Something is missing from every car Honda makes today. In fact, it’s missing from almost every car introduced after 2006. It’s not cup holders- during a recent ride in a Fit Sport, I counted no fewer than eleven, all in one tiny, maybe-five-seats-if-all-your-friends-are-skinny hatchback. This represents a 1,000% increase over the S2000, a car whose single cup holder I always found utterly representative of the car as a whole.
As you have no doubt discovered, placing your beverage of choice in said cup holder obstructs the shifter. This inconvenience forces drivers to define their priorities, choosing between speed and refreshment. Owners who bought their S2000 to drive fill it with timeslips and/or change instead.
Buyers found this acceptable because the S2000 is a car that inspires passion. Despite being the preeminent cliché of automotive journalism, this love-or-hate reaction drove the design of every iconic performance car of the millennial years. From the 1998 “clown-shoe” M coupe and wagon-only S6 to the physically punishing 2006 Exige S, these cars eschewed market share in favor of character and polish in favor of purity of purpose.
Most cars made today are utterly, soul-suckingly devoid of passion. With passion comes surprises and divisiveness; unexpected flaws and unusual traits. Automakers are afraid of turning away a single customer in today’s market, so these characteristics are engineered out in pursuit of absolute normalcy. Even Ferrari is guilty. I’m one of the fortunate few who has experienced both the F430 Scuderia and 360 Challenge Stradale. The 360 vibrated uncomfortably when stopped, crashed over bumps, smashed your head against the seat when you changed gear, and was shockingly, agonizingly loud at full throttle. It’s also the single most compelling, exciting car I’ve ever driven. The F430 is better in every technical way; it delivers more performance, more smoothly and more accessibly. As a result, I found myself largely uninterested- it was the Generic 2010 Sports Car Experience. Blindfolded, I’m not sure I could have distinguished whether I was driving an F430 Scuderia, Z4 3.5is M, SL63, or Cayman R. I also would probably have killed some pedestrians, so the blindfold stayed off, and the prancing horse on the steering wheel provided a handy brand reference.
The CR-Z suffers from the same anodyne nature. It’s a very good hatchback, exactly like the equally good and equally back-hatched Mazda 2, Mini Cooper S, and Golf GTI. The Volvo C30 is the sole standout in this group, by virtue of being complete rubbish, but having a charismatic 5-cylinder motor. That’s not an endorsement; buy stock in Chrysler if you really must throw away $20,000+.
I spent a weekend driving a Crosstour, and it left me too depressed to write about cars for almost a month. It’s not bad; in fact it’s very good at never, ever doing anything unexpected. Ultimately, I suspect it may actually out-beige the Camry (I’m afraid to test a Camry, for fear that my soul will pop out of existence like switching off an old cathode-ray TV set). I found myself driving it at 5mph under the speed limit because I simply couldn’t be bothered.
Please, Honda, give us back our passion. Give us back our quirky, unique, and entertaining cars; our CRXs and NSXs and S2000s. Make them compromised but inspiring, trade cup holders for joie de vivre. We won’t abandon you; we will love you for it.
Images courtesy of evox
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on Sep 2nd, 2011 at 1:40 pm
rest assured, there is nothing on this planet that can out-beige a Camry. Speaking as a XTour, S2000 and Si owner
on Sep 2nd, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Thank you, please forward this to corporate.
I truly fear that Honda is going the way of excess vanilla. I really don’t want to see a legendary car company forget its roots and join the ranks of bland automakers worldwide.
I want to always be proud to own a Honda.
on Sep 2nd, 2011 at 1:59 pm
The S2000 is full of passion. Pure and raw, that’s how I’d describe it, the sole purpose being to fulfill the owner’s passion for driving. A true sports car in every sense. As you drop into the seat, you become focus and alert, more than in most car you come across. Stab the red button and it all comes alive. Forget the cupholders, the music, and just get into the business of driving. That’s what the S2000 is all about and that’s why I love it. “AP1″ owner.
on Sep 2nd, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I agree with top secret AP1 was design to want to make u drive not eat or drink in da car its pure and simple and there is nothin out there that cones close to the S2000 every where u go it turns heads.
on Sep 2nd, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Every brand is coming with a halo car, Honda should be no different. Nissan/infiniti has the GT-R, Toyota/Lexus has the LF-A and to a lesser extent; Subaru has their rally inspired STIs, Mitsubishi has their EVOs. WAKE UP HONDA, you need a car like the NSX, S2000, something that inspires the driver, not pushing out econobox after econobox! It was you guys that showed the world a supercar could be a daily driver, it was you guys that showed a 4 cylinder could have balls!
As your founder soichiro honda once said:
If Honda does not race there is no Honda.
We will not be content with this victory alone [first win in F1]. We will study why we won and aggressively apply those winning technologies to new cars.
Racing improves the breed.
We only have one future, and it will be made of our dreams, if we have the courage to challenge convention.
We do not make something because the demand, the market is there. With our technology, we can create demand, we can create the market.
The value of life can be measured by how many times your soul has been deeply stirred.
