. You, dear Honda, breathed life into it the moment it rolled off the factory floor. And to think that soul may one day pass from this earth hits me right in the pit of my stomach.
Your discontinuation of the Honda S2000 leaves all of us enthusiasts with more questions than answers. All we know is that you made the decision to stop making a car that is valued and revered more than you may realize. Two hundred and twenty nine enthusiasts and owners are only a small percentage of the population that owns or has owned an S2000. But if you did some further research, collect data, and get some measurable metrics on the collective population, I am sure you would be amazed at the interest this car holds. All you need do is to visit www.s2ki.com to realize what a special creation the S2000 is. To turn a blind eye to the incredible amount of people that have a passion for this car would be irresponsible. My only wish is that someone at Honda reads this and understands the relevance of a car like the S2000 both to owners like us and to a company like yours.
The 139 S2000′s at Wake The Dragon certainly convinced me of the need for a car like the S2000. To you, it may be just another car, but I hope that can change.
Sincerely,
LittleBlueS2
Owner of “Elvis” a 2007 Laguna Blue Honda S2000
Edited version based on an original write-up by LittleBlueS2
A tip of our editorial hat to Indyana for the suggestion
Images courtesy of LittleBlueS2, S2k Dude and Yflyer
NOTE: S2KI welcomes the opinions of its members on the S2000 and on all topics related to the S. Should you feel the creative urge to pen a few words then by all means do so and PM Energetic, JulieU OR Aashish2 OR send us links to what you would like us to write about and we will feature you (or your community) on the S2KI Home Page.
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on Apr 27th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
This car is magical. I have a year 2000 S2k and I love my car. And it’s more than just a man with an affinity for his roadster. When I was 15 years old my mother had a massive Brain Aneurysm and I had to move to live with my father and life wasn’t easy by any notion. When she was in a persistent, vegetative state my father and I went the N. Am. Int’l Auto Show as we always did in January and one, of the many pictures taken, was of me sitting in a Spa Yellow S2k. When we got home he immediately uploaded the pictures on to the computer and happened to choose that one to make the Background. A couple minutes later, I went to sit down at the computer and my father happened to look over my shoulder and started to tear up. I asked him what was wrong and all he could do was point to the picture. In the background of the photo was a woman who was the spitting image of my mother, wearing her clothes staring at me, pushing a child in a stroller… My father said that, that was my stroller.
My father is no computer guru and I tried to explain this event away for a long time but I came to the conclusion that this was a sign from God that my mother would be looking over me and that everything was going to be alright. My mom’s dream was for me to get my Bachelor’s degree and right before I did, I bought my Honda S2000. Every time I sit in that car, I feel at home… I feel free. This car is a source of pleasure and wonderment for thousands of people. Please bring it back, and better than ever! Thank you!
on Apr 27th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
This thought briefly flashes through my head every time I start mine up
on Apr 27th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I sold my ’01 yellow S2000 that I had owned for seven years in December of ’09 and bought a Porsche Boxster. I quickly realized I had made a poor decision. I deeply missed my S2000 so this year I sold the Porsche and went all the way from Mobile, AL to Flagstaff, AZ to purchase another yellow S2000. Except this time I got the Club Racer! I am so happy to be in a Honda again. I believe Honda makes the best cars in the world. I know Honda has made the best roadster and I hope one day I will have the opportunity to buy a Honda supercar. If Honda were to announce the revival of the s2000 I would be first in line at my dealership to order one. Honda can also easily compete in the supercar realm by building a competitor for the Nissan GTR. And I am sure as beautiful as the S2000 is, that a Honda supercar would be as amazing to look at as to drive. Dream with me Honda!
on Apr 27th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
I love this car too… what was honda thinking in considering bringing back the NSX – HSV10 car should be the resurrection of the S2000. Plain and simple. There is no car that is as much fun to drive for the price, I own a 2005 AP2 Silverstone Metallic. I loved being able to meet up with fellow owners and do things – unfortunately, there aren’t that many on the road, so it’s far and few between when you do actually get to do these things with fellow enthusiasts. I would so love to participate in a gumball type rally with other S2000 owners. maybe from SF to LA in California, and we’ll make some small detours to a couple of indian casinos along the way – that would be awesome.
on Apr 27th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
1 sportscar to rule them all 1 sports car to bind them
http://speedhunters.com/archive/2011/04/27/random-snap-gt-gt-chilly-s2000.aspx
on Apr 27th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
When I picked up car and drive magazine in 1999 I fell in absolute love with this car….I vowed to myself one day to own this piece of art. I worked hard my whole life so far (29 now) and never for one day did I forget about the S. I put the S off until the time was right so after the girlfriend who is now my wife, thevring, the wedding,the honeymoon,and the house….my wonderful wife encouraged me to catch my dream. That’s the moment I went frantically searching for “my S2000″ finally. In 2006 the Laguna color was launched and went to local dealer and took pics sitting in it…love at first site. I def could not afford it in 2006 but in November 2010 I found a cpo 2006 laguna blue in better than excellent cond. I bought the car without driving it due to being a few states away. Wife and I bought plane tickets,flew there,picked it up and drove it 15 hours back to MS Gulf Coast, loved every min of it:-) To dream of something for 11 years and to walk outside and see what I own and get to drive every single day is beyond words. Everyone here knows what I mean though. We love the S honda, keep it going and without the “green” please….and no ivtec please, keep it real vtec!
on Apr 27th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Been my dream car since I saw it for the first time at the LA auto show when I was 9… Wanted one for ever… Drove a trade in home from my Dad’s infiniti dealer, because I begged him from the bottom of my heart.
