2008 Honda S2000 CR
Weight savings and chassis
Air conditioning and the sound system are jettisoned in the name of weight savings, but you can add them back in as options. The S2000 CR also loses its power folding softtop to shed a few pounds, and in its place it gains a beefy rear strut tower brace with four mounting points. This is said to enhance the already stellar rigidity of the S2000’s shell so it won’t flex when cornering. A removable aluminum hardtop provides shelter from the elements and admission to tracks where open-top cars aren’t allowed. With the top off, the S2000 CR will weigh approximately 2765 pounds, almost 90 pounds less than the regular S2000.
It is significantly faster on a track, according to Honda
The result of these changes is a claimed two-second reduction in the S2000 CR's lap time around Honda's Tochigi test track. That's a huge difference; you could add 50 horsepower to a regular S2000 and you might not see your lap time drop that much.
Interior modifications
Every special edition needs to look unique, so the S2000 CR has a bunch of dress up features that distinguish it. The most obvious is the Apex Blue paint, which is a pearlescent bright blue evocative of Audi's Sprint Blue. Black badges and gunmetal gray five-spoke wheels round out the exterior mods. Abundant yellow stitching on the doors, steering wheel, seats, and shifter (which has shorter throws than the already insanely short ones in the regular S2000) complements yellow woven seat inserts. Faux-suede seat bolsters and door panels replace the leather items on the regular S2000 in the name of grip, and they'll also broaden the S2000 CR's appeal to PETA members. Faux carbon fiber trim is a slavishly trendy addition, but we can forgive anything in a car this raw.
Pricing
The S2000 CR goes on sale in the fall of 2007 as a 2008 model. The car shown at the New York show isn't 100 percent production correct, but the body kit, spoiler, and wheels are accurate renditions of what you'll see in dealers. Pricing isn't confirmed, but it will certainly be more than the regular S2000's $35k base price and probably less than $40k. Given the expected production volume of less than 2000 units (no limit was confirmed), Honda will lose money on the deal, a fact that company representatives actually admit. Such corporate honesty is rare, but Honda can afford it. The S2000 CR is a fitting tribute to the man who put "Honda" and "performance" together in the popular lexicon. Let's hope it's a harbinger of more great things to come and not a last hurrah.
