@@farmerman7947 nah s2k looks 100x better when you get a hard top and a better looking spoiler. s2ks are also great to modify with all that engine bay space
It's just a shame the car was hardly updated. Aside from 2004, all the updates were very minor for the next 5 years. I'd always wondered if Honda kept up with the competition if there'd still be an S2000 nowadays like there are with Miatas, Boxsters and BMW Z's. It'd be more modern and lose some of its edge, but if they followed what Mazda did and focus on the heart of it, I think it'd do well.
Yep, and unfortunately they don't any.ore so now we have the atrocity known as the civic, mechanically good but fugly. I actually miss the high strung, high reving engines. Everything is now turbocharged and always lose steam before the redline. I like turbos but they seem to not have the upper rpm power they used to have. Guess thats the sacrifice they made for low rpm torque and a quick boost spool up.
@@TheMachRider Because the characteristic is even more serious, exclusive than competitors. No automatic option, manual only unlike Baxter or Miata, no hardtop unlike Miata, and one of the most high revving and power dense naturally aspirated engine even today 2020, including Ferrari F12 Tdf and some Porsche 911s. This is why S2000 had only survived just one generation, and then become a legendary masterpiece sports car. S2000 is too hard for who are not confident to drive.
HAHAHA, true. But, I had a Miata and now have an S2000, and gotta say the Miata really has more power than most think if you keep revs over +/- 5,000. Sounds great at that level as well, and it was meant to be driven that way.
@@BobC59 I test drove a few S2000's before eventually buying a Miata. The cheapest decent S2000 I could find was $25,000. I decided to just spend $3000 on a Miata because essentially it was just as enjoyable to drive. Just have to stay on top of rust 😁
@@TheAdventureAuto As a current S2000 owner (and past Miata owner), I actually agree with you! The S2K is a special car, but the smile on my face after driving it is no bigger than the one I had after driving the Miata.
@Jim S. Some versions can do it under 14. That is fast, unless you've driven something faster. Btw, I suppose you are an American, if you care only about straight line speed.
Some say, Ayrton Senna had more to do with the design of this than the NSX. He then left for Williams but the S in the name is similar to his own Senna brand. And the digital dash was made to look like the McLaren F1 car mp4/4
@@martincoufalik9101 the 2.0 revs to 9000 rpm but American customers complained that it doesn't have enough low end torque so Honda increased the stroke. Because of that they didn't let it rev that high. The 2.2 was only sold in North America and later in japan. All other places only got the 2.0.
Honestly it’s the only bit of the car that looks dated, works great though, you can easily see the speedo and revs without looking away from the road and you do NOT want to look away over 8k in third.
They are cool but they are very expensive to replace and parts are expensive for the car too. My dad used to have trouble finding parts for his and when he did they were not cheap. He had the ap1 model
Haha i was just trying to see if anyone here is also bugged out that he didnt talk about vtec while saying it “gets alive” haha he shouldve said “vtec kicks in” lmao maybe he just doesnt know about vtect😁
Kinda disappointed by all the things not talked about in this video. 1. Forged internals from factory with fiber reinforced sleeves. 2. Factory engine making 120hp per liter, which was the highest for 10 years until the 2010 4.5l Ferrari 458 italia. 3. Like everyone said the "hidden compartment" 4. The fact that it doesn't have any door lock switches except on the fob. 5. 50/50 weight distribution. 6. Mid engine 7. S2000 CR had options for no a/c or radio from factory. 8. You have to insert and turn the key then push the "push to start" button. 9. There are cupholders. 10. The steering wheel is fixed in location and can not be adjusted. For anyone that doesn't know, the hump on the floor is the because that's where the catalytic converter is.
turbo s2k Ikr, he talked about goofy controls and lack of cup holders and glove box for half the video, people buying s2000 don't care about glove boxes!!!
