There is no doubt about that! The AP2s are awesome too.

 

Well, that was the spirit of the original post. I couldn't however resist the urge to poke the bear, the lively discussion of AP1 v AP2. I have to admit I did it to for fun to bring out the ridiculous Mac v PC type arguments on my post about AP2 being "improved". Stop fighting the Civil War all over again people. There is way too much of that going on elsewhere in society. We are all S2000 owners whatever the color of our cars, whatever the displacement of our engines, whatever the RPM of peak horsepower! I digress.

 

I don't know that I've seen this mentioned here on the forum. But elsewhere I've read that when we received the F22C engine in the AP2 cars here in the States, other markets received an updated version of the F20C to go along with the chassis changes. While Honda did not make any claims to this effect, testers reported improvements in performance at low range RPMs and more notably at mid range RPMs compared to the F20C that appeared years earlier. This would have addressed some of the peakiness that Ferrari saw as a negative as mentioned previously in this thread. I'd have to dig a bit to find the specific reviews but the book was titled Honda S2000 Performance Portfolio 1999-2008 which is a compilation of magazine reviews of the S2000 from around globe. Even though the book is nothing more than a compilation of previously published reviews, it's still nice to have on hand as far as reference/historical materials go.

 

The JDM F20C and F20C2 had more power from day one but the peak torque was a little lower.

Power:

JDM 250 PS (186.42 kW) @ 8,600rpm & 150ft lbs (217.71 Nm) @ 7,500 rpm
USDM 237 PS (177 kw) @ 8,300 rpm; 155 ft lb @ 7,500 rpm

Rev limit: 9200 rpm

Specs are from this article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_F20C_engine

 

Yes, higher compression and fuel cut/rpm gave it a little more beans but required 98 or whatever US equivalent RON is.

 

Thanks for sharing this. I'm sure all the battles they had in F1 earned the respect Honda deserves. As far as the debate between F20C vs F22C engines, I think that they are both amazing. I personally love all S2000s from the 1st generation to the last gen. It's senseless to argue which is better because it all comes down to the preference of the owner. Now that most engines are turbo charged & with lower revs, it appears that I'll be keeping my CR for a lot longer. There are no turbo engines that sound like the S2000 at 8-9000 RPM!

 

not in my opinion, unless you mean for resale value. That's the only reason I regret selling my AP2. My ND Miata was a more enjoyable car to drive around in every other way. Ok, I admit, changing the oil was never easier than the S2000 on ANY car I've ever owned. I do miss that too. The seats were better on the S too.....that's it though. Really!
it was fun to scream the engine and still retain Japanese reliability, but the low torque and jekyl/hyde power delivery took it's toll on me. There is a true disconnect between the transmission and engine tha gets in the way of true satisfaction for me. The ND Miata is so much more cohesive and ultimately more enjoyable as a result.

 

Apparently this wasn't a JDM-related difference. Here is a quote from the May 2004 issues of the British car magazine EVO:

"Honda doesn’t claim any changes to the 2-litre VTEC ‘four’, but we can’t believe it’s in the same tune as the original S2000. The spec sheet says it still produces an incredible 237bhp at 8300rpm and a weedy 153lb ft of torque at 7500rpm, while the gearing is exactly as it was, thanks to lower profile rubber on the bigger rims. So nothing has changed, apparently, yet the S2000 now delivers adequate urge in a high gear from low revs, and more than adequate oomph at moderate revs. And the fact that it does changes everything — the S2000 is no longer a car that only starts to make sense when you’re on the right road, in the right gear, at over 6000rpm."

Personally, I hope to experience an AP1 car with F20C engine at some point down the road, but to be honest I'm plenty happy with the AP2/F22C. In all honesty, someone like me probably benefits more from the overall package that Honda delivered via the AP2 car here in the States even it this configuration doesn't quite pull at the heart strings as much as the AP1 for many S2000 enthusiasts here on the forum. But in the case of Mr. Morettini, he was of course speaking strictly about engines and in that case I can certainly understand the credit given to the F20C.

 

Nice list of previous and current cars but if you have the chance to drive a MY02 or MY03 then take it, it may just put a different smile on your face.

 

None of the VTEC engines were really "peaky".

They were only peaky compared to engines that made the same power. Not peaky compared to engines of the same size. That means that for their size and power, they had a very wide power band. That's the point of VTEC. 2 cam profiles in 1.

A F20 made good power from like 5K to 9K RPM. A 4K RPM wide power band.

Most turbo cars of the period made their fattest power for what? 3K RPM of their band? STi's had the party start at 2K and then fell on their face around 5K.

VTEC engines don't have as steep of a power climb or as steep of a power fall-off as most engines of their size or power output either.

Not peaky.