Power Pages: 2001 Honda S2000

Although the Honda S2000 is a car that most of us can only dream about, it is, in fact, a Honda very worthy to appear in a session of Power Pages. Damn, if we could do one for a supercar like the Nissan Skyline, then why not a super roadster that is actually on the U.S. market? The release of this high-tech Honda has shown enthusiasts that Honda engineers can produce high-performance supercars as well as compact economy cars. The S2000 is actually a resurrection of the original Honda roadster, the S200. Just like the old roadster dominated the track in the early '60s, the S2000 is deemed to do the same in the 21st Century.

The S2000 powerplant boasts 215 hp in normally aspirated trim, which is already considered an engineering marvel. Its 153 lb-ft of torque is plenty enough to propel the car down the 1320 or, even better, make it through the twisties in record time. Unlike the Honda sport compacts that rely on a counterclockwise-spun motor, the S2000 has an inline four that spins in the conventional clockwise direction, and it's able to turn in a 9500-rpm redline in its OEM state. So, just how much power can be extracted from the already-powerful inline four? We are about to find out.

Performance Components
For now, we decided to stick with a two-piece power adder provided by Comptech. Comptech's engineering skills can be seen in the NSX performance components that have won them numerous awards on the track. The company allowed us to put their drop-in air filter and exhaust system to the test, and once their competition race header is complete we will test that unit as well, along with a few other components.

The Comptech drop-in filter replaces the restrictive factory paper element and allows the 2.0-liter engine to ingest heavy doses of air. The conical foam replacement is reusable and fits in the factory airbox, making installation a walk in the park.

The stainless exhaust system is also the handywork of Comptech's engineering department. The cat-back exhaust starts out with a 2.5-inch Y-pipe with resonator, which then branches out to two 2.25-inch stainless muffler pipes. The tips measure 2.5 inches across and are also constructed from stainless steel, ensuring the entire system is rust-free.

Dyno
Baseline testing was 42 hp short of the factory flywheel rating, as the S2000 spun the Dynojet roller to 198.9 ponies and 133.4 lb-ft of torque. A significant jump in power was realized at the crossover point in VTEC, telling us there is plenty of power that can be found in the secondary cam lobes. Since the S2000 was 1.1 hp short of breaking the 200-hp mark, we know that our two-component Power Page test is capable of exceeding 200 ponies.

At first glance, one would think the Comptech filter is an open-element design, but in fact the foam element is a direct replacement for the factory filter. This allows a much easier installation. Horsepower gains were realized across the board, with most of the power gained in the 6000-to-redline range, where we gained 1 to 2 ponies. The filter gave our S2000 201.6 ponies and 134.4 lb-ft of torque.

Our last installation is another Comptech product that was an easy bolt-on. The three-piece exhaust system gives the S2000 a low, rumbling tone as well as a peak horsepower rating of 203.2 and 136.8 lb-ft of torque. With baseline figures at the 198.9-hp mark, a simple two-piece bolt-on setup was able to exceed the 200 mark, laying down a total of 203.2 hp.

Just for kicks, we decided to see what kind of power the Honda would make if we removed the cover for the filter, exposing the Comptech foam filter. By opening up the orifice more than what the factory airbox can provide, we figured we'd be able to increase the engine's air intake. With the exhaust and the filter opened up, the engine produced 205.9 hp and 137.9 lb-ft of torque.

Conclusion
This high-horsepower roadster has proven to live up to the S-series Honda roadster credibility. As for our already-powerful S2000, we were able to pump out 5 additional horses over stock and still keep it 50-state legal. As more parts become available we will be able to test just how much power can be extracted from this engine.