Bill Gates M8s you obviously know nothing about cars. Mid engine refers to any engine fully located between the front and rear axle. If the engine is behind the driver but in front of the rear axle, it is a "rear" mid engine. If the engine is in front of the drive but behind the front axle it is a "front" mid engine. Honda even refers to the s2000 as a mid engined car.
I was working on the European launch of the s2000 in Germany, and one thing that stood out from Honda was how aware they were that getting the idea of a high revving engine like Vtec into the heads of the largely BMW loving journalists was going to be a tough task. These engines are designed to run at high revs and as you found that is where the power is, the engine will happily run close to the red line all day. Practically the opposite to the typical BMW delivery. To attempt to address this with the journalists, the pre-drive presentations went to great lengths to explain the nature and characteristics of the Honda engine. Even specifically comparing the ideal driving style for performance against a BMW. The journalists were all advised and driven by Honda drivers before being sent out on their own to evaluate the cars, again with great care to highlight the fact that with this car you are supposed and safe to keep the engine at high revs. Guess what? Pretty much every German journalist managed to ignore every bit of advice and tried to drive the s2000 exactly how they would a BMW! They never got to experience the car as it should be driven and all gave it bad reviews for being slow and rubbish! Most of the other European journalists took the directions on board and most seemed to really enjoy the car. I felt sorry for the heads of the launch team, I don’t really see what more they could have done to try to get the German press to be more open minded; it was almost laughable listening to the comments from those guys after their test drives, like they had listened to zero of the presentation and guidance and just drove the cars their usual way.
It's funny that car journalists know shit about driving a car, I personally know one and I took him on a ride with my s2000. The guy was bragging about driving gt3 once before and after a 5min ride he was begging me to slow down. Yes he doesn't have a car of his own, never had.
I’m totally biased as I’ve owned 2 but a few things you missed: 1) This was Honda’s 50th birthday present to itself and was a tribute to its F1 racing heritage. 2) You can see that nod to its F1 dominance from the red starter button, the digital display that mimics an F1 car, and all the controls at your fingertip. 3) When first released in 2000 it had the highest output per liter than any other production vehicle 4) In the original AP1 it reved to 9000 rpm. Unheard of at that price point. 5) Its technically a mid engine car and has a perfect 50/50 weight balance 6) You missed the secret glove box ;) 7) The same guy in charge of the NSX’s development was also in charge of this one and it was his last project. 8) The LED taillights were way ahead of their time as well as the HID headlights. Anyway, love your channel and glad you included an S2K!
Dave, having HIDs weren’t what made the car ahead of its time. It had some of the best projectors in any car for at least 10 years. If you go look at other vehicle forums, many HID upgrades said the high end solution was to use the S2000 projectors. Not sure if you have driven one at night, but if you get the chance, check it out. The light output and cutoff is shocking good and damn near perfect.
Dave Points we’ll taken. I should have been more specific on the racing point. They were celebrating their involvement in motor sports with this model. They had over 70 F1 Grand Prix victories and were the single engine supplier for Indy Car at the time. Additionally it was developed in Suzuka by the same engineers who worked on their racing engines. Not to mention their dominance in Grand Prix Motorcycle and motocross 😁. 4) True, I shouldn’t have implied it was the first or only. The Integra type R was a beast of a motor too but was limited production and if I remember correctly it wasn’t sold here. You’re right. The RX-8 did rev that high although knowing it’s garbage reliability would you want to repeatedly 😉 8) I understand it wasn’t the first or only but honestly. At that time and price point I’m pretty sure it was rare and unique. Plus I’m a lighting guy and I just think it was a cool touch.
