Several club members suggested I read the August Sport Compact Car because of the articles on the S2000 in that issue. I must say it made fascinating reading, and has resulted in my increased appreciation and amazement at what the Honda engineers have done with this car.

Neuspeed put 17 wheels, huge tires, sport lowering springs, and Koni adjustable shocks on their car. Then they added 3 separate chassis stiffening braces that "virtually eliminate flexing and twisting of the critical factory suspension mounting points" and actually "helps glue the suspension to the ground". (direct quotes)

Net result - 1.4 mph slower slalom times. Yep, you got it. Spend thousands, go slower.

Comptech did even more to their car to improve the handling and braking:
Height adjustable springs
Comptech sway bars front and rear
18" OZ racing Wheels with 245/40 and 265/35 tires
3 chassis stiffening braces
13" vented Brembo rotors with 4-piston calipers
Comptech pads
Stainless steel brake lines

Net result:
One foot longer braking distance
3.5 mph slower slalom times

But don't despair, if you decide to spend thousands to upgrade your brakes you can always console yourself with this astounding bit of scientific observation by Sport Compact Car:
"we suspect continued abuse of the brakes would have shown the weakness of the stock system" (emphasis mine)

Hats off to Honda - I bet the engineers are laughing their butts off.

 

Great post!!!

 

Yeah! I'll give a thumb up for Honda Engineers!

They did a great job on this car! But nothing is perfect (but close enough!)

I'm just glad there are people out there trying to improve it by Trials and error (spending their money); that way I may fellow the RIGHT steps by not spending a dime first. I still read and do a lot of research on the internet, if there a anything to improve my car or protect it in certain way without taking a big chunck out of my bank acct. I'll try it.

Did you read the second article (where there is bunch of white cars? S2000, Type-R, ...etc) The Type-R did improved a lot with the Mod. So, I really think the F20C is already tweeked to the upper limits.

 

It seems that everyday there is at least one post on how little, if any, improvement is attained through aftermarket modifications. Honda has done an exceptional job of "tweaking" the S2000 to perfection. 850 is right in that there is always room for improvement. The question is, how much are you willing to spend for how much improvement? My plan is to only make modifications that either add to my personal enjoyment (appearance, sound, etc.) or provide improved longevity (Mobil 1, Zaino, etc.). All other mods are either of no interest to me, or just don't make good financial sense (IMHO). As far as performance, I don't think I would survive any more improvements.

 

All these guys looking to improve performance, none get it. Strap a pair of JP-43 Turbofans to the trunk. 3-cone retro-rocket packs on the two leading corners. Seatbelts optional. 1/4 mile in who-the-f*ck-can-count-with-these-g-forces...

 

I keep waiting for someone to find the magic. Nothing yet...

 

Forced induction seems to be the only real gains but at what price?

 

Honda has obviously done the right things...

I read the Sport Compact Car articles as well... yes, they may look a little better but seem to perform worse. Who needs that?

As far as forced induction modifications. A Honda dealership in HOU (John Eagle Honda) has a master mechanic who works on everybody's S2K (when considering modifications).

He quoted me a drive-out of roughly $6400.00 for the Comptech Supercharger, upgraded fuel pump, installation, and tuning...

Cheers

 

Has anyone ever taken the time to chart out all of the mods with their cost and maybe claimed improvement vs. actual improvement. This way a very easy cost vs. benefit analysis could be performed. This sounds like a job for Modifry. Bob is very thorough and pays close attention to detail. I think he could provide a very good analysis.

 

Personally, I don't like to force all that much pressure and heat into the engine by force induction on my daily drive (For a track car I might think different). I'm not even sure if F20C is strong enough for it to last with a supercharge or turbo. (If the engine is not built for force induction in the first place, it uasually need to beef it up. (Especially the bottom end of the Honda engines. Honda made the components inside of the motor to be light to be able to reach the high RPM range without failing or off balance *At least that is what I see in the B16A motor*. Also F20C compression ratio is higher than most.)

IF I'm considering force induction, I'll probably wait a little longer for a better (or a different type). The current Supercharger brings the Hp up a bit (pretty good), but it just doesn't have the Low end power that I'm looking for. 240 is pretty good horse power, and 300 is better; but the touque did not gain much at all. I think the 0-60 time was about the same? if not, slower? This car can already reach 155Mph stock, some said 170Mph? That's plenty! Where can you drive that fast in GA? I rather going around 50-80 Mph around the curves. But I would like to get there a bit faster (Low-end Touque; Or lose the weight!) $6,400 is a bit too much for me to want to gain the power on the top end, which I may never use?

How many times do you reach over 120 Mph per day? When I had my S, I didn't even need to use the 6th gear, unless I'm on the highway. (Love to shift between the second and third! God! I missed the VETC @ 6K!)