Honda S2000 Club Racer: An Ode to Pure Driving Emotion

In 2005, at the tender age of eight, my automotive passion was already in full swing. The soundtrack to my childhood car obsession was often provided by the radio, and on this particular day, The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” filled my mom’s car as we headed out. My dad was on the hunt for a sensible new Honda Pilot, but my eyes were fixed on a different Honda altogether: a vibrant Rio Yellow S2000 gleaming on the dealership lot. Clutching my toy car, I eagerly pulled my mom towards this striking sports car. It was a revelation, something straight out of the racing video games that dominated my playtime.

A salesman, radiating enthusiasm in a Hawaiian shirt and jorts, noticed my captivated gaze. He warmly invited me to explore the S2000, opening the door and allowing me to clamber inside. The memory of him turning the ignition from the passenger seat, after letting me briefly hold the key emblazoned with “S2000,” remains vivid. The gauge cluster, a futuristic digital display in my young eyes, was simply mesmerizing. The car awakening, transitioning from stillness to life, was pure magic. Then, the ultimate treat – an offer for a test drive.

Rio Yellow Honda S2000 Club Racer parked on a dealership lot

Almost two decades later, settling into the pristine 2009 Honda S2000 CR at the American Honda Museum, those childhood emotions flooded back. The familiar sweep of the liquid-crystal gauges, the tactile feel of the key, the satisfyingly mechanical click of the shifter – it was all instantly recognizable and deeply resonant. This was it: a weekend immersed in Honda’s ultimate expression of a rear-wheel-drive sports car.

The Visionary Engineer Behind the Honda S2000 Club Racer

Shigeru Uehara, a name synonymous with Honda’s most celebrated sports cars, is a figure every S2000 aficionado should know. While details of his life remain somewhat elusive to Western audiences, his legacy within Honda and the automotive world is undeniable. A brilliant engineer specializing in suspension and handling, Uehara’s expertise was honed over a distinguished 36-year career at Honda. His close relationship with Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna further underscores his dedication to performance and driving excellence. The Honda S2000 Club Racer, as noted by Car and Driver, is widely considered Uehara’s “final gift” to Honda, a parting masterpiece born from his deep-seated passion for pure sports car driving.

Shigeru Uehara, the chief engineer behind the Honda S2000

Uehara’s contributions extend far beyond the CR. He spearheaded the development of iconic Honda sports cars that have shaped the brand’s performance image. When Honda embarked on the ambitious project to create a Ferrari-rivaling supercar in the mid-1980s, Uehara was entrusted with leading the charge, resulting in the birth of the legendary NSX. Following this triumph, he turned his attention to the Integra Type R, meticulously refining it into a front-wheel-drive benchmark through chassis seam-welding, weight reduction, and hand-porting of the B18C1 engine’s cylinder heads. Finally, Uehara realized a long-held ambition since joining Honda in 1971: to revive the spirit of the classic Honda S800 roadster, a car he and his wife cherished, as a tribute to Honda’s 50th anniversary. This vision culminated in the creation of the S2000.

The Development Philosophy of the S2000

The Honda S2000 was conceived with an unwavering commitment to the essence of a driver’s car. Developed within Honda’s engineering-centric culture, shielded from external pressures, the S2000 shared its ground-up design philosophy with the NSX. Automotive enthusiasts appreciate the technical highlights: the robust X-bone frame providing exceptional rigidity for an open-top car, the double-wishbone suspension at all four corners meticulously tuned for neutral handling, and the Pininfarina-inspired design hinting at Italian sports car elegance with its flowing lines and muscular fenders.

Side profile of a Honda S2000 Club Racer showcasing its aerodynamic hardtop

However, the heart and soul of the S2000 have always been its engine and transmission. In its initial AP1 iteration, the F20C engine was a marvel, revving to an astonishing 9,000 rpm and producing 240 horsepower from just 2.0 liters. By the time the Club Racer variant emerged, responding to feedback from the American market, Honda increased the displacement to 2.2 liters in the AP2, resulting in enhanced torque and a slightly reduced redline of 8,000 rpm. Subtle adjustments were also made to the rear suspension geometry, reportedly against Uehara-san’s initial preferences, to improve stability and make the S2000 more forgiving at the limit.

Uehara envisioned the S2000 as “Real Open Sports,” embodying the joy of open-top driving while remaining a true sports car dedicated to driver engagement. Whether the AP1, AP2, or CR represents the pinnacle of Uehara’s vision is a subject of debate among S2000 enthusiasts. However, the Club Racer undeniably stands as his final and most focused attempt to perfect the S2000 formula.