@@BobC59 I totally 2nd guessed myself after watching this video and commenting, went to my car and moved the seats and was shocked to see some kind of vent looking thing behind the seats.... I was like omg Doug knows my car better than me and he had it for 5mins... Sure enough nothing comes out of them lol But I watched a video of a car he did recently (don't remember what car it was, definitely a roadster as well though) but he said it had some contraption that replicates a bass sound cause they couldn't put real speakers there.... I have a 2000 s2k with literally just 2 door speakers (thanks Honda) lmao and sometimes I feel like I hear bass from my trunk and was wondering if it's the same mechanisms... Clearly Doug does not know the answer to that though
@@christianwilliams6117 HAHAHA! Yeah, I did the same things when I saw this video!!! And no, nothing comes out of them - so what the heck are they there for????????? I think we need to find out. Promise, whomever figures it out, please respond to this thread! 1, 2, 3... Go! :D
@@BobC59 lmao well it didn't take me too long to figure it out.... Thanks to Google of course (why didn't I search in the first place🙃)... www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-under-hood-22/duh-what-vents-behind-seats-708418/page2/ IDK if RU-vid let's you see links but basically it filters the are out of the cabin from what I'm reading. I guesssss🤷
Honda hit it out of the park with the S2000. They made a great sports car that was well designed and engineered, speedy, and relatively affordable. It looks timeless.
My wife and I decided to look for an S2000 back in 2010. We went to a dealership to "Look" and "Drive" the car. It was a Laguna Blue with 24000 miles on it. Asking price was around $25K. Bare in mind we lived in MN so convertible only gets 6 months of use out of the year. I had to show the "Sales lady" how to start the car. After we both drove it, I drove home. My wife decided to stay to "Look at numbers" with her friend, who drove her there. Later that evening, I was having dinner, when I saw this gorgeous blue thing drove up to my driveway. All I can think of is, "She didn't". Yes. She did. This was a present for each other when we got married in 2010. Unfortunately, 5 years later, we had a baby and this had to go. I miss it dearly. It was a great car. I miss washing and waxing it on sunny days and taking it for a spin. You cannot be mad/angry/sad/depressed when you're driving this thing. It's smiles all the way. I vow that someday after our daughter grows up, I will rebuy the car. This one here is great as well. I also hope Honda brings it back.
A friend and coworker of mine owned an S2000 and he used to let me drive it. Doug is spot on. The handling is pure fun, and the engine is gutless at low revs. But driving with the top down was amazing fun, and once it hit that 6000rpm you get shoved back in your seat and very quickly find yourself above the speed limit! The gear shifter was great, short and notchy, but even in 6th gear, cruising at 100kph was a buzzy noisy affair! My girlfriend and I borrowed it and did 1000km in a weekend, driving along twisting swooping country roads and it was the best driving fun I've ever had. But when we needed to stop for petrol, I couldn't find the damned fuel door release!!! :-D I had to look up the owner's manual to find it in the door sill as I'd never seen it filled before. Such a fun car. Great fun going through tunnels with the top down, slowing down and then revving it high. Good times :-)
Doug, you forgot the Hidden storage compartment! The handle is inside the glove box between the seats. The door that the wind deflector sits on flips up!
You missed the secret storage compartment, I accidentally found it after 2 years of owning mine. I've owned mine for almost 11 years and never had anything major go out. I love the s2000
RU-vidrs like Doug are among the greatest contributors to keep love for cars alive in the Uber era. Otherwise many wouldn't understand the role cars once played in people's dreams. This Honda video brings that passion back to viewers.
It does 0-60 in 5.5 seconds , that's not even slow . Maybe in today standards v8 doing it in 3.4 seconds . This is an almost 20 year old 4 cylinder rwd mini beast
ORANGE BOY 714 lol yeah he makes it seem so much slower... he literally took off in 2nd and expected to be Impressed drive it like it's meant to be driven
3:25, If I don't like the whoever is going to be the passenger, I WOULD JUST NOT GIVE HIM/HER A RIDE!!! instead of letting him/her seat at the passenger seat and DON'T TELL them about it.