Yet you guys are defying all of your founder’s dreams and wills!
on Sep 2nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Well put, ScandinavianFlick. My S2000 (AP1 2003) is the least practical of our three vehicles, but is without question, the most invigorating and the best at serving its purpose: to give you a driving experience and pride of ownership that one just can’t seem to match.
on Sep 4th, 2011 at 4:54 am
Honda is death , i’m thinking to buy a BMW to replace my s2k :p
on Sep 4th, 2011 at 9:04 am
CR-Z is actually not bad at all. Most intriguing interior I’ve seen in awhile…
I’m in total agreement that we need more cars like the S2000, but I wouldn’t go out and bash on cars who are not even aiming to be in the same realm (Crosstour?).
The F430 is a better car (having driven both the 430 and 360 multiple times). The shifts are so much quicker you don’t feel them nearly as much as you did in the 360. That’s improvement, the car was not watered down.
I just think there is no reason to be so extreme. I’m also hoping and praying for a new performance Honda automobile, and know it will come some time in the next 2-3 years. They can’t go on too much longer not offering anything when Nissan has such a wide offering (especially when considering Infiniti), and Toyota is now starting to remember that sport cars exist.
on Sep 4th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I agree the CR-Z is not a bad car at all. Definitely love the unique interior, and it looks nice on outside too.
I’d rather not see anything like the S2000 ever, unless Honda makes it, since I want it to stay unique, and become a legendary machine everyone will be talking about for generations to come.
The AP2 cup holder can hold a can of soda, and still make allow you to shift spiritedly, but other than that, nothing but a change bin.
Honda needs to wake up, and bring back a flagship, whether it’s an S2000 successor, or an NSX successor. Come on, lets go!!
on Sep 5th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
This was great to read. I miss cars like the Prelude and Integra. What’s one cool car that Honda makes now? CRZ isn’t it.
on Sep 6th, 2011 at 10:39 am
[...] hatchback. This represents a 1,000% increase over theS2000, a car whose single cup holder I always found utterly representative of the car as a whole.” [...]
on Sep 6th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
@Mark355
The most recent, “cool”est Honda I think was the ’06-’10 Civic Si, especially the 2008 Mugen Si, but they even ruined that with the 2012 model. It’s truly a sad day when the coolest car in Honda’s lineup is the Accord coupe.
on Sep 6th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Being an ap2 owner i am ashamed of my last post. I failed to recognize the error I made when I picked the date range for the Si. The last coolest Si was 2010, if it was 2009 or earlier it would be an s2000
on Sep 7th, 2011 at 11:09 am
My AP1 reminds me that Honda CAN build great cars…but don’t anymore. Every time I get to drive it, I get that giddy feeling and can’t wait till the engine is all warmed up. 9000 rpm here we come.
The last great non-S2000 honda built was the NSX, but alas it too is gone. I say the last affordable fun Honda was the 99/00 Si (SiR in Canada)- which also finds a home in my garage as well.
Maybe my next car will be a VW Golf R32.
darcy
on Sep 8th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
What cupholder is that in the first pic? I’d love to get my hands on it!
on Sep 9th, 2011 at 5:37 am
Where the fuck is the ash tray!
on Sep 9th, 2011 at 11:20 am
That cupholder is from AP1 cars. One single beverage? Where’s the one for the passenger? Hahahaha, apparently the S2000 is meant to be DRIVEN by the driver only.
on Sep 9th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Honda oh Honda… you will become the “Ford, GMC, Dodge” of the past. With all technology advancing your not keeping up with the times. All your cars are boring and bland…. nothing to excite anymore. In case you havent noticed, Toyota has that market Pinned down!
If you dont make something that will “Excite” the drivers then you will have lost alot of LOYAL customers.
I can tell you that after the S2000 I will not buy Honda again until they start leading the way like the past instead of following like the present!
R.I.P Honda!
on Sep 10th, 2011 at 7:31 am
Personally I would like to see something like the Lancer/Evo thing. You get your bland “I drive my car to work” vehicle in the Lancer if that’s your cup of tea, but if you actually DRIVE your car you get the kickass Evo.
Although I’m not convinced of the design yet, how cool would a CRZ-XT be? Take a basic CRZ, make it RWD or AWD and throw a turbocharged 4 in it. Add some bigger, wider wheel/tire combos, blah blah blah. Hell, even BMW did it… sorta. The 1 series doesn’t look that much different from the 3 series.
At least it would follow a Honda owner’s history of having a tuner version. We mod the hell out of our cars anyway.
And put a better cupholder in it.
on Sep 10th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Ya know its shows how much detail goes into design when you look at the plastic mold inside the cup holder for the ap1s. They actually took the time to made the bottom of the cupholder (in plastic) to look like the leather arm rest. talk about detail.
on Sep 10th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Except, Mark the new K series all have the exhaust manifold molded into the block…GG IHE
on Sep 11th, 2011 at 6:45 am
AMEN TO THIS!
i’ve both owned, and driven BMW’S to AUDIS to many hondas! and the s2000 is just the BEST car to drive, i sold my first one (big mistake!) and searched for a whole year to find another one
as far as either refreshments or shifting gears… i find that a water bottle tossed in the passenger foot wells is quite easy to get to at those red- lights! and keeps out of the way!
HONDA PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER “S2000″