February 26, 2009
Tires
2 Comments
I finally got new rear tires for my S. I had been running the RE-050’s at the warning marker for a while and while it was definitely fun to drive them with that little tread, I figured the danger outweighed the excitement so I replaced them. After browsing different forums and talking to other s2000 enthusiasts, I went with the Hankook Ventus R-S2 Z212 tires in 245/17/45 for the rear. The front tires still had plenty of tread on them so I only swapped the backs. I guess it depends on your driving style, but it seems I can get at least two rear tire swaps for every one set of front tires.
The RS-2’s have a pretty funky tread pattern, but I really like their profile view on the S. Tire’s have a break-in period of a couple hundred miles, so I haven’t pushed them yet, but they don’t slide around like my bald RE-050’s used to. It would make sense that a more bald tire would be closer to a racing slick since there is increased contact patch, but on regular street tires, different layers of rubber have different densities, and the layer I was on was really hard, so while I had a great contact patch, it didn’t have any of the “stickiness” that a new tire has, so particularly when they were cold, they’d slip through almost any turn. Since the tread was so slow, they were also very responsive… but yeh, for safety’s sake, I had to change ‘em.
After only about 50 miles or so, I’m liking the RS-2’s, like I mentioned, I like the aggressive profile of the tire, and the ride isn’t any harsher or noisier. The tires were also markedly less expensive than the RE-050’s. Both rear tires installed came out to a little under $300. I’ll do a full writeup after I break in the tires and get a few more miles on them.

January 14, 2009
2009, Insurance
2 Comments
Rumors abounded that for the 10th model year and as a celebration of the company’s 60th anniversary, Honda would re-conceptualize its two-speed convertible, the S2000. Concept drawings appeared on the Internet and hopes ran high, but alas, Edmunds confirms the truth. “There are no significant changes to the 2009 Honda S2000.” But is that necessarily a reason to dismiss an affordable sports car that knocks off zero to sixty in under six seconds?
Look at the sleek aerodynamics of the 2009. Take in the chiseled nose and the high x-bone monocoque frame. Are they dated or pleasingly familiar? The individual consumer will have to decide, but everything that has ever communicated speed and power in the S2000 is still there. Under the hood there’s the usual 2.2 liter, 16-valve VTEC engine and it still producing a more than pleasing 237 hp in a RWD vehicle that starts at a base price of roughly $34,300 (six-speed manual transmission.) Step up one trim level to the CR and pay $36,300; add AC and Audio and the sticker reads $37,300. Those numbers alone are more than enough to make a would-be sports car owner think twice about the S2000.
The CR or “club racer” trim features a removable hard top, track-ready sport suspension, and additional body cladding. Safety features available include an anti-skid system, traction control, and ABC. In safety crash tests the S2000 earned perfect five-star scores for side-impact and rollover crashes. (For front impact crashes, testers awarded four stars.) However, don’t expect these results to help any when looking for the cheapest car policies. Consumer Guide does point out a lack of over-the-shoulder visibility with the top up and there is no switch to turn off the passenger side front airbag, making the car potentially unsafe for children. But this is still a sports car that can do commuter duty Monday through Friday and live the high life on the weekend. Expect fuel economy of approximately 18 city, 25 highway. (Estimates vary.)
First introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year, the S2000 has consistently won accolades from reviewers for excellence of handling, weight balance, and impressive performance under the hood. Forbes described the 2008 Honda S2000 as “an exhilarating concoction of race-bred technology and sleek styling.” AutoWeek said, “This S2000 need not worry about its soul getting exorcised. Indeed, there is much left as it heads into its ninth model year, and it is unlocked in the new CR (Club Racer) edition.” Is it disappointing that the company didn’t offer anything new for the S2000’s decade year? Absolutely. Does that mean the S2000 itself is disappointing? Absolutely not.
January 6, 2009
Driving
2 Comments
My last car was an Acura Integra and I drove that thing everywhere. I live in the Los Angeles area, and I drove it to San Francisco a few times, San Diego multiple times and Las Vegas more times than I can count. The car was very reliable and got great gas mileage and I put almost 20,000 miles a year on it.
With the Integra gone and my s2000 my daily driver, I’m still only putting about 10,000 miles on it a year. San Diego is about the furthest I’ve driven it, and road trips usually are done in the wife’s Accord now. Since it’s only a two-seater, if there’s more than 3 people going somewhere we usually take someone else’s car. If we’re ever going somewhere where I know there’s going to be terrible parking or if we’re going to a shady area I also would rather not have my S with me. Of course I enjoy the S more than any car I’ve ever owned, but yeh, I do a lot less driving with it.
How many miles do you put on your S a year?