Speaking to the media at Honda’s stand during the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show, Tomoyuki Yamagami, chief engineer of the newly introduced Prelude, said the Japanese brand wants to bring back one of its most storied models: the S2000. Even the hint of a comeback is enough to quicken the pulse of enthusiasts who have kept the roadster’s legend alive.

Asked whether the next S2000 could be co-developed with another manufacturer—along the lines of the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ, Toyota Supra/BMW Z4, or Mazda MX-5/Abarth 124 Spider—the Honda representative made it clear there would be no joint projects. A standalone path preserves the car’s identity, even if it complicates the journey.

At the same time, the economic feasibility of a low-volume niche model like the S2000 may be in question. That tug-of-war between passion and spreadsheets is the timeless challenge for purist sports cars.

For context, the first and only generation of the S2000 was built from 1999 to 2009 in two iterations, AP1 and AP2. In Australia, the S2000 used the F20C, a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder that spun to 9,000 rpm and produced 240 hp and 208 Nm—a high-revving character that still defines the car’s reputation.

Japanese and U.S. versions adopted a 2.2-liter AP2-spec engine that increased torque to 220 Nm while lowering the rev ceiling to 8,000 rpm. The S2000’s powertrain and architecture were unique to the model and were not shared with any other Honda—a level of singularity that still gives the name real weight.