Ever since I drove that car it was my life goal to get one. And at 19 I found her in New Mexico for the right price and everything that I wanted… Drove from LA to Albuquerque in one day to pick her up. Been the happiest guy for the past 9 months of ownership.
The s2000 should live on.
However, I’m not sure that Honda should just continuously make them. Sometimes I think they need a little time off to create a demand, and maybe a little shortage of them. If they were everywhere, they wouldn’t be the special car they truly are. Hopefully they will work on their next sports car, and it will come out better than before.
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 3:42 am
Like many stories above, I also sat in the s2000 at an autoshow before driving age. I remember it fit like a glove for me. I always remember thinking one of two things. I would never be fortunate enough to own such an incredible machine. And that one day I knew no matter what I had to own one of these incredible cars that spoke to me. An efficient, yet powerful 4 cylinder engine seemed the best of both worlds.
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 4:26 am
Awesome write up, I wish I could of been there…
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 7:29 am
There’s no doubt in my mind, that Honda needs a successor to the S2K and NSX. No one will argue that economical cars are more profitable, but to suggest that your entire customer base wants only these cars is untrue. There are many, many owners who want Honda sports cars… not economical compromises. Don’t neglect a market just because you can’t max out your profit potential in said market. There’s not much competition in the Japanese market for true sports cars, like there is in the Euro market. Here’s your chance to make your mark, to show everyone your racing heritage.
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 8:25 am
Take a bow LittleBlueS2. Amazing stuff – a very moving account
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Listen up Honda! Hear what your enthusiasts have to say!
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 9:41 am
There is something about the dragon that I love…possibly it is coming into a corner at 9,000RPMs and ripping out of it at 7,000RPMs, or maybe its the feel of a enlarged go-kart on crack!
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 10:26 am
There are still people who want to drive not ride.
Who want to shift gears and match their machine to the challenges at hand.
Mainstream cars leave less and less for the driver to do.
High performance cars add technology to protect you from the increasing power and grip.
Continue to build a car for drivers.
Take the current tooling and take the CR concept further.
Take out the radio,power windows,power seats,AC,radio,power top,VSA and anyhting that’s not about the horseman and his steed.
Little further investment is needed. Honda would profit at the low but steady volume.
on Apr 29th, 2011 at 8:29 am
Incredible write up…truly brought tears to my eyes. This car since its inception was destined for greatness, never will understand Honda’s position to discontinue production. Thank you for sharing this great moment with us.
on Apr 29th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Amazing car! ever since I was old enough to get my license I dreamed of owning a Honda Prelude wile driving around my 74 ford truck that is 10 years older then me : ) around that time the S2000 was still a new car a hardly ever seen were I live, not to mention just another sweet looking car that I at the time would never be able to afford.
Over the next 10 years I worked my way through over 20 different daily driven Honda’s that all could be bought with out loans that have really high interest. After owning a 88,90,92,93,95,and 98 Prelude I decided to change plat forms and finally got a Integra Type R that I loved dearly! after owning it for a wile and sourcing all the fun little JDM parts like front end conversion and Interior goodies, I found my self getting board with its every day front wheel driving capabilities and stopped one day at a Mazda lot that had a S2000 trade in…. hmmm my mind started to wounder, can I get decent financing? Should I buy it? needless to say after the test drive that had the salesman rushing to get out of the car, I was SOLD….. and the Integra found a good home to a buyer that payed cash and allowed me to pay off the S.
It has been a year now and every morning I fall in love with this car a little more. I can not believe that I have not gotten board! I usually do : ) but this car is so great and boy dies it turn heads every were I go, a blast to drive with hard top on or off!
