Low Miles and Hardtop Included: 2002 Honda S2000





























When it comes to sports cars, I usually go fro Corvettes, Vipers, or even the new Ford GT; in other words, my sports cars are from 'Murica. However, one sports car I have a soft spot for is the Honda S2000, either stock or tastefully modified. The S2000 is a car that many Honda enthusiasts want Honda to bring back into production, but until that happens, the best way to enjoy Honda's junior supercar is to buy a nice, clean one, like this garage-kept 2002 model in an attractive silver with an optional black hardtop. Find it here on Craigslist in Levittown, PA, with an asking price of $18,995. Special thanks to Brett Lindenmuth for requesting this write-up!


























Owing its roots to Honda's SSM (Sports Study Model) concept from 1995, the S2000 became a reality in 1999 when it went into production. Conceived as a successor to Honda's S500, S600 and S800 sports cars (which got Honda onto the automotive scene in the 1960s after years of building motorcycles exclusively) and a rival to Mazda's Miata (which had revolutionized affordable sports cars since its introduction in mid-1989 as a 1990 model). This 2002 S2000 is a first-generation AP1 model, which would be replaced by the second-generation AP2 model in 2004. Said to have been garage-kept since it was bought new, the seller is the second owner, having bought the car from the original owner in Virginia. Inspection is said to be up-to-date, and I love the silver paint and black hardtop (the price with the hardtop included, however, is $22,000). I would negotiate the price with the hardtop included, shine up the tires, and take this car out on the local track. 



































Don't be surprised if you hear heavy breathing from your computer speakers; that's just Honda fans admiring the VTEC. Powered by a 1.2L, 11.0:1 compression F20C four-cylinder rated at 240 horsepower and 153 lb-ft of torque, the S2000 races from 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds, runs a standing quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 97 mph, and has a top speed of 149 mph. Backed by a six speed manual transmission and featuring a Torsen limited-slip, the S2000 is a spirited handler, and is regarded as one of the best handling sports cars in the early 2000s. With only 37,000 miles on the odometer, the seller says that there has never been any mechanical problems with the car, with only the brakes being the most recent upgrade. I would make some subtle and easily reversible modifications to the VTEC to really open up power and have some three-pedal shifting fun.





































Ahh, what a nice vantage point. Inside, this S2000 is attractively spec'd with a black interior, which nicely complements the silver paint and the black hardtop. Thanks to the owners keeping the car in a garage, the interior is virtually brand new, with nary a wear or tear. Every detail in this interior is race car-esque, and I love that manual floor-shift with the bright metal floor pedals. Overall, this may be one of the nicest S2000s I've seen for sale, and even my friend Brett Lindenmuth (who owns a yellow 2004 AP2 S2K) says that this car is nicely priced. What are your thoughts on this clean, garage-kept, low-mile AP1 S2000?
Location: Levittown, PA, USA

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