The Honda S2000 still to this day remains one of the greatest open top sports cars ever produced and it has grown an enormous following of fans and enthusiasts.
The combination of its front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive setup and near 50:50 weight distribution not only made the S2000 one of the best cars to drive when it launched, but still one of the best today.
Honda’s S2000 originally started out life as the Sport Study Model (SSM) Concept car, which featured a 2.0-litre inline five-cylinder engine. Nearly half a decade after the SSM was first launched, the Japanese company would unveil the first generation AP1 S2000 on the 15 April 1995.
The 2.0-litre inline five in the SSM was replaced with an incredible 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder DOHC-VTEC engine known as the F20C. This engine produced anywhere from around 237 to 247 hp (177 – 184 kW) and 208 to 218 Nm (153 – 161 lb ft) of torque, making it the highest specific output of a normally aspirated production car engine in the world.
The sublime VTEC engine was mounted entirely behind the front axle to keep the weight distribution as close to 50:50 as possible and was matched with a six-speed manual transmission. Honda’s engineers also worked their magic to create a lightweight body and chassis that was combined with independent double wishbone suspension and electrically assisted steering.
All this came at a launch price in Japan of ¥3,380,000, making the S2000 surprisingly good value when compared to much of its competition. Over its decade of production, the S2000’s price would fluctuate depending on the model year and feature set. Below we have put together a guide for the major price changes of the S2000 and what those prices are in today’s money.
Honda S2000 Original Price in Japan
1999 Honda S2000 (from April 1999)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 119.51 (taken from April 1999).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | GH-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,380,000
| 28,282
| 44,177
|
2000 Honda S2000 (from April 2000)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 105.86 (taken from April 2000).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,380,000
|
31,929
| 48,251
|
2000 Honda S2000 (from July 2000)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 107.96 (taken from July 2000).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,380,000
|
31,308
| 47,313
|
| TYPE V | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,560,000
|
32,975
| 52,645
|
2001 Honda S2000 (from September 2001)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 118.99 (taken from September 2001).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,430,000
| 28,826
| 42,357
|
2002 Honda S2000 (from October 2002)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 124.07 (taken from October 2002).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| GIOIRE | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,680,000
|
29,661
| 42,905
|
| TYPE V GIOIRE | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,860,000
| 31,111
| 45,003
|
2003 Honda S2000 (from October 2003)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 109.90 (taken from October 2003).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,500,000
| 31,847
| 45,041
|
| TYPE V | LA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,700,000
| 33,667
| 47,615
|
2004 Honda S2000 (from April 2004)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 108.02 (taken from April 2004).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | ABA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,675,000
| 34,021
| 46,868
|
| TYPE V | ABA-AP1 | F20C 250ps (184kW) | 6MT | 3,885,000
|
35,966
| 49,546
|
2005 Honda S2000 (from November 2005)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 118.84 (taken from November 2005).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| BASEGRADE | ABA-AP2 | F22C 242ps(178kW) | 6MT | 3,780,000
| 31,807
| 42,382
|
| TYPE V | ABA-AP2 | F22C 242ps(178kW) | 6MT | 3,990,000
| 33,575
| 44,737
|
2007 Honda S2000 (from October 2007)
Exchange rate of 1 United States dollar to Japanese yen is 115.36 (taken from October 2007).
| Model | Chassis | Engine
| Trans | Price in Yen (¥) | Price in USD ($) | 2020 Price ($) |
| TYPE S | ABA-AP2 | F22C 242ps(178kW) | 6MT | 3,990,000
| 34,587
| 43,418
|
How Much Does a Honda S2000 Cost Today?
There is no doubt that the Honda S2000 is becoming a bit of a modern classic and unlike many other sports cars, they have actually held their value pretty well. This is in part because they have always been in demand and are arguably one of the best, if not, the best open top sports cars from the period.
According to data found on bringatrailer.com, prices for older S2000s in worse condition start at around US$10,000 and go as high as nearly $80,000 for a late model AP2 with around 1,600 km (1,000 miles) on it. However, most S2000s seem to fall in the range of around $15,000 to $40,000, but their value is increasing.
If you are interested in buying a Honda S2000 or want to know more about the much-loved Japanese sports car, check out our buyer’s guide here.