My grandparents have a blue 2004 model like this one (without the spoiler), and I have very fond memories growing up and getting to go for a ride in it. I’m almost 18 and have had my license for about two years now, but have never learned how to drive stick. But my grandpa says he’s gonna teach me this summer in the S2000 and I’m really excited to finally get behind the wheel after all of these years. It’s just a really fun car
Great video Doug, but I do disagree with you on one point; significance. The S2000 had the highest output per liter of any naturally aspirated car until it was dethroned in 2010 by the Ferrari 458 Italia. Just a matter of opinion, but having the highest hp/liter for 10 years is no small feat in my eyes
Anthony Ghadieh besides no one breaking that for 10 years, to have a company as big as ferrari have to make a several hundred thousand car just to beat it is insane
yes he went over 6k, but was he even red lining to stay in vtec? thats probably why the car felt so slow, going in and out of vtec. obviously s2000 aint the fastest car around but i dont think he knew how to drive it
You have to know how to drive the s2000 to truly appreciate it. He should buy one and he will fall in love with it. My granddad owns an s2000 and I've never met someone who wasn't in love with theirs. It's really hard to explain why it's so amazing. It just engages with the driver better than anything I've ever driven.
I think you made a mistake on the importance factor. It was the first easily accessible car to rev to 9k, and that's a big deal considering almost no road car could do that before it came along.
Not only that, but these days you have to look at Lotus (and their price range and problematic build quality) to find a car more pure, analog and less computer controlled. These will become more and more important.
It also held the record for the highest normally aspirated specific output (hp/liter) for a number of years. And it was Honda's first RWD car in something like 40 years.
Patrick94GSR rwd "honda" in America. However, the NSX preceded the S2000 by about a decade, was rwd, and sold as a Honda globally. In the US it was sold as the flagship Acura...which are just leather upgraded Hondas.
BestBox909T7 T7tech I bought one in 2008 with 27k for $20k still with the same money 10 years later with 70k on the clock 🙄 but it's damn good car I'd buy it again if I didn't have an Elise already
3:25, If I don't like the whoever is going to be the passenger, I WOULD JUST NOT GIVE HIM/HER A RIDE!!! instead of letting him/her seat at the passenger seat and DON'T TELL them about it.
Not power to weight. You meant HP per liter, which is different. And since HP per liter is a useless metric that doesn't mean anything, it's not important. The S2000 is a great car, but it's not great because of its HP per liter.
Not really, the elise had a much better power-to-weight ratio and it was released around the same time. I'd say the engine is the most important part, it had the highest specific output (hp per liter) of a production car motor for several years.
I have owned my 2005 for over 10 years now. Has been a daily driver for most of those years earning 138k miles of pure pleasure so far. I will never get rid of it. And yes it's been very reliable.
I just recently had to put reinforcement in an soft top area that was looking thin (not worn through). 60,000 on my 05. I have two sets of 05 rims since they where the nicest designs. One set of rims wears cold weather tires and one set has summer weather tires.
he has no clue. he talks about how slow the car is below 5k. when a car redlines at 9k, who in their right mind would get on it at such a low RPM. the full reason behind the vtec engine is for it to be slow and eco then turn into a beast when the vtec kicks in.
Okay Doug, as a 16 year long S2000 owner, I'm going to correct you and provide some additional info on some of the things in this video: 1) The setting on the climate control does not direct air behind you, the air is directed below the dash to your lap and legs through those "hidden vents" you pointed out later. 2) Honda covered the stereo with the hinged cover to remove distraction from the driver. 3) The hump in the bottom floor board is Honda's X-bone chassis created for the S2000, it provides the stiffness of a coupe but in an open top car., the passenger left side hump is part of the transmission tunnel. 4) The glove box is 2 compartments between the seats, there is the one that you showed, but there is a second one you didn't show on top. 5) When you talk about storage space, the S2000 had a very good reputation for having over 5 cubic feet of trunk space, much more than other roadsters on the market at the time, the trunk could fit two sets of golf bags (with drivers removed). 6) The draw back to the 2004 refresh (known as an AP2) that you reviewed was when Honda decided to increase torque, they decided to do so by increasing the stroke in the motor and increase the displacement to 2.2L, doing so increased piston speed at redline beyond piston speeds in an F1 engine so Honda reduced the redline by 1,000 rpm. All that said, the S2000 is one of the funnest cars out there and I think you did a nice job of conveying what it's like to drive an S2000.
