C&D is totally whacked out on this one, the OEM exhaust note does not belong in the same discussion as a Ferrari. Thankfully with a good aftermarket system (Toda or Mugen is my weapon of choice) you can achieve a nipple hardening roar right up to redline.

 

"the coke-snorting four-cylinder"

 

it's a pretty good exhaust note for a four cylinder, I wouldn't rank the sound against any good v6, v8, v10, or v12 though.

 

You really want something exciting, go down the list and hit play on all of them at the same time.

 

I don't know about all that...

 

C&D is almost always wrong when they talk about the S2000.

 

It is. Completely muted for a sports car.

 

This is something I think the S2000 is kind of lacking. I mean it sounds good because it revs so high, but it isn't motor music like some cars have. Even with aftermarket exhausts the S2000 isn't the most wonderful sounding engine on the planet. When you look at E30 M3's, or even racier 2002's and how their 4 cylinder engines sound and then hear the S2000 it is kind of raspy and hollow. It is really the only thing I would improve upon and maybe the stereo, although I don't hate the sound system as much as other folks do, but it could have been tweaked a little I think.

I know Honda isn't known for their exhaust notes, but I think they could have spent some time on it. Look at the VW R32, that is an engine that a bunch of VW's come with and none of the others have the same great exhaust note that the R32 has. Why? VW spent time tuning the exhaust for sound and it worked wonderfully. Maybe the layout of the S2000 wouldn't allow for it, but I think Honda could have put some engineers on it and turned out a great exhaust.

 

I sadly agree

 

Nothing raspy or hollow about my exhaust note