How to Improve the Handling of the Honda S2000

There's always room for improvement. The Honda S2000 is one of the few cars in existence that isn't regularly the target of this particular phrase. Its tight, responsive handling and crisp braking make it one of the favored sports cars around the world, regularly drawing favorable comparisons to vintage drop-top classics like Austin-Healeys, Triumphs, and MGs. While the Honda S2000 is a strong car for twisty mountain roads and an acceptable ride for driving back and forth to work, It does fall short in handling if you use the S2000 for anything other than day-to-day driving. Like all convertibles, the Honda S2000 is considerably less rigid than comparable coupes, predominantly because the roof of the car is non existent. In order to make up for this manufacturing shortfall, the frame and unibody of convertibles are often beefed up, weighing the car down and making it a less desirable sports car than it would be with a full roof.

Of course, having a vehicle like the Honda S2000 to start out with makes a huge difference. The S2000 is well-built, has a strong chassis that resists flex even without a roof, and runs quickly thanks to a sprightly engine and well-balanced gearbox. Beefing up the S2000's suspension to competition levels is a relatively easy task, and should require little in the way of effort on your part, as the parts you'll need to complete a conversion to track events such as SCCA competition or even open track day events are widely available, some from Honda's racing programs themselves. Keep in mind, however, that modifications such as these will result in a car that is much less compliant to drive on the street, and in some cases may be detrimental to the Honda S2000's handling on rough or off-camber roads.

Begin by purchasing front and rear sway bars to replace the stock sway bars already installed on the S2000. You can choose to purchase these parts from your local Honda dealership, who can likely save you the cost of shipping of you pick up the parts from the dealership rather than having them delivered to your home. These kits will include slightly larger anti-sway bars as well as the necessary mounting hardware and stiffer polyurethane bushings. Fortunately, they are quick bolt-on parts that will mount right in place of the existing anti-sway bars. You will not have to do any welding to fit these in place. Do not attempt to use the original equipment sway bar bushings for this installation. They do not have the same inside diameter as the replacement bushings, and are not intended for track use.

In order to compete at the SCCA level at any semi-pro track event, the Honda S2000 will have to be fitted with an acceptable roll bar. This roll bar is required because the S2000 does not have a roof and would not protect you in the event of a rollover crash. The benefit of installing such a bar, however, is that they significantly reduce the amount of body flex that the car experiences in turns. This will help keep the tires of the car planted firmly on the track. Cusco, a company that specializes in racing parts for import tuner cars, offers two types of roll bar for the S2000. The first is a predominantly decorative chromoly tube roll cage that is not acceptable for use in SCCA events. If you intend to compete, purchase the heavier steel roll cage. You will have to disassemble the interior of the S2000 in order to fit the roll cage in place, but the installation itself is straightforward.

The last step in heightening the performance handling attributes of your Honda S2000 is to install replacement wheels and tires onto the car that are intended for track use. Street wheels on the S2000 are aluminum, which are light and strong, but not as strong and light as magnesium wheels. While expensive, magnesium wheels for the Honda S2000 allow the car's engine to turn the wheels more easily. This translates into more rear-axle horsepower for the car to utilize, as its unsprung weight is significantly reduced. Tires are a matter of personal preference, but in general the stiffer the sidewall of the tire, the better able the car will be to perform through curves and turns. It's important to remember that the tires are the single most important aspect of the suspension system of the car that is most often overlooked. They contribute to the comfort of the ride as much as they do the capability of the car's handling.

Finally, to really cap off your Honda S2000's track handling, install a set of adjustable coil-over shocks at each corner of the car. These work together with the anti-sway bars and the tires to stiffen the ride. Purchasing and installing adjustable coil-overs as opposed to fixed coil-overs may be more expensive, but it also allows you to tune the handling characteristics of the car to the specific track at which you will be competing. In addition, tunable suspension components can allow you to use the S2000 on the street with only a minor loss in driveability.

While these modifications to the Honda S2000 won't guarantee that you'll win races, they will put you on a more even playing field with the other cars out there. With relatively minor engine upgrades, it isn't inconceivable that your Honda S2000 could run neck-and-neck with Porsches, Audis and BMWs, and more often than not put them in their place.

Sources:
SCCA.com: Cars and Rules: http://www.scca.com/clubracing/content.cfm?cid=44472
Cusco Progressive Equipment: English Catalog: http://www.cusco.co.jp/en/catalog/products.html
S2000.org: Effect of Suspension Changes: http://www.s2000.org/articles/suspension/