Thanks for the info! If Honda made this car with an automatic, I think it would sell better. It's handling score of 8 is better than the 997 Turbo, and it's insanely simple and reliable. However, because it comes in only stick, I can't buy one :( But very cool car from Honda! When the next gen S2000 comes out, I'm definitely checking it out.
so learn how to drive stick! it's not THAT hard. and since the clutch is pretty light in the s2k, it's not difficult to learn. i've taught several people how to drive stick (in my miata and camry) and most people learn the basics in less than an hour. sure, it takes practice to get smooth, but that's even true of an automatic if you've never driven before.
Yea - I've never tried, but I hear stories of people stalling out and performing money shifts. I currently drive a 2013 BMW 335i with the 8-speed auto, and even that is faster than a manual. An auto adds to the zippiness of the car since you can step on it and instantly take off. If the S2000 came with a dual clutch (the first DCT was used in a passenger car in 2003), people would have gone nuts. It would have done 0-60 in 5.0 seconds flat, and you would have the power to change your momentum in all four directions quickly. I know I don't sound like a man by saying #killthemanuals, but I honestly think it's time for better, faster, zippier transmissions. After all, if you don't have to focus on shifting, you can focus on driving faster.
I've owned 2 S200's before and thanks for this comment ... I cringed more than needed whenever he says a false info lol .... you forgot to mention one more point, the fuel button is not actually a button... that button is pulled not pressed
the vast majority of us can't afford such fancy transmissions yet, so manual is still the way to go for most of us. the other advantage (having driven both manual and auto versions of the same car on a track) is that you never have to guess what the transmission is about to do. a manual will never up-shift unexpectedly and cause you to get a bad lap time or not have power when you want it.
I was kind of disappointing that he didn't pop the hood and talk about how the engine was behind the front suspension and etc. He missed a big part of this car. The engine.
Honda was winning with these 90s and 2000s designs. The S2K and 5th gen Preludes look like something they could push out as a new model and I’d still buy it
Doug... The trick to having maximum fun and performance in one of these cars, is to drive the S2000 like you stole it. Honda's F1 racing engineers had a hand in design and the engine dynamics are the result. This is the closest car from Japan that compares to the high-revving Italian Super-cars. I had a 2001 and it was always in the 6500 to 9000 RPM range. It was one of the most fun cars to drive. Now, this video has inspired me to start looking for a 2000 or 2001 S2000. That engine when it revs to 9000 RPM.... is like a F1 Race Car!
RIght there with you bud. I did my research in 2006 when I bought mine (used) and if you want to enjoy all the perks of the AP1 (00-2003) without all the issues of the earlier years, buy a 2003. They took care of the differential issue, they put a stronger pressure plate on the clutch, and some engi9nes were dropping valves due to valve springs retainers cracking and in some cases FAILING. They also got rid of that crappy/hazy plastic rear window from the 00-02 for a glass one with rear defrost (which does reduce the width of visability... but its still way better than a plastic window that has hazed over. They even changed the shift knob from the ALL stainless LAVA ROCK to one that had a leather strip in it so if the sun was on it all day.. it didn't burn off your finger prints when you touched it like the earlier 00-01 unit. The '04-on is the "AP2" and although they made it look better with a slight facelift, they kind of "pussified" it so you have to do a few things to it to make it more like the AP1 again - the updated wheel size saw the front wheel width increase with the diameter, that .2 bore/stroke upgrade they made to net some low end tq set the redline back to 8500. They also installed a little cushion between the clutch fork and slave cylinder to soften clutch engagement (cause lets face it.. if you owned an s2k and didn't do a full on VTEC clutchdump from a stand still.. you weren't living life right! LOL) They even changed the seats to have less bolstering for "comfort". THey attempted to "upgrade" the stereo but it STILL wasnt loud enough to hear at highway speeds with the top down. Unless you upgraded the player OR had a killer intake/exhaust setup.. long rides at speed would get boring. the interior did get nicer material on the dash and seats in the AP2.. but thats small potatoes. Good luck on your hunt and I hope you get another one duder! I myself AND the wife want another one but financially - Im going to have to pull a trade up game until Ican afford one. Ive started with a 2003 Explorer I got for free and have worked my way up to a 2007 Wolfsberg Ed Jetta so Im getting closer financially. a few thousand more in value and I'll have what I need to own one again!
