2000 Honda S2000 Convertible - Lifestyles Of The JDM & Famous

Since Honda intended the S2000 to be more of a corner carver than a drag racer, Magelssen knew there wasn't much point in trying to make his car a 1,500hp straight line monster. It can be done, but with too many compromises and at too high of a cost. Focusing instead on the street and the car shows of life, Magelssen attacked the Honda with a blitz of braking and handling upgrades, all JDM of course. Cusco lower member and reinforcement bars can be found criss-crossing the underbody of the Honda every time the convertible catches air, which is usually on a lift, smart guy. Lurking behind 17x7 front and 17x8 rear Work Emotion CR wheels, the Spoon Sports mono-block brake calipers frame beautiful Project Mu brake rotors. Clamping down on Spoon Sports brake pads, the 215/40R17 Falken Azenis tires provide plenty of windshield piercing stopping power.

If you ever see my car, you'll realize I'm in no position to talk, but Magelssen's interior modifications seem stock-ish in comparision to his extensive exterior treatment. On the inside, Bride Ergo I racing seats combine with the requisite Takata harnesses to provide the authentic JDM driving experience. Missing any form of a mega-bling fiberglass and mirror infused stereo enclosure, Magelssen keeps the inside of his S2000 sporty and clean, with a Nardi Sports Type B steering wheel attached to a Splash hub kit. That's it, nothing less, nothing more. Just the essentials packed away in a useable, clean package.

Contrary to the subdued styling of the interior equipment, the exterior of Magelssen's S2000 screams "look at me!" A mixture of the factory red shade and generous amounts of carbon-fiber, this Honda has more than enough body styling to garner triple-takes at car shows. From the carbon-fiber trunk and lower J's Racing carbon-fiber diffuser, we move forward to the Seibon hard top. Although the J's Racing diffuser piece is already desirable enough for S2000 owner's to sell off babies and wives, Magelssen wasn't done. From the moment he saw coverage of the 2004 Tokyo Auto Salon, Magelssen knew he had to have body pieces from a company known as Varis.

A well-established JDM aerodynamics manufacturer, Varis produces all of its parts in-house in Tokyo, Japan, and has proven itself in the JGTC, time attack, and Super Taikyu ranks. The front bumper is by Varis, and although a carbon-fiber lower lip is installed, the fiberglass bumper remains one of the few non-carbon Varis pieces that Magelssen purchased. The side diffusers, canards, GT fenders, and side air panels are all by Varis, molded out of the ever-popular carbon-fiber material. The front GT fenders are made 15mm wider than stock, allowing extra wide wheels and rubber to fit into the wheel wells, which is always a good thing.

So I know what you're thinking, Varis body parts and JDM goodies aren't cheap. Yes, a $1950 asking price for front carbon fenders isn't exactly a drop in the bucket, but the worth of a product is all up to the buyer. How much do you really want something? If you work really hard and keep your mind straight, you can have anything you want, regardless of if you're a rich bastard or not. It may take some justification to start spending money, but then again, you'd have yourself one hot carbon-fiber S2000 convertible. Isn't that what life is all about?