The Honda S2000CR Was a Racing Machine

Looking back to 2008, we see a Honda S2000CR, which took the racing world by storm in a way that was a bit surprising. The CR part of the name stands for “club racer,” which allows us to think of a time when drivers would take their cars to the track to put them against other racers. These cars didn’t arrive on the back of trailers like the racing machines of today, they were driven to the track, raced, and then driven home, provided they didn’t get too banged up or broken down during the race.

The Honda S2000CR was a Limited Model

You might think a large automaker like Honda would build thousands of small sports cars that could be used both as daily drivers and racing machines, but that’s not the case. Only 1400 versions of the S2000CR were ever made, creating a car that has become a collector’s item today. This car was made for fun, performance driving, and exceptional track prowess, giving it the qualities that we want when it’s time to head to the local track to see how it could perform against some of the other models on the tarmac.

How Was Performance Improved?

When Honda put this car together, they gave it higher spring rates, firmer damping, stiffer anti-roll bars, a better steering ratio, tires that would stick to the rack better, and a larger front spoiler. The rear of this little Honda featured a big wing that would keep the rear of the car pushed down to the track. This version of the S2000 does not have a soft top, which is something we see for most of the other versions of this car.

The Honda S2000CR was not only made with performance items and qualities that allow it to perform better but it was also created with weight-saving features to make it lighter and faster on the track. This meant there wasn’t any leather on the seats, and in its standard form, it was not built with air conditioning or a stereo system. Of course, owners could have these items added to the mix for $1,000 at the time this car was made, but these items were for comfort and not performance. This was certainly a car that was built to be driven at the track, although it could be used every day.

Did the Upgrades Work?

The idea behind building a lighter version of the Honda S2000 with performance upgrades was to create a car that was faster than the standard model. Unfortunately, the CR version was not faster than a regular model of this car. In fact, it was a bit slower. The CR version would reach sixty mph in 5.7 seconds compared to 5.5 seconds for the standard model. It took this upgraded car 14.4 seconds to reach the end of a quarter-mile run while the base model completed the same task in 14.0 seconds.

Why was the Honda S2000CR slower than the standard version? Instead of giving this racing version more power, Honda kept the 2.2-liter engine that was already at its maximum power level. The aerodynamic items added to the mix, including the large rear wing, don’t do this car any favors when it comes to the sprints, but they add more to the performance when ripping off fast laps.

With this in mind, we’re not looking at this Honda sports car as if it were a dud on the track. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The S2000CR was an excellent racing machine. This just happens to be a case of a car working better on a circuit than when performing sprints.

Honda Gave Us Confidence in the Corners

How are the performance items used to give this Honda better performance when attacking the corners? The build and the width of the tires allow the S2000CR to have a grip of 0.95 g versus the 0.88 g for the standard model. This means drivers were instantly provided with more confidence when heading into the corners at high speeds. These corners put the front wing to work and allow the aerodynamic items to keep this car planted on the track.

The Powertrain Brought More Fun to the Drive

Although we wish Honda had given this club racer a more powerful engine than the standard S2000, we can’t deny how much fun the engine and transmission are to use on the road and track. This little car was powered by an impressive 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a glorious short-throw six-speed manual transmission. This powertrain brought 237 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque to the drive, which was impressive for such a small and active car. With this system at your fingertips, this was a car that could be driven hard at any track.

The Car that Shouldn’t have been Limited

We certainly wish there were more models of the Honda S2000CR than the small number that came out of the limited run of this racing car. This version of the S2000 is dynamic, performance-oriented, and quick around the track. Honda built this car with a 50/50 weight balance to make it a car that is perfectly built to give you fast corners, quick runs down the straightaways, and allow you to take a few checkered flags on the weekends. This should have been a car that was available to more drivers than it was.

WillYou Find this Car for Some Fun

It’s possible you might find a few versions of this Honda racing machine in your area that are being sold by local owners. If you’re looking for a car that can make your weekend racing more fun, the Honda S2000CR is virtually unmatched. This little racer is cool, impressive, and quick. Don’t expect it to win sprints for you, but when you have a circuit that you can race on and challenge other drivers, this Honda is a car that could easily be the one that takes you across the finish line at the head of the pack.