I think I’m keeping this one forever!
on Apr 29th, 2011 at 10:40 am
Who knows maybe one day they will raise the it from the dead?
on Apr 29th, 2011 at 10:49 am
I remember the first time I ever saw an s2000. It was a grand prix white with all red interior. I remember thinking to myself at the time that I would probably never be able to own one. It almost seemed out of reach. The lines, styling seemed like a supercar to me and my 99 honda civic lol. Now that I’m older and better off financially I began looking for a new car and what car was it? A GPW s2000. I live in Iowa and purchased it all the way in South Carolina and boy was it worth it.
on Apr 30th, 2011 at 7:55 am
I do remember when I saw it first one on a street back in 2000. That day I started to look some information about the S2000 and from that day it became my dream car. In year 2007 I finally bought a CPO 2005 Silverstone S2000 and I couldn’t be happier. I had a lot of cars after, bought and sold them but S2000 always stayed with me. I see people sell their S2000 but after some period come back again, because you will not find any other car that will bring so much passion and love to it every time you see it or drive it. Every single time I roll out off the garage in my S2000 I smile like a kid…
on May 4th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
I believe U summed up what every “S” owner feels and believes to be true. This machine is what I look forward everyday that I drive home from work or cruise down country roads. Our little piece of heaven if u will.
on May 9th, 2011 at 9:56 pm
s2000 ftw! i might also sell my black ap2 to get the club racer
on May 18th, 2011 at 8:07 am
It should be obvious to all that I am obsessed with the S2000, owning a 2001 a 2005 and looking for an unmolested 08 CR as well as considering a friends 2000 GPW/red/black bone stock with 4,400 miles on it! I for one believe what man creates he imparts a part of himself into. A soul if you will, Uehara-san and the Honda design team took on the worlds best and beat them at their own game. Perfection achieved, soul, infused, memory embedded for life. All because of “The Power of Dreams”. We are not all the same when we are inspired by different things yet, look at how one roadster built by a company known for reliable, practical vehicles brought together every age group and people who would otherwise never have met one another. The S2000 has that effect to this day on people. Just ask the 229 members of “our family” who “Awoke the Dragon” and shared “The Power of Dreams”.
on May 18th, 2011 at 10:31 am
@loves2ks
Great story. I wanted one as soon as I saw it in Car and Driver as well. I remember telling my mom that Honda is making a rear-wheel drive car. I’m 30 but obviously a bit behind you. I couldn’t afford it earlier in life and then a wedding got in the way and now I’m 95% through building a house. I was extremely close to buying one last year but it’s probably better I waited. I hope to get one this summer but I also don’t want to get my hopes up.
on May 27th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
I have a red S2k Honda dealer ship didnot bring it oto my country bet the foreign used market did. Ilove to look at my s as much as i love to drive it.
I have Lots of aftermarket parts on mine and was done by honda professionals in Trinidad,
OEM wheels available
Genuine Full Greddy bolt on Turbo Kit with Intercooler and E-Manage
HKS Dual Exhaust System
AEM Methanol Injection Kit
Aluminum Radiator with Greddy Cap
ACT Street and Strip Clutch
Innovate Motorsports Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge
Defi EGT and Boost Gauges
Blitz Turbo Timer
Tein Type Flex Damper Kit with EDFC
Cross Drilled and Slotted Rotors with Braided Brake Lines
TSW Light Weight Forged Wheels
Staggered Fitment 18×8 225/40Front/18×9 265/35 Rear
to drive it.
It is like a motobike just 4 wheels. lol!
I wish i could post a photo on this site with it.
I would like to get vented hood of carbon fibre and some carbon fibre interior.
on May 31st, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Long ago in another life, a lady loaned her new Honda S600 to me for a few days. I loved it, it felt like the formula 2 Brabham I raced.
Then came families, kids & houses, & I drove “useful” things like utilities & light trucks, nothing fun.
In 90 we bought an 82 Prelude for my daughters first car. Each time I drove it had such great feel it reminded me of how much fun that S600 was. I could only wish Honda still made cars that drove the right wheels, the back ones.
Then they did, but I was too busy with kids, & all the things that go with them. Out here in the country, I never even saw one.
Ten years later I saw this great looking car in a near by town. I crossed the street, & found it was a Honda, S2000.
I searched the car sales, & found a 2001, with just 27,000Km on it. It was 150Km away, I went the next day. Getting into that car was like coming home, it was just right. I drove it home, & went back for the ute the next day.
I can’t stop driving the thing, it’s so great to be in.
Mr Honda, how can you stop doing something you do so well?
on Nov 2nd, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Been on this website since 7pm reading every article just because of my love of the S2K… ive loved it since it came out. But when i was younger (into cars as much as i am now) i didnt understand all the specs and beauty of the S2K. I do now that im 18 and i finally went and drove it this past weekend, and let me tell you nothing compares especially when crawling all the way up to the redline on it! My mom drove it and shes allllll about her german engineering, Audi this audi that and said ehh anthony its just a honda. Thats when i said ok, you drive it (shes a beast at stick by the way) and she was tearing it up rev matching everything stuff i didnt think she still knew how to do. We pulled into a neighborhood and turned around to pull out of it, she turns the VSA off, pops the clutch and guns it. We left that neighborhood sideways on a public road and after the tires caught back to the pavement all you hear is VTEC roaring with that beautiful exhaust note and i fell in love even more… The most beautiful piece of engineering that was ever put in my hand. I’m currently saving for one