Daily Slideshow: The S2000 is Dead. Long Live the S2000!
It was recently announced by Honda that the S2000 is presumably discontinued for good. While this officially nails the coffin for those of us who were hoping for a mass-market return of our favorite roadster, all is not lost.
Honda has closed the case on the S2000.
It was recently announced by Honda that the S2000 is presumably discontinued permanently. As in, for good. As simply put as possible, the legendary S2k is "definitely never coming back," and the fact we're getting this from the mouth of one of Honda's senior execs is proof enough that we should be taking the sour news more seriously than we'd like.
Hayato Mori, Honda Canada's senior manager of product planning, was the one to give us the grim rundown on the state of things. According to the man himself, future prospects look dim for anything like the S2000 appearing again. As well-loved as it is, the car itself is a product of an auto industry from a different time.
While this officially nails the coffin for those of us who were hoping for a mass-market return of our favorite roadster, all is not lost. The fandom and mystique surrounding the S2000 are arguably stronger now than it's ever been. Even if Honda isn't willing to acknowledge the genius of their own creation, there's a legion of glowing owners who are more than happy to keep word of the roadster's legendary performance alive and well.
A life cut short...
It's not necessarily the S2K's fault itself that it was axed from the assembly lines. The economic crisis of 2008 remains an aching ghost for many of those who suffered through it. The auto industry was one of the worst-hit sectors; within that, the demand for sports cars was decimated. It makes sense performance car sales were burned the most. If someone is suddenly worried about foreclosure on their home, he becomes a lot less interested in living out those high-octane dreams.
The crisis was a major wake-up call for the S2000 and other cars of its ilk. A major automaker can't rely on niche consumers to keep a car alive, so it was that the last official model rolled off the line in 2009.
A cunning slap in the face of convention.
Calling the S2000 a "car of the past" shouldn't be taken as a slight against it. Considering the S2000's loving repute among mechanic fanatics, it should be obvious too that many of Honda's current engineers share in the love. It barely seemed feasible that a car like the S2k could have flourished when it did, let alone now. No one's going to debate the car's quality. Rather, it's the auto industry itself that got boring by contrast.
Honda's reasons for naysaying a return?
If you know much about the auto market over the past several years, you'll know that things have grown increasingly towards efficiency and economy-oriented vehicles. "Practical" is the guiding line for owners and designers alike. So, where does that leave the S2000?
Hayato Mori cites the confluence of several factors, from the increasingly rigid efficiency standards from governments to the domination of SUVs and other family-centered vehicles in the industry post-recession. One also can't go without mentioning the sheer impracticality of the S2000 itself. Even as two-seater sports cars go, there's virtually no room for anything but the sporting dreams the car was marketed with.
It's not like the S2000 ever disappeared.
Of course, it's not like the S2k's fans were going to go silent when the factories did. The S2000's streamlined frame and formidable stopping power have made it a hotbed for modders. These days, it doesn't take more than a few clicks to see what new forms the S2000 has taken.
Can anything be done to save it now?
Mori's points all boil down to a simple point: Honda does not perceive sufficient demand in the public to warrant bringing back a two-door sports car, much less something as divisive as the S2000. It's a sad thing to admit that they're probably right. People who love the S2000 will swear it's the best car they've ever driven. On the other hand, those superfans are still likely to account for one or two S2k purchases in their lives. That's not accounting for all of the people who are instantly turned off by its impractically sharp performance and Spartan amenities.
If there's any chance to bring the car back on official lines, it will require the reputation and fanbase to spike considerably, well enough to the point where Honda will feel safe in making a suitably deep investment. There's always the chance that could happen, but the best place to realistically hope for fresh S2000 material lies in the private modding market.
...or should the S2000 be left in the past?
Then again, nostalgia has a way of disappointing people when wishes come true.
Even if the S2000 nameplate was brought back, there's no telling what it will turn out like when the time comes. How many years or decades will have passed since the original concept? By that point, it will be a different car entirely. As long as we're talking officially, maybe it's for the best that Honda moves onto new things? After all, a piece of art is granted life by more than just its creator; if you needed any proof that the S2000 is still alive, just take a look around the forums.