Throwback: Turbo S2000 is an Eccentric Creation

Unique Ride

Some will say that if you've seen one S2000, you've seen them all. But those of us in the know certainly have the ammunition to dispute that silly theory. Now, even two decades after Honda's roadster debuted, we're still seeing some truly unique things. Like this amazing Laguna Seca Blue AP2 that was recently featured over at Super Street. 

Hard to Explain

This car's owner, Winnipeg, Canada resident David Tran, has been around the tuner scene since 2004 when he purchased his first Honda, an EM1 Civic coupe. After a short stint in an Infiniti G35 and a spin in his friend's S2000, however, he quickly realized that this was the platform for him. "Sure, it didn't have a ton of power," Trans told Super Street. "But it's a car that has just the essentials and the feedback between you and the road is something hard to explain unless you've driven one. It's one of Honda's last 'pure' cars in my opinion before technology took over."

Test of Time

Shortly thereafter, Tran picked up his 2005 AP2. His vision for the car was to take the authentic route, and that meant plunking down cash on expensive stuff like a Mugen SS front bumper and MF10 wheels. "If I can't afford to do it, I'll wait until I can," Tran said. "It's combining selective parts that work together to create a more aggressive OEM+ theme. I want to look back ten years from now and say I wouldn't change a thing, and for it to last the test of time like other Honda builds."

Selective Approach

That selective approach continues under the hood, where you'll find a Garrett GTX3076R turbo and a front-mount intercooler and downpipe from Full-Race. There is a slew of additional, notable parts here, including ARC Labs dump tubes, a Turbosmart blow-off valve, TiAL wastegates, ID injectors, and an AEM fuel pump. On the dyno running a 94 octane blend, the setup made 436 hp and 316 lb-ft of torque at 15psi. On E85, Tran believes the setup is easily capable of cresting the 500 hp mark.

Hood Story

Lest you doubt the care and thought that went into this build, look no further than the car's Shift Sports hood. "Luckily no company makes a replica of it and only a handful of S2000 guys have it in North America," Tran said. "It added the much-needed aggression without compromising the OEM lines of the car. It did take over six months of waiting for this thing to show up, and when it finally did, and I unboxed it, my jaw dropped and felt sick to my stomach as the hood was destroyed. There was a big corner missing, stress marks everywhere. It looked like it was folded in half during shipping. Literally pieces of it floating around in the box." Luckily, a local body shop was able to piece the hood back together and save the day.

Tie Breaker

J's Racing carbon side skirts and a JDP carbon rear diffuser and a Mugen rear wing and side mirrors complete the exterior. Tran struggled a bit choosing an exterior color for his masterpiece, going back and forth between three or four colors. "Ultimately, the person who chose the color was my daughter. She loved the blue spray card so much she cried when I asked if I could have it back. She even wanted to hold the card and sleep with it that night and would not release it from her little Kung fu death grip."

Less Is More

So is it safe to say that Tran is finished with his ride, or can we expect to see changes in the future?  "Sometimes too much of something in excess is a bad thing," he admits. "Less can be more if executed well. A wire tuck and deleting parts in the bay would be cool, but in the end, I don't want to go overboard. I feel like I've done everything I've ever dreamed about the day I purchased my S2000 which will be going on six years this May! I do have a few more things on the way to install on this car to cross off my bucket list, but it's been a blast piecing everything together and scouring the Internet for some of the harder-to-get parts."

Photos: Super Street

>>Join the conversation about this turbo AP2 right here on S2Ki.com.