Checkered fate: Honda S2000, Cadillac XLR go buh-bye - Los Angeles Times
28.01.09
In “Big Yellow Taxi,” Joni Mitchell wrote: “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Socrates said the same thing but was a miserable singer. In any event, the days of wistful remembrance are here for the Cadillac XLR and Honda S2000 -– and you can bet other pricey niche products are slouching toward the gallows too (Lexus SC430 mebbe?). General Motors revealed this week that it would lay off 154 workers at the Bowling Green, Ky., factory where the XLR is produced alongside its chassis-mate, the Chevrolet Corvette. The XLR was always an unlikely story. Born of Cadillac’s Art and Science design vocabulary as first iterated on the Evoq concept car (1999), the XLR was a super halo for the brand, and its strange and ambitious shape looked like absolutely nothing else on the road -– “a malevolent crystal grown in zero gravity,” is how I described the car in 2003. Under the provocative sheetmetal was a Corvette chassis, with transverse leaf spring rear suspension and a de-tuned Corvette motor. It was also GM’s technology spear point: The XLR was the first car in the world to use the Delphi’s magnetorrheic suspension, which varies shock rates in real time. In terms of sales you could credit the Escalade or the CTS with Cadillac’s resurrection, but the brand’s styling always gravitated toward the XLR.
Source: Los Angeles Times, CA
Honda S2000?
Mar 07, 2007 by munkler_1988 | Posted in Honda
I am thinking about getting a Honda S2000 probably around year 2000-2003 because that'll be the most I can afford. What are some strong points and some weak points about it. Like maintenance or handling, or power, or gas, or anything like that.
Yeah the space is fine because I took out my backseats in my civic and built a plexiglass speaker wall so I can only hold two people now anyway. my civic has a b18c1 w/ header, exhaust, intake manifold, cai, and stage 2 clutch. How do you think it would do against an s2k? I want something with around the same amount of power or more so that's why. If you don't have a clue don't worry about it but thanks so far.
PRO:
-Nice looking car
-Not that many people have it
-puts out wonderful performance for a an NA 4-banger
-wonder suspension out the door
-Girls dig it (Only if u don't put the top down when they have their hair all done and nice....trust me...haha)
-PERSONALLY, I like how all the climate controls are placed around the steering wheel, very easy to navigate around while you're driving.
-This car gives you options, hard top or soft top depending on season.
-shifting is very precise compard to most cars.
-Can't beat the sound of hitting VTEC
Con:
-To be honest, its a little pricey for a convertible...I mean it still is a $34K car...not cheap.
-It's a nervous ride when it rains really hard and you don't have the proper tires on...my advice...be super careful and just be wary about weather changes, the stock tires that come with your brand new S2k don't have the capacity to handle super duper hard rain. Lots of ppl have lost their S2k"s for this reason.
-It sucks when some of my friends need a ride home, but I can only take one passenger...so I have to take multiple trips at times...not a big deal if you don't have this problem, but i have lots of friends with no cars...poor college students...haha.
-thieves want to steal your seats....and than key your car after they steal it cause its such a nice car...not kewl.
chqusmc | Mar 07, 2007
Science News
Can a Honda S2000 with proper snow tires survive Canada's winter?
Apr 17, 2008 by S2000FaN | Posted in Honda
I'm planning to buy a Honda S2000, but i live in Markham, Ontario, im really concerned if i can drive it in the winter cause i live alone so i wont buy another for winter.
It definitely isn't the ideal winter transportation but some nice fat snow tires....some sand bags or other heavy items in the trunk.... and as said...keeping the rpms low should go a long way to helping you drive on paved snowy roads. On unpaved roads though..with more than 3 inches or so of snow.....your going to have a clearance problem as those cars sit very low to the ground. If you can afford an S2000, you should probably go ahead and buy yourself a nice cheap winter beater for the snowfalls.
joes455302 | Apr 17, 2008
How many miles will a Honda S2000 run before it starts to have problems?
Apr 25, 2007 by frosty-pookie-eddy-eddy | Posted in Honda
I'm looking to buy a S2000. Now, I'm well aware of Honda's legendary reliability. The DOHC VTEC's will damn close to never break down.
Still, I wanted to find out the S2000's reliability as oppsed to the VTEC's, especially when the S2K's engine tends to rev a bit higher . I've seen them go for sale with 100K+ miles, so I'm assuming they do get there.
But how many miles does a S2000 run before encountering a major engine or component problem? How reliable are they? And is it a good choice for a used car?
Thanks guys! And let me know if anybody is looking to sell their S2K!
If you're single or have a secondary car, the S2000 is probably the best bang for the buck for a 2 door convertible sports car. I am a big domestic fan but I'm not ignorant; wanted a Trans Am WS6 for the longest time but the S2000 won me over. Honda put alot of quality into making this car. It may rev to 9000rm(2000-2002) but it was built to rev that high. The type R Integra has a similar redline and is still very reliable. If you'll notice, the S2K seems to hold it's value pretty well which seems to tell you they aren't junk. A car with 50k doesn't necessarily mean it was abused. It's actually most likely quite the contrary. Someone who had the money to spend that much on the car when it was new probably just used it as a weekend car and garaged it in bad weather being that it's a rear drive convertible that isn't so good to drive in bad weather. Let's face it, it's just a toy, no more than that. There is no practical reason to own one. You can't even put a decent amount of luggage in the trunk. But for a toy, it's a very well built toy that is relatively simple as far as layout. The best way to tell if it was hot rodded and abused is not so much the mileage, but whether or not it was modified. If it's pretty much bone stock with 50k on it, chances are, it was just driven and babied on a rainy day. After 100k, things will be more prone to wear out on it that you will have to replace regardless of how hard it's driven. I would look for a used 2000-2002 S2k with 40-60k on it. It's already depreciated in value and will bring you just as much joy as buying a newer one as not too much as changed as say an 03' and up. They are a reliable car and the engine and transmission is pretty solid on them, even when driven somewhat hard. You will get plenty of years of reliable, fun transportation without the maintenance woes of a porsche boxster or BMW Z3. I'd say go for it and shop carefully until you find the right price on one. They're out there and are fairly common to pick up. Most people sell them not because they have problems, but because they have a family, or they need something more practical for daily use.
Bigdaddybuttsecks | Apr 25, 2007
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Honda S2000 resources
2009 Honda S2000 - the Official Honda Web Site
See reviews, features and specs of the 2009 Honda S2000 roadster at the official Honda Web site. View pictures and learn about this exhilarating sports car from Honda.
Honda S2000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Honda S2000 is a roadster manufactured by the Japanese automaker ... Custom Honda S2000 from the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious at the Petersen Automotive Museum. ...
Honda Cars
Honda vehicles site featuring new model photos and specs, safety information, current offers, and a dealer locator.
Honda S2000 Roadster - Edmunds.com
Overview of the Honda S2000 roadster, including model history, specs and buying advice. ... The Honda S2000 is a two-seat roadster that features a high ...
S2KI - Honda S2000 Community
Online Honda S2000 community. ... Posted in: Honda News, Model Information, S2000 Talk. Tagged: crz · Honda News · NSX · s2000 · the end · v8 engine ...
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