| Week at the Wheel | Honda S2000 GT100 |

Inside & Out:

The definitive roadster look of long bonnet, sleek flanks and a driver's seat positioned as near as possible to the rear axle remains a formula that's hard to beat and the S2000's interpretation of these rules has aged very well indeed. Less time-defying is the interior, whose whiz bang dashboard looks a little tried now and less pleasing as a basic set of dials and gauges in many eyes. Elsewhere, a lack of adjustability of the driving position isn't a major issue, but it does prevent getting things absolutely right, and the pedals' relative position isn't perfect for heel and toe, which is probably more of an annoyance, but again falls short of the perfection one would hope for in a car designed to be driven by enthusiasts.

Engine & Transmission:

Honda's 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine remains unsurpassed in the realms of obtainable metal for the common man. Its specific output of 119bhp/litre remains a class defining figure and the stratospheric rev range is unrivalled. Overall, we're struggling to think of many more impressive naturally aspirated engines at any price and certainly nothing this side of a Ferrari F430 can shade the powerplant's specifications.

In practice it remains an intoxicating unit to interact with. Six closely stacked ratios ensure it can be kept on the boil when pushing on and when kept stoked accordingly it's a very rapid car. However, recent trends have been towards more relaxed engines and the majority of focus has shifted to torque, drivability and emissions - and therefore turbocharging. Saying that, many turbo engines can't match the S2000's specific output.

This reflects in the S2000's driving experience where keeping up with a relatively mild warm hatch when leaving an urban limit requires shifting down three or four gears to make up for the surfeit of torque. This personality, more than anything, both defines and ages the S2000. Enthusiasts won't mind the effort required to extract the performance, but for some the everyday pace obtained when one doesn't want to venture beyond 5,000rpm will be lacking relative to the modern hot hatch and more torquey rivals in the shape of the Nissan 370Z and the BMW Z4.

Ride & Handling:

Stiffness is always the evasive factor chassis engineers pursue when developing roadsters and the S2000's team did well, thanks in no small part to the blank piece of paper they were handed - many rivals are coupé derived or platform sharing efforts. That stiffness allows the suspension to work and prevents the dreaded scuttle shake; though the Honda rides firmly it is never unrefined or crashy and many hot hatches don't offer such compliance. The rear drive balance allows for some hooligan activity if the mood takes or a very capable B-road foil that rewards a smooth hand.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

The S2000 was never about creature comforts. Luxuries are minimal and options are not numerous, yet Honda would say that this is what one would expect of a focused sports car. Essentials are in place, such as air-conditioning and a CD-changer though I've always argued against the need for an electric hood.

In terms of living with and running an S2000 things are relatively rosy. Insurance is reasonable, as is servicing and the high-revving engine can average 30mpg when driven with restraint - used to its potential that figure will drop to the teens. A brief search of the web yielded an 8 percent discount on the list price of the standard model and around 5 percent off the special edition model.

Overall:

The story goes that the launch of the Honda S2000, aimed to coincide with the company's 50th birthday, was delayed a year when a prominent figure in the business drove the car in 1998 and told the engineers to try again. It therefore became the 51st birthday present, but even then reviews at launch were mixed. Honda moved the game on in 2003 with a facelifted car that addressed all of the shortcomings, and then some. Now, as we face the prospect of the S2000 vanishing from the Honda price lists, it remains a competitive package that the history books will, on balance, reflect on favourably.