Honda S2000 CR: More Than Just a Badge

Front view of a Honda S2000 Club Racer highlighting its unique front lip spoiler

The CR designation, standing for Club Racer, was not merely a cosmetic upgrade; it signified a comprehensive re-engineering of the S2000’s core principles. The CR received stiffer springs, dampers, and sway bars, resulting in a significantly firmer suspension setup optimized for track performance. To further emphasize its focused nature, features like air conditioning and the stereo system were offered as optional extras, though most buyers opted to include them. The power-operated soft top was replaced with a fixed, lightweight hardtop, and the space where the soft top mechanism resided was reinforced with a structural brace, enhancing torsional rigidity by 18% and vertical rigidity by an impressive 94%.

Honda went even further, equipping the CR with a quicker steering rack ratio (reduced from 14.9:1 to 13.8:1) for sharper turn-in response. The already exceptional shifter was further refined with a 12.6mm shorter lever, enhancing shift feel and precision. An aerodynamic package was added, reducing lift by 70% and improving high-speed stability. Weight savings were also a priority, with the CR shedding 99 pounds compared to the standard S2000 (without air conditioning). Period-correct, more aggressive tires contributed to the CR’s enhanced track performance, although advancements in tire technology have since narrowed the performance gap between the CR and standard S2000 models. The Club Racer was unequivocally a substantial engineering undertaking, not just an appearance package.

Experiencing the “Real Open Sports” Philosophy

However, the S2000’s enduring appeal transcends mere specifications and performance figures. Part of its mystique stems from the aura surrounding its chief engineer, Shigeru Uehara, but the majority lies in the intangible emotional connection the S2000 fosters with its driver. Driving the S2000 CR is a deliberate step back in time, a reminder of a bygone era in automotive design.

Interior view of a Honda S2000 Club Racer showing the driver-focused cockpit and red seats

It’s a car that reintroduces sensations often lost in modern, overly refined sports cars. The subtle squeaks and rattles over road imperfections, the palpable vibrations of the engine, the deliberate, mechanical feel of the shifter – these are not flaws but rather integral parts of the S2000’s character. It’s a car that demands engagement, rewarding the driver with unfiltered feedback and a raw, visceral driving experience. In an age of increasingly isolated and sanitized driving, the S2000 CR reminds us that it’s perfectly acceptable, even desirable, to feel something when driving a sports car. Refinement, premium audio systems, and even a roof become secondary to the pure sensation of motoring and the connection with a machine engineered to evoke emotion.

Close-up of the Honda S2000 Club Racer badge

The S2000 CR achieves what cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring strive for today: a sense of occasion and specialness at any speed. However, the S2000 was conceived as an accessible sports car for its time, a stark contrast to the increasingly expensive and exclusive performance cars of today. To find a modern equivalent that delivers a similar level of raw, unfiltered driving emotion, one might need to look at high-end sports cars like the Lotus Emira, Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica, or Porsche 911 GT3, all occupying significantly higher price brackets.

Low angle shot of the front of a Honda S2000 Club Racer emphasizing its sporty stance

Yet, the S2000 CR possesses an almost unmatched sense of cohesion and excellence. Beyond the usual automotive buzzwords like “input harmony” and “precision,” there is an underlying charisma, a palpable passion infused into every aspect of its design and execution.

This charisma is evident in details often overlooked, such as the low drivetrain inertia reminiscent of motorcycles, allowing the engine to rev freely and making each gear change a distinct, engaging event. The S2000’s handling prowess is undeniable, yet it accommodates various driving styles, rewarding both smooth precision and more aggressive inputs. Crucially, the S2000 communicates its mechanical operation directly and vividly, making no attempt to conceal the intricacies of driving.

Close-up of the Honda S2000 Club Racer's engine bay showcasing the high-revving F22C engine

A Timeless Sports Car

The Honda S2000 Club Racer exudes a romantic allure, evoking a sense of nostalgia for the 1990s when it was conceived – an era before the overwhelming influence of internet comparisons and market trends, when a car could exist as a singular, undiluted vision. The S2000 left such a profound impression that it remains one of the most vivid memories from my early childhood. It transcends the trope of being flawed yet endearing; it is precisely as it was intended to be, a pure expression of sports car ideals.

Rear view of a Rio Yellow Honda S2000 Club Racer with its hardtop and rear spoiler

The S2000 was so ahead of its time that it remains a benchmark for sports cars even today. It continues to set competitive lap times at track events, its chassis balance and handling remain both exhilarating and precise, but its ultimate triumph lies in prioritizing the driving experience above all else. The S2000 CR feels timeless, representing an alternate timeline where driving emotion remained paramount. With every gear shift, every exhilarating rush to the 8,000-rpm redline, every subtle mid-corner correction, a sense of longing builds. Few cars today achieve what the S2000 accomplished over two decades ago.

Sports cars require emotion – genuine emotion, real mechanical sensations, not artificial enhancements. More vital than sheer power, outright speed, or ultimate grip, is the emotional connection between driver and machine. The world needs more cars like the S2000. In the words of Shigeru Uehara himself:

“Please take good care of your S2000, keep it by your side for long, and enjoy it from the bottom of your heart.”