Honda S2000
The first U.S. Honda S2000 made 240 horsepower from only two liters without a turbocharger. Its engine sat behind the front axle, its six-speed shifter had very short movements, and the rear wheels did the driving.
2000 Honda S2000 · Calreyn88 · CC0
What did this one sell for?
Make a guess, then reveal one identity-matched completed auction result. It is a comparison point, not a price promise.
Reveal the auction result
Based on a completed sale at Bring a Trailer, an estimated value for this vehicle is $22,000.
Why this sale: Exact 2000 U.S.-market AP1 S2000 roadster with the 2.0-liter F20C, six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. 65k miles; long-term ownership since 2001. The passenger-side quarter panel was repainted, the rear bumper cover and right taillight were replaced after reported backing damage, the soft top is a replacement, and a CD changer and digital clock were added. The Carfax reflects the disclosed damage.
Winning bid; Bring a Trailer's 5% buyer service fee, taxes and transport are excluded. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. Accepted as the newest identity-matched completed sale located through the October 2, 2026 review date. The repair history and modest aftermarket equipment can materially affect the comparison.
More than a set of wheels.
Honda created the S2000 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and launched the roadster in the United States for the 2000 model year. The AP1 combined a compact two-seat body, an X-shaped structural frame and double-wishbone suspension with an engine that loved high revs. It carried the simple sports-car recipe—open roof, manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive—into a new century.
Look a little closer.
Its name joined 'S' for Honda's sports-car family with '2000' for both the new millennium and the engine's roughly two-liter size.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
The exact American engine tune
The U.S. F20C made 240 hp at 8,300 rpm and 153 lb-ft at 7,500 rpm. Honda's current VTEC history confirms the 2.0-liter engine, 240 hp, 152 lb-ft rounded in that retrospective, and a 9,000 rpm redline; the period U.S. brochure supplies the exact 153 lb-ft model-year figure. The Japanese 250-PS rating and European 240-PS rating are different market specifications and are not substituted here.
Source: Honda News — VTEC history ↗A front engine placed like a mid-engine car
Honda pushed the compact engine behind the front axle line, helping concentrate mass near the center. A six-speed manual, Torsen-type limited-slip differential and double-wishbone suspension completed the layout. Honda's X-bone frame added a strong central structure to an open car that had no fixed roof to help resist twisting.
Source: American Honda — 2000 S2000 brochure scan ↗High specific output, not a big engine
Honda reached 120 hp per liter by making the engine breathe efficiently at very high rpm rather than adding a turbocharger. That gives the car a distinctive lesson in engineering: power can come from how quickly and efficiently an engine works, not only from displacement. Peak torque arrives high at 7,500 rpm, so the driver uses the close-ratio gearbox to keep the engine in its energetic range.
Source: Honda News Europe — S2000 1999 press information ↗Where these facts come from
- Honda News — VTEC history
- American Honda — 2000 S2000 brochure scan
- Honda News Europe — S2000 1999 press information
- Honda S2000 Japanese launch factbook
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.