MacPro8CoreMan sorry if i seem ignorant/dumb, im a young and new car enthusiast and am only starting to learn more about cars. is it harmful for the car if i rev it high? im referring to cars in general, not just the s2000. even normal cars like the honda civic or some normal toyota. and of course i dont mean revving it until redline, maybe until around the 6k rpm mark. sometimes i try to rev it high in my mom's toyota that has vvt and the sound of the engine when it reaches 4k rpm makes me uncomfortable so i just stop. i apologise again for probably sounding like an idiot to you guys
@LAD Teknologies yeah Ohlins is definitely top of the line in terms of suspension. Wouldn't a staggered setup with the rear tires being wider help alleviate the loose feeling at higher speeds? I agree with your point about the shorter wheelbase.
@Turbo knight No Ford gear box will ever beat even a Honda economy gearbox, sorry. The 94-01 generations of the Honda Prelude were the same, shift out the shift bushings to aluminum and you quite literally had one of the best feeling gearboxes in the industry.
Oleh Lemishka completely agree with you man. While the s2k is not a fast car it still seems much faster than it really is when your sitting in one. I’m surprised he scored it so low
lol right? It is not even about how fast it is, but how important it was for 2.2L engine to produce around 200 WHP. For such power, acceleration is impressive. No other car with 200HP at the wheel will make you feel better and more engaged in driving than s2k.
Oleh Lemishka yes, agree! This might be the best 4 cylinder engine ever made. I'm not sure I can think of a better one - certainly not a naturally aspirated one. Not just because of the Hp per liter (which is amazing) but also because it revs up and down smoothly for hundreds of thousands of fault free miles. Amazing engineering. Too bad though, Honda is dead now. Not a single new Honda product I would buy - not one.
I felt the same way. Bought one. After a while it gets really annoying to drive as a daily. Such a lack of torque forces you to rev it out a bit, and sometimes you just don't feel like driving it aggressively. My suggestion is don't buy one unless you have another car.
Fair review, you forgot the secret compartment above the center console, no mention of the 50/50 weight distribution or how the S2000 had the most HP per liter (120) until being surpassed by the Ferrari 458 I think 9 years later.
He also didn't mention the insane speed of the retractable power top. I was told by an S2000 owner, that later showed me how fast the top can go up and down, that it was one of the fastest power tops put into a production car when it came out. We timed it and it took about 12 seconds, which is really fast.
Pretty sure the reason the trunk button is in the storage compartment is so you can leave the top down and lock the compartment so people can't come along and pop the trunk open. Actually a pretty good idea.
You missed the secret compartment, I can't tell you where it is because, well, it's a secret. Also, below the flat trunk bottom carpet panel is a tray that holds the scissor jack/tool kit, if you remove the tray you'll see the bottom is curved, that's there so if you get a flat tire you can remove the tray and carry your removed wheel/tire home inside the trunk.
The hump in the middle is due to offsetting the drivetrain to accommodate for the driver's weight. The design was to have the car balanced perfectly with 150lb driver in the front seat, IIRC.
