There's no way that car would have turned out to be the S2000 that we know and love had it ended up with a five cylinder and automatic, yecchhh. Thank you Honda.
The Honda S2000 may be well known for its high-revving inline-four, but that wasn't the case when its concept was revealed in 1995.
Back then it went by the name "Sport Study Model" (SSM), and under its hood wasn't a four-cylinder or even a six-cylinder engine. Instead, the SSM made do with a five-cylinder engine.
That engine—known internally as the G20—was a 2.0-liter inline-five that was most commonly found in the Japanese-market Honda Vigor and Inspire. (The North American market also got the G-series engine, though with a larger 2.5-liter displacement and placed in the Acura Vigor and the later 2.5 TL.)
That five-cylinder engine then transmitted its power to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission adapted from the NSX.
The most interesting part of the concept, however, might have been the car’s actual design: The SSM was configured as a roofless, Barchetta-style coupe with separate "compartments" for both driver and passenger.
As a bonus, here's a fitting-for-1997 promotional video showcasing SSM's design and driving dynamics:
Would a five-cylinder engine have made the S2000 even more desirable, or is the F20 engine much better suited to the production car's character?
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There's no way that car would have turned out to be the S2000 that we know and love had it ended up with a five cylinder and automatic, yecchhh. Thank you Honda.
In reply to 300zxfreak :
How about the inline-five backed with a real six-speed? Then it could have been called something hip like the 256.
According to Wikipedia, the G20 made 160 hp at 6700 RPM. Combining a more sedate, cruiser-like drivetrain with a less practical overall design does not add up. A no-roof, super-light barchetta version of the S2000 should have an even more psychotic high winding engine, and if you could somehow make the manual transmission an even crazier option (straight-cut gears, maybe?), they should do it.
Thea headlights and front bumper are awesome. I also want those wheels.
I have to admit, as much as I have a soft spot in my heart for the G-series, I don't think putting one in the S2000 would have truly suited its character.
And yeah, the automatic would have been kind of a bummer in this case, though something closer to a modern dual-clutch may have been interesting.
This looks like a not well thought out customization job on an S2000 you would find 3/4 finished listed by some loony on craigslist.
TIL that Honda should sue Hyundai over the Kona's headlight design?
Anyway, i like it! I like the looks of the real S2000 just as well, but i like this too!
I like the look of the longer hoodline and individual bathtubs. It's weird and somewhat impractical, but those are both things that endear a car to me.
The G20 makes more torque under 5000rpm than F20 so I'm all about that. It would make for a much more fun street car.
I read the title too fast and didn't see concept, now I has a sad.
buzzboy said:The G20 makes more torque under 5000rpm than F20 so I'm all about that. It would make for a much more fun street car.
Source? Seems to me like if it does, we are talking a difference of <5ft*lb peak... on the F20C
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