Brucant

hello and Thankyou for accepting me into the Honda S2000 scene.
i have just bought my first Honda and it’s an s2000 love the car and how it drives. I have come from the Subaru world of which I have had 7!
so first of all the car I bought is a 2003 GT model completely standard and I’m looking into starter mods... it seems induction is a must along with an exhaust.
i just want some opinions on which to buy... also do I have to have the ecu remapped after induction and exhaust changes? Thankyou very much for your time

Chuck S

There are no "must" modifications for these cars. Honda engineers have done the work for us and tweaked the car every two years during its production life. Drive the car as is for a while. These ain't 4-wheel drive Subarus and they can change ends on you in slippery conditions if you're careless and inexperienced. UK roundabouts are notorious for this especially with diesel fuel on the road. Same for ice on bridges. Don't be the "guy of the week" who wrecks his.

Mods are certainly common and I'm as guilty as the next guy but realized early on that few of them make any real difference. K&N FIPK intake for induction noise (and maybe a pony or two); high flow cat and Tanabe Medalion Touring exhaust for a more "sports car" exhaust note and not being an AlfaHotel at the same time. Intake and exhaust are mainly cosmetic and the OEM ECU can learn what's there. Getting your model year car tuned requires an aftermarket ECU and a knowledgeable tuner. This can add significant mid range power by playing with the VTEC engagement. My '06 is tuneable and this transformed the car.

One area that makes a real difference (and I'd do first) in these cars if the larger wheel/tire set up of the 2004 and later models -- called "face lift" outside North America. A set of OEM (or reproduction) 17" wheels from 2004 and later with tires like the Bridgestone S-03 will make the handling even nicer. The 17" tires are lower profile and have stiffer sidewalls.

-- Chuck

Brucant

THank you chuck this is exactly the info I’m looking for, so what size wheels are best? If 17” are they a straight fit without any arch rubbing and such?
Im going to add induction and cat back exhaust as I think the stock set up sounds a little timid!

jonner

Chuck S

The OEM 17" wheels and tires are the same outside diameter as the 16". 17" tires are lower profile. This means OEM 17" wheels will bolt right on with no cutting, bending, or fender pulling. There are reproduction "AP2V1" wheels available. Guys who have them like them; those who don't have suspicions they're PRC time bombs. 17" tire sizes are 215/45 front, 240/40 rear. Bridgestone S003 tires are popular outside of North America. Max performance summer tires, one step down from Extreme performance. I'm running Bridgestone S-04 tires. 215F/255R. "CR" size.

-- Chuck

Brucant

Great info again so Thankyou. I’m actually looking for after market wheels on my 2003 GT what size rim should I be looking for? Are front different from rear? What’s max offset without arch work, I have no intention of coilovers just staying on standard suspension

Chuck S

Aftermarket wheels are a constant topic here the past 17 years (make a pot of coffee and start reading! ) but few seem to work due to the unique wheel offsets used in the S2000. Hence my recommendation for 17" OEM wheels to avoid having to bugger pull the fenders/wings. The previous owner of my car fitted horrible black Enkei RPF1 wheels but had to fit narrower width rims to fit them onto the car due to the offset issue. These came off the car as soon as I could get a set of proper OEM 17" wheels. The vast majority of Honda OEM wheels are Enkei anyway so don't get hung up on Enkei-magic.

-- Chuck