It came as no surprise that when Honda announced plans to release its S2000 roadster in the United States, the industry began to buzz. What was once just the dream of so many enthusiasts was about to become a reality--and why not? The thought of a 2.0-liter version of the VTEC powerplant up front with 240 wild ponies kicking up dust from the ass end in a two-door convertible was simply the icing on the cake, especially considering Honda VTEC power has been dominating on the dyno. The horsepower and traction potential from Honda's newborn is filely revolutionary in import performance and has sparked a new wave of aftermarket interest.
SpeedOptions.com in Walnut, Calif. is one of the first to delve deep into the S2000's inner workings and explore what lies beneath. Although the company's most recent project may appear to be something of a sleeper visually, SpeedOptions.com has wasted little time in outfitting the Honda with some hardcore power products. In factory shape, the 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC VTEC engine produces 240 hp and 153 lbs-ft of torque and revs for days with a crazy factory redline of 9000 rpm. The aluminum engine block features Honda's Fiber-Reinforced (FRM) cylinder walls and by Honda standards a gigantic 87mm bore. So it would seem the manufacturer definitely had horsepower in mind when concocting this awesome new powerplant, right?
As far as we were concerned, when you buy a Honda from the dealer you're buying it half-finished. Shit, the factory basically just gets things started for ya; the main reason they fire up at the dealership is so you can drive it straight to your nearest tuner shop. They are built-to-be-built if you will. Speedoptions.com obviously shares our opinion on the matter since it took its brand-spanking new $40,000 Honda roadster to AEBS in San Diego for some buffer engine internals.
With forced-induction at the heart of the game plan, the crew at AEBS stripped-down the 2-liter to assess the reconstruction mode. The factory cylinder sleeves were swapped out in favor of AEBS ductile iron versions, a common trade when a serious amount of boost is anticipated. Out of the box, the S2000 engine features 11.0:1 compression pistons which could complicate matters in a boosted application due to its higher compression ratio. To solve this, AEBS opted to replace the factory slugs with a custom set of Ross performance pistons sporting a lower 9.5:1 ratio. The stock-issue connecting rods remain in place and with a valvetrain already prepped for 9000 rpm, the cylinder head's virginity is still intact.
If you're looking to extract some serious power from a four-cylinder ride and maintain a comfortable level of streetability, forced-induction is the best bet. If it's done right, you can easily double the factory horsepower figures and with the exception of a slight decrease in fuel economy and the need for a little more muscle in your clutch leg, you can expect to maintain the same drivability.
When SpeedOptions.com contemplated boosting the S2000, it sought the expertise of Fastrax Turbochargers and Kiwi Fabrication. Fastrax has long been servicing the import industry with everything from street applications to some of the country's top race-only imports. Time and time again we come across vehicles flossin' some clean, custom Kiwi Fabrication creations and the company lived up to our expectations yet again. Holding the Fastrax T4 turbine in place is a trick-looking, equal-length, tubular exhaust manifold. Kiwi also fabricated the 2 1/2-inch i/c piping around the huge, front-mount HKS intercooler and the 3-inch downpipe. Regulating the boost level is a Tial wastegate, paired up with one of the company's blow-off valves to relieve back-peddling boost in between shifts.
The S2000's independent in-wheel double wishbone suspension does a good job when making use of the stock 240-hp. However, if you wanna get the most of cranking out the power, you need to crank up a vehicle's handling capabilities, too. To improve the performance, SpeedOptions inserted RS*R T2000 titanium lowering springs on all four corners for additional stability. To keep the Honda glued to the ground under boost, the factory rollers have been ousted in favor of Racing Hart M5s wrapped in 225/40-ZR18 Pirelli P7000 rubber up front and 255/35-ZR18 out back. The S2000 comes factory-equipped with a six-speed transmission and Torque-Sensing limited-slip differential to help get the power down.
So far, the SpeedOptions roadster has only made use of the minimum boost level, due to the factory fuel and ignition system. However, the next stage of the project is already in motion and the Honda is slated for an appointment at Westside Motorsports in West Los Angeles. Westside is the distribution and installation center of Federal Mogul's SpeedPro Engine Management system. The system allows for an engine to be tuned accurately for more boost by adjusting and controlling fuel and ignition parameters. With the SpeedPro in place, the Honda's power output is expected to reach upwards of 450 ponies.
Fortunately for us, and those of you who have contemplated fooling around with the only VTEC-powered, rear-drive out there, SpeedOptions.com has opened up several trapdoors to the S2000 aftermarket. Although this exciting prospect is still in its infancy in this country, it is surely only a matter of time before rear-drive Honda performance explodes. We'll keep you posted.