Honda S2000

Racetrack Ready

A new limited edition of the Honda S2000, called the S2000 CR, features styling and suspension tweaks aimed at better performance on the racetrack.

by Shane Kite, ForbesAutos.com

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For 2008, Honda will sell a special limited edition of the S2000 roadster, called the S2000 CR, for "club racer," that is aimed at hardcore enthusiasts who drive their cars on race tracks.

Honda expects to build less than 2,000 of the new variant. It is powered by the same 237-hp 2.2-liter, 16-valve VTEC four-cylinder engine in the standard S2000. The two-seater S2000 CR will come with a removable hardtop: Designers pulled out the folding soft-top of the regular model to reduce weight and free up space for added structural bracing aimed at significantly increasing the car’s stiffness. The extra rigidity gives the S2000 CR “a better feel and performance on the track,” said Honda’s Gary Robinson, the car's product planner.

New front and rear spoilers were specially designed to aerodynamically reduce lift at moderate and high speeds. The car is 90 pounds lighter than the current S2000 with the top off, but achieves optimal aerodynamics when the hard cover is attached.

The suspension is "significantly stiffer" than that of the standard S2000 and includes thicker anti-roll bars. The steering ratio is also quicker. All of this adds up to sharper handling, which is hard to fathom given how taut and precise the base Honda S2000 already is.

The S2000 CR's six-speed manual transmission has shorter throws, and the base model’s standard leather seats have been swapped out for ones covered in cloth and a suede-like material used in race cars called Alcantara. The new upholstery is designed to keep drivers more firmly planted in the seats when motoring enthusiastically. The Honda S2000 CR is set to go on sale fall 2007.