All controls should allow an elbow to the head of passengers who try to touch them. And.... "As a passenger, you don't matter in an S2000" The perfect driver's car :D
This video has been out for over 2 years now and I'm just finally getting around to watching it. If your a car guy I agree that this is one of many cars you should get a chance to drive.
Doug, The s2k was made to be driven through the curves, and it does so perfectly. It was not designed for straight line speed. Perfect pedal set up; braking is phenomenal; there is no better short-throw shifter; steering wheel is very communicative. I am 6' 4" tall and I fit in it comfortably. The car is a true driver's car. It was meant to be driven, not to be practical. If you want additional cargo space, then you get an Accord or Civic. One additional quirk that you failed to mention is that above the glove box between the seats, lies another storage area, which is very deep. I leased one from 2004-2008 and owned one from 2008 through 2017, when it was unfortunately stolen. In a word, the car is frenetic above 6500 rpm, and it is meant to be, to have fun. Regarding the bump, it is across member, shaped like an X, that gives the car substantial torsional rigidity, and allows it to handle so well. The car does not rise during cornering or acceleration, and it does not squat during braking, due to the stiff suspension. What's more, it has no driver's aids other than traction control (added in 2006) and abs. This car is perfect for driving enthusiasts.
@@dundonrl well - I used to have 2001 version and 2004 euro specs - both of them used to do it on a highway... 245 - easy! Later - a bit slower (with top down)
i worked at an oil change shop when I was 19, when a blue s2000 pulled up I was so excited because we drove the cars into the bay. I changed the oil, the filter, washed the windows and aired up the tires. Then i talked to the owner, after about 10 minutes of talking he handed me the keys again and said "lets go for a drive". my boss let me leave and I got to drive it for a whole hour, that sealed my need for the s2000. I'm 21 now and I've been saving ever since then to buy one and I'm so close. This is my dream car and I'm happy I got to drive one. The owner was about my dads age, (mid 50"s) and he was super nice, he even let me red line it for a few seconds. I'll never forget that day.
3:25, If I don't like the whoever is going to be the passenger, I WOULD JUST NOT GIVE HIM/HER A RIDE!!! instead of letting him/her seat at the passenger seat and DON'T TELL them about it.
Actually, would be interesting to do a kit car version as well... to see if a replica can give you the same feel as a real one, if it worth it or not just for the experience.
If i could add pictures. 36 Fence boards in passenger seat, big cooler in front seat and the round 5 gallon water cooler in trunk, 4 tires for track days (2 on pass seat & 2 'on' trunk), with hurricane Irma i put each separately 'on' the trunk; generator, freezer, BBQ grill, 12 ice bags. I've used this thing like a truck....lol All this in the stock form (no trailers or hitches). Oh...and 12 inch sub in the trunk...for added music. And...Doug, you forgot the "2nd" storage compartment above the trunk release. Nonetheless great video.
I think it deserves a 7 or 8 in importance, just because od the fact that this car is still sought after 20 years later, and it also held the record for highest HP output per liter until Ferrari came out with the 458 Italia.
Some quick notes: 1. The A/C mode in the middle directs air through the vents in the middle just above the radio door, that is was Doug means by getting air to circulate inside the cabin area and come back around "behind you". 2. The hump in the driver and passenger footwell does NOT bother you. You will have no problem placing your legs comfortably. 3. You fool! You missed the super-secret secret compartment just above the middle compartment; you place your thumb inside the little indent above the hook, and you can access a much bigger compartment to stash your Owner's Manual, water bottle, literacy, snacks, sunglasses, etc. 3. For the FUEL "button", you pull it to open the fuel door. 4. HELL yeah this is one of those cars that you HAVE to drive. 5. This is a corner-carving car, not meant for straight line speed. Considering that Japan does not have the same liberty of open roads, the power is just fine for American roads. 6. "Above 6000" VTEC JUST KICKED IN, YO!
