Hype
verb

1. promote or publicize (a product or idea) intensively, often exaggerating its importance or benefits.

I guess we just have a difference of opinion and quite frankly don't know why you own the car. I don't think anybody is "exaggerating" how good the car is...it is that good! I don't think anybody has said the S2000 destroys all at any price range. As a matter of fact I just posted that my Viper destroys the S2000 in nearly every category...it was faster around the 'Ring by 1 minute and 37 seconds, there isn't a comparison. Yet, every morning, I want to drive my Honda, the Viper doesn't get a second thought. The S2000 just feels better in every way outside of monstrous torque and rocket acceleration.

I don't believe these "goobers" just incessantly hyped the S2000 up. 10, 15, 20 years ago this was a "chicks car" you got laughed at for owning by the "men" who owned Corvettes. I myself bought into that particular "hype" (which it actually was) and quickly realized that mistake. Now they're being recognized for what they are and people want them. That's not "hype" that's people having missed the boat on a vehicle not produced anymore, and not produced in mass quantities to begin with, with countless examples ruined at this point by improper modding when they were cheap and accessible to anybody. Well they're not now, pristine examples are going for a large price because if you want one you might as well get a good one.

I don't believe that to be hype.

 

Look around dude, this thread is all hype, it’s in your definition. Folks talking about unparalleled and RAW the S2000 is.

Just because you enjoy it more than your Viper doesn’t make it perfect. I’ve driven a 700 whp Hennessey Viper and enjoyed my mostly stock, lowered S2000 much more. I own the car because I like it. I’m just also capable of acknowledging that its value skyrocketing is silly and that it prices out people that will actually enjoy the thing and into the hands of speculating dorks.

 

No one says you have to be a speculating dork. When, and if it comes time to sell, you can price your car for whatever YOU want. If You want to give someone a deal, so they can afford, and enjoy the car, GREAT.
Me, I'll let the market tell me what they're willing to pay, and be happy with that. As you and others have pointed out, there are better INVESTMENTS out there. I would say most people on here just like the car, and didn't buy it on spec. The people that are squawking now, are the people that missed the boat, and wish that they could go back and hop on.

 

Good point about the ND2's low weight. Low weight is always desirable and nothing beats that.

Looks... ND2 isn't too bad and aight (tho, it looks a little too high, Hot-Wheels toy-like, and bubbly)... the 2022 86/brz (and S2k) looks much more proportional, sleeker and nicer imo. So much better than the previous gen. Looks much cleaner, simpler, minimal, etc. The simpler front grill rectangle opening is very nice.

Yeah, I agree... the FA engines suck and feels like a Tacoma 4cyl truck. Never been a fan of Subie boxer engines (changing spark plugs sounds like a pia). Would've been so much nicer with a simple i4.

 

My man. I'm glad to hear that someone else can appreciate the looks of the new Toyobarus. The BRZ is on my radar mainly because it has a front fascia that reminds me of the s2k. Looks like it's having a good time rather than overcompensating for a torque dip with angry face. The 86 looks a lot better too without the weird front bumper. I'm into the ND for similar reasons, but yeah, it's a little chunky up close despite being basically as light as an NA Miata. Still one of the best looking cars of this gen though.

 

I’m squawking and bought one at the car’s absolute lowest value.

S2000 is super tall and dorky in stock form too.

I must just be the only one who doesn’t think a stock S2000 is the peak of automotive engineering.

 

Wow wow wow. If repeat sales are the ultimate judge of the market, then "bubble" may indeed be the right word for what we're seeing. In June '19 this lovely '05 NFR with 6K miles sold on BaT for $31K; two years and a thousand miles later, it sold again for $47K -- a 53% increase.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2005-honda-s2000-83/

Stay tuned, though -- in just a couple hours, the hammer falls on this 237-mile '09 base model, a CVA car kept by Honda at its Illinois training facility until last fall:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2009-honda-s2000-9/

 

Well, the low mile garage sitters aren't exactly helping the speculative goober argument but I don't think that's all that's behind the rise in prices. People paying 40+K for a 00s Honda are probably speculators or garage queen style owners. I'm not going to hate... if I were rich, I'd probably have a minty CR in the corner of my garage too. It's an iconic car that has some meaning to me.

I do think that the speculative collector cars put upward pressure on prices to drag the rest of the market up but that's not the whole story either. Used cars are up 10% Year over year and there is not a direct market replacement for the S2k in badge or ethos. The ND2 is close and I think objectively better but there are subjective things the S2k does better. Beat up s2k's are going for 10k+ too and I don't think that's speculative middle aged goobers driving the demand. They are still great drivers cars and offer a pretty unique experience that is hard to replicate in that price range. They are also tremendously reliable to beat on, at stock power levels. Saying the 86's motor is objectively terrible compared to the S2k's is not really true but subjectively, the S2k kills it. The 86 does not feel inspiring but is better than it feels. In a lot of ways, the S2k feels inspiring beyond its true capability by modern standards. There is definitely something endearing about that and people are voting with their wallets. The drift tax has hit 240sx's super hard, not because of middle age speculative goobers, but because people like driving the cars in ways that lead to atrophy. They are also old enough and were cheap enough for a long time that many of them sat to rot away or were scrapped. People don't like that values rise but it's an organic demand from enthusiasts that enjoy driving the $h*! out of them. Those that enjoy them don't want to get rid of them because they like using them and have set them up in a way that suits their needs. Is that organic demand bad just because it drives up prices? If someone is not going to be drifting their car for the foreseeable future, should they be obligated to give it up to another enthusiast for 5k to be used? If that number is not worth it for them to offload it, is it wrong of them to hold ont until someone cuts a check for $10k?

I think there is definitely an element of hype but it is not completely unwarranted. I need to drive more things in anger to really have a strong opinion on them relative to the S2k. I've test driven 86's on the street and a few runs in autocross. I'm glad they have been made but I do think the S2k is just a better fun car. It feels better subjectively and is more reliable to beat on. As 86 values go down and S2k values of cars and parts go up, the replacement cost starts to change the value proposition of owning each as a fun car. I love my S2k and don't want to get rid of it but have considered. The only thing, within reason, that I really want is a RX-8 with a Chevy LFX drivetrain in it. RX-8 Chassis are supposedly great, low replacement value, no roll bar necessary, back seats paired with a V6 that is available in every mass market Chevy fleet car, and a V8 rear end seems like an awesome combo. I don't want to get rid of my S2k because it is a special car and I know I won't buy another if the market continues its trend. It's a truly great and iconic platform and I'm not always sure the grass is greener. If my S2k had depreciated to $5k, I wouldn't consider getting rid of it because it wouldn't be worth it. Because it's worth significantly more than that, I question whether it's worth keeping. Guess that's not a bad problem to have.

 

Maybe if I wait long enough, I may be able to recoup my $6.5k dealer markup. Woohoo.

 

If you search 'S2000' on BaT is shows a graph, it's not as detailed as the one posted by twohoos though.

https://bringatrailer.com/honda/s2000/?q=s2000