Just wondering- I have heard several references to the s2k being "hand built" by Honda. Does anyone know if this is true, and if so, to what extent is it hand assembled?

 

Well, since it is built in the same factory as the NSX (in Tochigi, Japan I think) this would make sense. I have read that this is true as well. However, I do not know exactly what parts are hand assembled.

 

pretty much all of the parts are made by machines (machines stamp the steel into body panels, etc) but then the panels are taken by hand and placed on the car and hand welded onto the car. so its hand assembled but not hand built (if it was hand built you'd have men rolling the steel into the panels, etc).

 

Yeah, I figured that it meant hand assembled and not hand built.

Strange though, you would think Honda would advertise this fact in its sales literature! After all, I know Rolls Royces are hand assembled and they advertise it to show the crafsmanship that goes into building the car.

 

This is a common misunderstanding from folks not familiar with automotive assembly lines. Virtually every car out there requires human "assembly."

Just like the S2000, your base model Chevy Impala has humans putting the dash in, the seats, the door trim, trunk lid ... etc.

The nearly unique thing about the S2000 is that the cars ride along on 1 car jigs instead of a constant conveyer system.

 

..just like Ferraris