Air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, cruise control, keyless remote entry, and tilt steering are all standard. There's a big red button for an ignition switch, and that's pretty cool. The digital tach is an attempt to be cool, with orange lines arcing across the top of the instrument panel, but it's hard to see and comes across as excessively gimmicky anyhow. The S2000 is all about revving, even if to a diminished 8200 rpm now, and everything should point there. Such as a needle on an analog gauge. Maybe the S2000 should have a big tach on the steering column, like the Mini Cooper.
There's also a digital speedometer reading mph in fairly big numbers, flanked by small fuel and coolant temperature gauges. The AM/FM/CD stereo is located behind a flap-like rectangular door on the dash; we found ourselves leaving it open for convenience, which defeated its purpose of hiding the system, of course. The buttons are small, but there are redundant controls just to the left of the steering wheel.
The power top moves up and down easily and latches over the windshield. There's a glass rear window with defroster, and also an aero windscreen behind the seats to reduce buffeting when the top is down.
The leather bucket seats are beautifully comfortable, with one inch more shoulder room than before. The three-spoke leather steering wheel is perfect. There are mesh storage pockets in the doors but no glove box. There's a new small storage compartment between the seats, giving the cabin minimal storage, a slight improvement from virtually nonexistent.
The last time we wrote about the S2000 we couldn't get over its 9000 rpm redline. There isn't a road car on the planet that revs like that. And what a thrill it was. But in the '05, a rev limiter cuts the fuel off at 8200 rpm. That 800 rpm difference is all about the sound, and what it does to your insides. Now it's like listening to Jimi Hendrix riffing his electric guitar toward a climax and then cutting it short.
True, the engine is improved now. It's been stroked to 2.2 liters from 2.0, and makes the same 240 horsepower but delivers more torque, 162 foot-pounds versus 153, at a lower rpm: 6500 rpm instead of an impossibly peaky 7500. So it's got a broader power band and is more friendly to drive, thus easier to drive fast. It's a better car. But, like the Viper SRT/10, it may be better but it's a lot less visceral.
There have been a number of other careful refinements to the S2000, in particular to the handling, starting with the easy things: the 17-inch wheels. Less visible, the frame is stiffer and the suspension is firmer in the front and softer in the rear. On our favorite driving loop that offers a broad variety of corners and road surfaces, the S2000 handled the patchy bits with grace. It's smoother in the rough stuff than the Nissan 350Z, which isn't bad itself. No rattles or thumps, and it followed the contour of the road without softening or neutralizing it. It still has its kart-like quickness; in fact it's better now, with its wider tires.
Like all current Honda automobiles, the S2000's suspension is independent, with control arms (as distinct from struts) at all four corners. It is distinguished from any other current Honda cars, however, by its rear-wheel-drive layout, a platform developed specifically for this limited-edition roadster. (All other Hondas are based on a front-wheel-drive layout.)
The six-speed gearbox has also been improved, with better synchronizers making smoother shifts; its short-throw linkage and aluminum-tipped lever feel like a racecar's. The gear ratios have been lowered by 4 percent, in pursuit of easier takeoffs. There's an electric motor quality to its power, like a Japanese super-bike: no punch in the back, just a sense that with enough forward gears, one might keep accelerating indefinitely.
The brakes are big (11.8 inches front, 11.1 inches rear) and fantastic, vented in front, with standard ABS and improved brake pad material for '05. These are the best brakes we've ever encountered on any Honda vehicle, and they round out a set of sports car credentials that's tough to top.
The key to enjoying the S2000 is to drive it hard: Take off, wind the engine to 8200 rpm in first gear, shift into second, stand on it, and don't shift until you hit 8200 again. This is what the Honda S2000 has to offer over the less-expensive Miata.
One model is available, which retails for $32,950 (plus $515 freight). The S2000 is equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox; an automatic is not available. There are a few dealer-installed options available, including a removable hardtop, trunk spoiler, XM Satellite Radio and headrest speakers.