When you host a show called Engineering Explained the immediate feeling is that the show is basically a way to nerd up some of the everyday things that we take for granted. This show has been a great way for us to discuss a variety of ways cars work and different features, but every once in a while there is a need to let the guys who host the show loose and give them a chance to talk about a car that’s extremely cool and a lot of fun to drive.
For this video the car that’s the subject of discussion is a Honda S2000, which is an amazing sports car that shows up in roadster style with a convertible top and is painted in bright yellow to give this car a look that anyone would want to appreciate. This car is the new project car for the series to give our beloved host something cool to talks about. As a small, two-seater, RWD model the S2000 is a car that will offer some great fun on the road.
Under the hold, which appears to take up over half the car, is a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine which seems fairly commonplace on the market today. This engine does have DOHC and VTEC to give it more respect than you might plan on offering. The power of this engine comes in at 240 horsepower when it reaches 8,300 rpm and no real torque until you make it to 7,500 rpm where you will enjoy 153 lb.-ft. of torque. What makes this car special is the fact that Honda set it up to run to 9,000 rpm before hitting a redline, which was and still is one of the highest redline marks we can find in any vehicle.
The engine in this car uses aluminum and carbon fiber in an interesting way that you can hear explained further in the video. The transmission has some of the smallest gears and most narrow arms on any vehicle, using only two small arms that are extremely close together to handle all six gears. Because the engine is pushed back as far as possible the need for a smaller transmission with shorter throws was evident for Honda. The power and transferred to the rear wheels and uses a limited split differential to distribute the torque.
This is one car that has a lot of balance to it. Looking into the engine bay you see the mass of the engine is situated behind the front wheel wells and the car offers and overall 50/50 balance of weight. The frame of the car offers more rigidity than if the car would have a hardtop because of the X-frame design which allows the car to be more capable and give you the feel on the road. Take a look at the Honda S2000 and learn all about this amazing car that gives our host something fun and exciting to discuss in future segments of the show.
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