The S2000 that IndyCar Driver Graham Rahal Won... for a Record $48K
The Rahal family is known for winning some of the greatest races in the country. Last month, Graham won again... when he bid on a nearly pristine AP1 with only 1,001 miles on it.
And the Winner is...
... Bidder grp09 with a record-breaking bid of $48,000!
That's how the auction ended. But for IndyCar racing driver Graham Rahal (aka @grp09), the ride had just begun. Last month, this spotless 2000 S2000 with only 1,000 miles on its odometer hit the auction block as Lot #13815 at Bring a Trailer. Over the course of the day there were 14 bids, but at the end of the day, only one bidder crossed the finish line. The final price paid by Rayhal for this S2K eclipsed the previous auction price record of $44,500.
Rahal Shares His Victory
After making the winning bid, Rahal posted the following news on Twitter: "I am so excited to be bringing this home! As a lifeline @honda man, this was a car i simply couldn’t pass up on. My pops has a red S600, and this will sit beautifully next to it! @Bringatrailer always has the coolest stuff!"
>>Join the conversation about Rahal's new toy right here in the S2Ki.com forum.
One of the Best
For those of you who don't know, the Honda S2000 has long been recognized as one of the best and most affordable sports cars this century, with its high-revving naturally aspirated engine, rear-wheel drive, manual transmission-only availability, and lack of electronic aids. In fact, it is considered one of the last analog sports cars to be sold by the famous automaker.
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Rahal No Slouch
Rahal is no slouch either. He currently participates in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a team partly-owned by his father Bobby Rahal, the winner of the 1986 Indianapolis 500, and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Acura Team Penske. In 2012, Graham Rahal, co-drove the No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates car to victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona along with Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, and Joey Hand. In 2015, Rahal won the 2015 MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA, and later that year he picked up a victory at the 2015 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. In 2016 he won the 2016 Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway.
>>Join the conversation about Rahal's new toy right here in the S2Ki.com forum.
Lifelong Honda Guy
Rahal isn't only a fast car enthusiast, but his company, Graham Rahal Performance outside of Indianapolis, tunes and sells fast cars. "I am a lifelong Honda guy, and when this car came out it was just eye-catching and such a pure machine," Rahal told The Drive. "I always knew ... I wanted to collect one. This popped up, and it was just too perfect to pass up."
Even though Rahal claims he bought the S200 out of love for the vehicle, he is no stranger to investing in cars as he currently owns several Porsches, including a 911R and various GT2 and GT3 RSs. He's also a big fan of the NSX, which he helped develop along with Acura, and lastly, he's the lucky recipient of an incoming Mercedes-AMG One.
>>Join the conversation about Rahal's new toy right here in the S2Ki.com forum.
Modest Miles
Back in 2000, this AP1 was sold to the owner of Blair Honda in Altoona, Pennsylvania with 12 miles and subsequently stored as a part of a collection. From 2000 to 2013, it accumulated an addition 988 miles for a current total of 1001 miles. The exterior is painted in Formula Red and the interior decked out with black leather sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a carpeted center console, and carpeted floor mats.
>>Join the conversation about Rahal's new toy right here in the S2Ki.com forum.
In Stock Specification
According to BringaTrailer.com, this S2K boasts a 2.0-liter VTEC inline-four produced 240 horsepower at 8,300 rpm and 153 lb-ft of torque at 7,500 rpm when new and works with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a factory limited-slip differential. This AP1 S2000 is described as remaining completely in stock and was offered at auction with the original window sticker, spare keys, factory manuals, and a clean Pennsylvania title and Carfax report.
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Soft on Top, Strong on the Pavement
The soft top features a plastic rear window and is shown in both up and down positions in gallery photos. The factory 16″ alloy wheels measure 6.5″ and 7.5″ in width front and rear and are mounted with the original Bridgestone Potenzas S-02 tires.
>>Join the conversation about Rahal's new toy right here in the S2Ki.com forum.
A Beautiful Investment
"This car was ideal, and the red is beautiful and it's [because of] the purity of it that I felt I needed to get it," added Rahal. "I also felt the price was right, and that if I bought it right these cars will continue to climb [in price]. The Integra Type R has gone up, the NSX, and I expect these to really follow suit. But ultimately, I bought it because I'm a Honda guy. Honda runs in our blood and this S2000 will be a keeper for me for many years to come."
To see more images, please visit the auction site.
Join the conversation about Rahal's new toy right here in the S2Ki.com forum.