LexFather

http://www.leftlanenews.com/roadster...tml#more-14170

Two automakers, Cadillac and Honda, announced today that production of their high-performance roadsters will come to a close during 2009. Cadillac says that production of the Chevrolet Corvette-based XLR will cease in March or April and Honda confirmed earlier reports that 2009 will be the last model year for the slow-selling S2000.

The Bowling Green, Kentucky-built XLR’s production cessation means that about 40 workers will lose their jobs. Cadillac sold just 1,250 XLRs last year, the model’s fifth year, even though it had been subject to a minor facelift.

“Obviously, it’s difficult when a plant loses a product,” plant manager Paul Graham told the Bowling Green Daily News. “We want to continue to grow our volume as much as we can. So it’s been difficult.”

The S2000, which was introduced in 1999, had been intended as a limited-run model, but Honda says it continued production due to demand. Still, the automaker barely sold 2,500 S2000s in the U.S. last year, well down from prior years. Overall, Honda sold about 65,000 S2000s in the U.S.

“The S2000 is a sports car designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts,” Honda executive vice president John Mendel said in a press release. “It raised the bar for all future roadsters, and it’s already considered a classic by many Honda fans.”

mmarshall

The probable reason for the S2000's demise (which they are not saying in the article), at least as I see it, is that the Miata was just too much competition for it. Granted, the Miata, in standard non-turbo form, did not offer as much high-end HP as the S2000, but the torque difference between them was not all that great, and, more importantly, in the normal RPM ranges that most people drive. The S2000's engine was enormously peaky, and required almost motorcycle RPMs to get max power. The Miata engines were somewhat peaky, too but nowhere near as much as the S2000. Added to that, the Miata undersold the S2000 by a significant chunk of money, has perhaps the easiest and most foolproof fabric drop-top mechanism in the industry, and, for those who still don't want to manually drop the top, a power-hardtop option.

Don't get me wrong.....I'm not knocking the S2000. It was (and is) an excellent, classic sports car, with build quality that is equal or better than the Miata (and the Miata's build quality itself is excellent). But the Miata just appealed to more Americans in more different ways, and as I see it, the S2000 just couldn't keep up in the marketplace.....especially in this tight auto market where people aren't spending much money on cars that are essentially fair-weather, weekend toys.

felixsc300

iTrader: (5)

I've always wanted an S2000 since it came out. I was around 10 at the time. Seems like I'll have to buy used now.

IS-SV

I like the S2000, but declining/low sales and profit no longer justify its production.

Gytis123

iTrader: (11)

Wow... never knew that till now

GQD_GS4

love my s2k! fits like a glove (if you're under 6 feet tall). hopefully its replacement will be equally enjoyable.

mmarshall

If you can afford a new one, why not go shopping now, before it is dropped? I'm sure that with the market the way it is, in most parts of the country, Honda shops will deal.

But my advice is to also test-drive a Miata and compare its price and features before you make a deal on an S2000....both are excellent sports cars.

Initial B

iTrader: (2)

glad it's been discontinued. it has served its market well, and 10 yrs is more than enough without major upgrades.

felix - not knocking you, but since you drive a *'95* SC, chances are you you wouldn't be buying a new S2k anyway. at least not if you're smart - there's quite a bit of depreciation on these in the first few years

Habious

The S2000 was certainly a niche car. AMAZING engine. I had a boss that had one of these. There are two entirely different engines in that car...one below 6 grand, and one above.

Below 6,000 RPM, the car drove like a sporty (and very stiffly-sprung) Accord. Muted exhaust note, acceptable amount of power. Get the huge tach above 6,000 RPM though...and that VTEC kicks in with a vengeance. The engine and exhaust howls at you!

Now, it was quite a bit of work to keep the RPM's over 6,000 to have all that power on tap but, if you took the time and learned the art, whoa momma!

My only real complaint with it was the size. It's not at all a practical car...it's got to be a second car. Trunk-space is a joke! I remember riding along with my boss to a sales call, with my briefcase stuck between my knees the whole time (there was only room for one briefcase in the trunk...no joke).

speed_Demo

Honda S2K was great, but for 10 yrs production with no major update beside lower RPM for more torque, just silly.

It could've been greater if they had more R&D in the vehicle. But it was suppose to be a limited-run, so they could've done more.

TLe2006

Same thing they did to NSX. They built a excellent vehicle then axe it later. How do they expect the vehicles to sell well when they don't really have big changes to their new models?

Mr. Jones

so how long before the SC430 gets axed?

eyecon7

iTrader: (2)

lmao.................

felixsc300

iTrader: (5)

I'm 6"2'.

mmarshall, as I have once said in a R-Class thread, I'm only 17. Even though I'm young, I plan to purchase most of my cars used/CPO, as replica suggests. Plus, my taste for cars change as often as my underwear (which is very often I assure you) so I'd rather not get raped by depreciation.

mmarshall

OK, understood. I had to wait till I was 23 for my first new car.....and then it wasn't anything like an S2000.