I suspect Honda will introduce a convertible based on one other their other cars with the V6. I suspect the S2000 could turn into a 2.4 liter iVTEC with 280 hp and with a peak torque of about 185-190 lb/ft. However, the low end torque increase is going to be what makes the biggest difference...

However, this won't happen till the next gen NSX is out...

 

I'll take that bet.

 

Any current V6 that Honda has would not work in the S2000 as they are all engineered to be transverse mounted. There is no V6 engine or transmission for that matter that they could use.

An all new engine would have to be designed and that is unlikely given the limited production of the S2000. If they were going to go with a V engine it would have to be a narrow angle design like the Volkswagon V6. Perhaps they could use the narrow angle V5 that they used in the prototype SSM show car.

Of course Cthree and I would still win the bet because it is not a V6.

 

This reminds me of the R&T review of the S2000 when they begged Honda for more Torque, saying they'd "glady accept a 6800 RPM redline in exchange for more low-end".

Some people just don't get it.

 

I think the thing that everyone is forgetting is that the S2000 and Honda's heritage inracing for that matter all reside in top end low torque power. It was intentionally built this way for more than just the weight distribution and the price consoderation. It was built primarily as a track car that you have to finesse in and out of corners. The fact that the S2000 beats most unmodified street cars out there in a drag race is just a bonus for S2000 owners. Take your car to a track and you'll find those cars with the praciing horse and the hissing snake in your rear view mirror. Just my 2 canadian cents eh!

 

Well, more power is more power, and that's more or less true for all winning power plants. (The all-conquering McLaren-Honda's of Senna and Prost were also noted for driveability, IIRC) Engine formula based on displacement end up as RPM competitions. So this doesn't tell us much unless we accept forever an artificial limitation on displacement.

As we all know, HP can be converted to torque with gearing. The "problem" with the torque in the S2k is that to apply torque in first requires huge launch RPMs that are torture on the clutch, and not easily obtainable at 15mph coming around a hairpin. If it had 50% more torque, allowing a modest 4500 RPM launch, there would be nothing at for anyone to complain about. I wouldn't want to trade the top end to get it, but it would be nice to have more.

I don't think could happen in '03 or '04 though; more plausible as an '05 mid-life kicker, like the changes to the original NSX. A question in my mind is whether it would make sense as an option with both available, or just retire the 2 litre completely. If it doesn't happen, I'd expect demise of the platform after '05. There will be other things creeping into the performance territory by then, and it will be time to raise the ante or quit while ahead.

-dB

 

Just to add my $.02, the engine on the original SSM concept car was a higher performance version of the DOHC 2.0L I-5 from the japanese market Honda Accord Vigor.
It featured full VTEC and if I recall correctly around 250 hp, about 50 more than the actual production engine on the Accord Vigor.
The I-5 found on the Acura Vigor in the states displaced 2.5 litres and had SOHC with no VTEC at all. It generated about 176 hp, and was built specifically for the torque oriented NA market.

 

I don't think that a V5 is so far fetched considering that VW is said to be coming out with W8 or is it a W10. It was in a recent addition of R&T.

 

In an earlier post in this theard I mentioned, Yutaka Otobe being directly responsible for the S2000 and the new RSX. In that article he also spoke about his racing days in engine developement. He was on the team that built a first 1.5L engine that broke the 1,000hp mark. At that time dynometers registered only 1,000hp, so they never knew just how powerful that engine was. He also worked on a V-6 Turbocharged 1.5L, a 3.5L V-10, and a 3.5L V-12. He mentioned that today's 3.0L V-10 runs at more than 15,000 RPM. It would appear Vs can run smooth at high RPM(someone said only an I4 could). It would seem to me that I-VTEC is in the near future for the S2000. And once the 4.0L V-8 NSX is released, it won't be long till a V-6 2.5L or 2.8L roadster will be released. NA of course! For Honda it's about competition, they set a milestone with 1st NSX and then with S2000. I think they will be looking for NEW milestone, just to remind the competition(Germany) just what they can do.

 

Just remember, the S2000 is a low production car, and there just aren't a lot of units to amortize R&D/tooling costs over. Honda is in business to make money, so as long as the S2000 is selling well I wouldn't count on any significant engine changes. I-VTEC wouldn't surprise me, but more cylinders would.