The end of the road for the Honda S2000

[fordgt84]

PRESS RELEASE 2009 Will Be Final Model Year of Production for Honda S2000 The 2009 Honda S2000 will be the final model year produced of the award-winning roadster, Honda announced today. First introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year, the S2000 helped define its segment with class-leading handling, engine technology and value. Originally envisioned as a limited-edition tribute to Honda's 50th anniversary, S2000 production was extended in response to customer demand and critical acclaim. "The S2000 is a sports car designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "It raised the bar for all future roadsters, and it's already considered a classic by many Honda fans." As a true sports car that can serve as a practical and fun daily driver yet feel equally at home on a racetrack, this concept further evolved with a club racer-inspired S2000 CR trim, first offered in the 2008 model year. The S2000 has been honored with multiple awards through the years, including four appearances on Car and Driver Magazine's coveted "10-Best" list. The S2000 is sold in 64 countries around the world with cumulative world-wide sales of over 110,000 since its introduction in 1999. Over 65,000 S2000s have been sold in the United States since 1999.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/o...at-the-end-of/

i'll miss it

[RC45]

Sadly, I think we will see more non-econo-family-box-cars get axed.

[Strop]

We all knew that this would happen...sadly....

Another great car has gone....i will miss it too.

[Daggernite]

One of my favourite cars ever. It had a good life, although the real bad news is that development of the successor has been ceased I heard. Also the NSX has ben canned. So what drivers cars are in the pipe line?

We have the hottish civic type-R here in europe. The Japanese have the real Hot Type-R's. Im not sure what they are doing for America? Come on Honda.

[gigdy]

This took too long! They should have stopped or made a successor years ago. It was only supposed to be made for 1 yr. People that paid 5k over msrp and stuck it in a garage got really screwed.

[Daggernite]

Originally Posted by gigdy This took too long! They should have stopped or made a successor years ago. It was only supposed to be made for 1 yr. People that paid 5k over msrp and stuck it in a garage got really screwed.

I did'nt know that. Thats a kick in the balls. Here in UK they have just released a special edition S2000 in grand prix white. Looks good. No power increase. Just some extra's that are nice to have, but no one really needs.

[fordgt84]

Honda will not replace the S2000, and instead plans to build more hybrids and small city cars

from http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/237347/

... honda are becoming like toyota, nothin exciting in their model range...this is a really sad time for car enthusiasts

[10000rpmlover]

not only that, but essentially, nice cars are dead for good in the US, thanx to this idiotic order to allow California and other states to set their own standards... that means, good bye gorgeous V8, goodbye beautiful v10, goodbye rotary.... forever... that makes me so sad

[enzoferrari]

World economy,That sucks i like the S2K.

[HeilSvenska]

Originally Posted by 10000rpmlover not only that, but essentially, nice cars are dead for good in the US, thanx to this idiotic order to allow California and other states to set their own standards...

Well. With CAFE on the horizon, it was going to happen anyway. But it is sad nonetheless. The discussion regarding the sudden crazyass proposal for state-by-state emission standard is a whole other issue by itself.

[79TA]

This is really sad. The S2000 didn't even have a bad image as far as the eco-gas sipping concerns go, but it had just been around in the same form for too long and Honda never gave it a big refresh or new generation. So now what's Honda's top performer? A SH-AWD Acura? Mugen Civic?

[10000rpmlover]

Originally Posted by 79TA This is really sad. The S2000 didn't even have a bad image as far as the eco-gas sipping concerns go, but it had just been around in the same form for too long and Honda never gave it a big refresh or new generation. So now what's Honda's top performer? A SH-AWD Acura? Mugen Civic?

I think they are going away from anything resembling a "performance" vehicle or "sporty" from what I gather the executive shake up at Honda has sent the company in a completely new direction where they only put out cars that will sell, much like the philosophy of 1990's GM... and we all know where that put GM...

[Alelanza]

Originally Posted by 10000rpmlover from what I gather the executive shake up at Honda has sent the company in a completely new direction

What's this executive shakeup you speak of? i think i missed that one, but it would explain many things then....

[10000rpmlover]

Originally Posted by Alelanza What's this executive shakeup you speak of? i think i missed that one, but it would explain many things then....

the board at Honda no longer finds it viable to have a performance division, something about the numbers sold and cost of it, honda has stopped their F1 division, a couple of cars in the pipeline were cancelled last year (which some of us as competitors would have liked to see) it is great to have a big company up the ante so that the rest of us can join in and better them, gives us reason to do things, furthermore Honda's commitment to the hydrogen fuel cell has utterly put them in almost financial chaos, did you know that Honda runs electrolysis plants in japan? those are not cheap, also it costs millions upon millions to research and develop the engines and systems they are campaigning

another thing and this may be a shocker, but there is no one younger than 60 in the top brass, in their culture, a fresh young attitude led honda to money troubles, in a sense they will become the next Toyota, one more company without a soul

[Alelanza]

Gotcha, i thought there had been a big change in the upper levels, as in new people barging in and bringing this about. As far as the top brass, i've always been under the impression that's the case with most japanese companies, ie a vicepresident that started out as a janitor 153 years ago
Locally Honda has always been totally indifferent towards motor racing, whereas Toyota, with Ford and Nissan to a lesser extent, have been the major developers of 4 wheel motorsports. Oh and Hyundai, PSA, Nissan/Renault for rallying.