Back in 2005 I had the opportunity to attend a brainstorming session with representatives of corporate Honda, other S2000 owners, and teachers at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. Honda was struggling to put together a game plan on what the future S2000 could or should be. They knew had given birth to a great car but were really at a loss what to do next. Everything and anything was tossed out and kicked around including ideas that still are tossed around like mid-engine, electric, hardtop, automatic, etc. Sadly as we all know they lacked the vision of Soichiro Honda and never took the steps needed to ensure its long range on-going sales success. Clearly this was tough period for Honda as they discovered they were no longer infallible, no longer building “cool” cars, Civic sales slumped, new products were un-Honda like, and they were becoming just another car company instead of the one that bristled with creativity. Honda’s new CEO didn’t seem capable of getting their “mojo” back. A couple years later it was still clear they didn’t know if they wanted to have hybrids, diesels, V-10’s or what, and even their F1 program was a disaster. So its no surprise the S2000 baby was allowed to die. Still over 100,000 survived before they killed it. Not bad for such a speciality car. When and if it does come back it will never be the same baby no matter what form it takes.

 

Auto was available on the Z3, SLK & Boxster in '99 and they were priced very similarly to the S2000 and all of them had less power.

If Honda releases a successor around the $50-60k price point it would essentially be 1999/2000 all over again, the Honda would offer the better 'performance' bargain over the Z4, SLK, Boxster etc. as it did before.


$32k in 1999 is the equivalent to $45k in today's dollars.

 

Auto was available on the Z3, SLK & Boxster in '99 and they were priced very similarly to the S2000 and all of them had less power.

If Honda releases a successor around the $50-60k price point it would essentially be 1999/2000 all over again, the Honda would offer the better 'performance' bargain over the Z4, SLK, Boxster etc. as it did before.


$32k in 1999 is the equivalent to $45k in today's dollars.
[/quote]



None of the cars you list were priced "similarly" to the S2000 in 1999.

The projected price of this new car is $60K, not $50K.

Overall inflation is NOT the basis to calculate the increase of car prices, which increase much slower than the rate of inflation.

$45K is not $60K.

 

Auto was available on the Z3, SLK & Boxster in '99 and they were priced very similarly to the S2000 and all of them had less power.

If Honda releases a successor around the $50-60k price point it would essentially be 1999/2000 all over again, the Honda would offer the better 'performance' bargain over the Z4, SLK, Boxster etc. as it did before.


$32k in 1999 is the equivalent to $45k in today's dollars.
[/quote]



None of the cars you list were priced "similarly" to the S2000 in 1999.

The projected price of this new car is $60K, not $50K.

Overall inflation is NOT the basis to calculate the increase of car prices, which increase much slower than the rate of inflation.

$45K is not $60K.
[/quote]


The Z3 most certainly was at $29,950 (base price).

My point is all the other cars had less power and cost more than the S2000, the S2000 was the better buy. Prices have risen on all the other cars in the same segment (2 seat coupe/roadster). The Boxster has a base price of $50k now where it was $41k in 99.

The price on the possible S2000 successor is pure speculation at this point, but my point remains valid, if Honda build a 350hp sports car and price it between $50-60k it would still be a better deal than its German competitors.

You seem to think I'm okay with it being $60k, I'm not, I'm saying if they price between $50-60k it would be fine.

 

seeing how honda will ruin this car by making it an expensive hybrid, with carbon fiber and aluminum parts, I can see this going around $50k+

I like the idea of a mid engine all wheel drive, but I'm willing to bet the looks will be ruined just like the new nsx and everything that made the s2000 special won't be present in this car. The s2000 was a simple, refined car. Technology and sophisticated parts will be present in the 2017 model.

I hope I'm wrong, but I feel as if this car will fall in the path of every other new high end car...

 

Evolution in cars is going to happen, like it or not. I think I'll like it. I don't think it'll be that expensive, IF it does come out. I just hope it's not ugly.

 

If it performs well there could be a market for this car. Look at the GTR, people that buy it don't say, it's only a Nissan, lol! Maybe they are trying to compete with the Lotus Evora or Porsche Cayman S/Boxster S (which would likely be significantly costlier optioned up), although I'd probably wouldn't buy it at that price.

 

If this becomes available, is it an always-on hardtop? A removable hardtop? A sectioned/retractable hardtop? In my view, if the top is always on, it's not an S2000 replacement, it's something else. NSX Junior?

If it's going to be $60K+, it better have something that sets it apart from the competition, perhaps simple, surprising performance that falls in with cars costing two or three times as much on TG's results board.

 

interesting timing, this popped up today...http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...engined-report

 

"A new report from Australia's Motoring claims Honda will re-imagine the S2000 as a mid-engined coupe. That means it will have little in common with the original car other than a performance pedigree and (perhaps) a price point."

When they write things like that I wonder if they have any clue what they are talking about.
Levi