2000 Honda S2000

Honda wasn’t the first to the party with a small, nimble, and good-looking sports roadster. In fact, the S2000 arrived 10 years after Mazda’s MX5. With a variable valve timing, the DOHC 16-valve inline four was mounted up front and drove the rear wheels. With 100 more horsepower more than the 2000 Mazda Miata — for a total of 237 hp at 8,300 RPM — the S2000 moved quickly thanks to a power-to-weight ratio of 11.85 pounds per horsepower, which played a big part in propelling the Honda from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds.

Suspension was by independent double wishbones and coil springs front and rear, while the steering was by electrically assisted rack-and-pinion steering. The handling response was further aided by perfect weight distribution thanks to an engine mounted behind the front axle.

Still following the long nose, short rear deck school of styling, the Honda’s shape is less-rounded than many of the smaller sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s, like Austin-Healey, MGA, and Lotus Elan and the sharper edges so popular. The shape is certainly more aggressive than many traditional sports cars, which is appropriate considering the sharper edge of the S2000’s performance.

The S2000 is very desirable car: it is very fast, it comes with Honda’s legendary reliability, and although not exactly rare with 110,583 built, there aren’t so many that you’ll see them all over the place. For someone who enjoys high-revving engines, the combination of a power peak at 8,300rpm and a slick manual gearbox make the driving experience unique in a car that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.