balMaster

No manual transmission?

toy4two

the new Cayman has really set the standard for "affordable" midengine cars, I hope Honda can beat it, even with the new turbo 4 Caymans come out

LexFather

Wow production in Ohio with the NSx and not in Japan.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

seems like honda, with this and the new nsx will have front wheels driven by electric motors and rear wheels driven by regular engine, which eliminates the need for any complex/heavy power distribution gears and it can all be managed by software. this could provide some amazing traction, quickness, and handling. of course it could also turn out to be a bizarre frankenstein car that drives horribly, but honda does have a decent track record with sports cars.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Until the battery dies.

UDel

The NSX will also have a larger electric motor driving the rear wheels too along with the IC engine, it will have 3 electric motors, 1 for each front wheel and then the main rear wheel electric motor, plus the main twin turbo 6 cylinder Complicated. I do not think this new S2000 will have the same system from what I have been reading, I believe it may just be 1 electric motor for torque fill from the 4 cyl turbo, both would driving the rear wheels. I could be wrong but I have not read anything about the new S2000 being AWD or using the 3 motor system.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

mid mounted doesnt always mean engine behind the driver. LFA was front engine mid mounted. All mid mounted needs is for the engine to be between the two axles.

LexFather

True...The Z is front "midship" too I believe?

They really should rename these cars with something new, it just pisses off loyal owners of the previous cars.

1JZsoarer

I will believe it when I will see it. Like the unicorn NSX that was supposed to go on sale like what? 5 years ago now?

UDel

This new S2000 is supposed to be built off of the NSX platform or a lower cost version of that platform so the engine will be behind the driver or a traditional mid engine layout.

GS69

New Patents May Be for Honda's Mid-Engine S2000 Replacement

There's little evidence to support reincarnation when it comes to humans, but what about cars? Fans have eagerly awaited a new Honda S2000 since the original iteration of this sprightly roadster left the physical plane in 2009. However, like a spirit entering a new body, it could come back as something very different.

Since the original’s demise, there have been rumors that Honda was working on a trio of new mid-engine sports cars, one of which is to be a successor to the S2000. In the past 6 months we’ve seen Honda launch 2 new mid-engine models in the form of the 2016 NSX supercar (badged an Acura for the U.S.) and the tiny S660 roadster, and now we may have our 1st look at the S2000 successor.

Dutch website Autovisie has managed to get its hands on patent drawings for a new mid-engine sports car. The drawings, one of which is featured above, were registered by Honda with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May and are likely for a concept rather than a production model, as evidenced by the extremely narrow headlight openings and rear-facing cameras instead of conventional side mirrors.

Nevertheless, as we’ve seen with the transition from concept to production for the aforementioned NSX and S660, most of the concept’s lines should be maintained for any final version. It’s clear the design fits in with the look of the new NSX and S660 models. It also looks like the roof is removable, which ties in with this being an S2000 successor.

According to a previous report, this new sports car will be a hybrid. Its powertrain will reportedly consist of the 2.0-liter VTEC turbo 4-cylinder engine debuting in the latest Civic Type-R, with an electric motor attached. Total output is rumored to be in the 365-horsepower neighborhood. All of that power will reportedly be sent to the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Construction would take place alongside the NSX at Honda's Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio. The materials used could be the same as well; carbon fiber and aluminum will probably be needed to meet the new car’s reported target curb weight of less than 3,000 pounds.

If all goes well, sources says the S2000 successor could hit showrooms by 2017, with a price tag somewhere below $70,000. That means it could end up being much more expensive than the old roadster.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I'm all for a mid-engine S2000 replacement, but will take this with a pillar of salt for now.

Sounds like they've been following the FT-1/Supra/S-FR with interest