From the Chicago Tribune
http://chicagotribune.com/marketplaces/cars/mateja/0,2503,9911110065,00.html
>S2000 PROMISES MORE THAN IT DELIVERS
>
>Jim Mateja
>Auto writer
>November 11, 1999
>
>The Honda S2000 bandwagon has passed.
>
>We opted not to hop on.
>
>Honda has teased the public with a high-performance, open-top, two-seat
>roadster concept for a couple of years, hinting it would be sold through
>Honda or its luxury Acura division.
>
>The market has a number of roadsters competing for consumer attention from
>BMW, Porsche, Mazda and Mercedes-Benz, along with a targa-top Chevrolet
>Corvette.
>
>In the auto industry, if you are last out with a new entry, you are
>forgiven, providing you are the best--or close to it.
>
>Not the Honda S2000.
>
>Small and cute to be sure.
>
>But no pain, no gain? No way.
>
>The motorist who once accepted getting bumped and bruised for the pleasure
>of being seen in a performance machine still demands spirited acceleration
>and road-hugging handling, but in a vehicle that doesn't slap you silly
>while doing so.
>
>Easy to see why this car carries a Honda nameplate. Too crude to be an Acura.
>
>Honda boasts that the little 2-liter, 4-cylinder engine that propels the
>S2000 boasts an incredible 240 horsepower. But in the time we spent behind
>the wheel, we kept asking, "Where's the beef?"
>
>When a 2-seater claims to have so much muscle, you'd expect, when taking
>off from a standing start, that the torque would slam you back into the
>leather seat with such force you'd have to pick cowhide out of your flesh.
>
>Not the S2000.
>
>There were other disappointments as well, such as a 6-speed manual (no
>automatic) with such a short throw that when speed shifting from first to
>second the lever stopped abruptly but our arm kept moving backward.
>
>On the road, the suspension is more than a little stiff. Firm is fine when
>shocks and springs are adjusted properly to help keep the vehicle glued to
>the road in corners and turns, but the S2000 has too much spring, too much
>bounce in the straightaways.
>
>Lateral movement is good when changing lanes or traveling into or out of
>twists in the road, thanks to the 16-inch performance radial tires, but
>when the pavement is straight, expect to be jostled.
>
>There is one cute feature: Inspired by high-tech racing machines, the
>S2000 features push-button start. Slip the key in the slot, turn to on,
>then push the button and the engine rolls over.
>
>And we can't fault the power top. Unfasten the latches along the header,
>push the button and the top motors down--and back up. Open-air cruising,
>the best kind there is. With the top down, functional rollbars behind each
>seat come into view.
>
>Actually, the power top helps solve one of the S2000's other problems:
>limited room to slip your head easily into the cabin and limited vision
>because the top wraps well along the sides to obstruct your view. Backing
>out of a parking space is an adventure.
>
>Another problem is that the S2000 is in high demand yet low supply. There
>have been reports of some dealers adding a second sticker to the window to
>increase profits.
>
>The S2000 starts at $32,000. Our test car came with one option:
>dealer-installed floormats for $62.
>
>A reader reported spotting an S2000 in a showroom with only one
>dealer-installed option as well, floormats, but the dealer was demanding
>$7,000 for them. Must have had S2000 embossed on those mats, in gold,
>don't you think?
>
>Standard equipment includes four-wheel antilock brakes, remote keyless
>entry, AM/FM/CD stereo, air conditioning with micron cabin filter, cruise
>control, power windows and locks, 12-volt accessory socket, body-colored
>mirrors, dual exhaust and Xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps.
>
>Only 6,000 S2000s will be shipped to Honda's 1,000 dealers here for the
>2000 model year. The allotment will be based on dealer sales volume. The
>higher the monthly sales, the better the chance of getting more S2000s.
>
>Rather than pay $39,000 by being charged $7,000 over sticker for an S2000,
>we'd take the $39,000 and grab a targa top 'Vette with superior ride,
>handling, performance and power, not to mention room and comfort.
>
>If you have to pick cowhide from your hide, might as well do it in style.
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Bradley Lamont
email: lamont@mailhost.org
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