The S2000 CR was unveiled to select members of the media on April 3, 2007 at the Lotus Space in New York City. We were fortunate enough to be included in that group, and below are some photos from last evening's gathering.

Overall we think the car looks okay, but we're most interested in the performance upgrade of the new componentry. The faux suede seat and door panel trim is nice, but the yellow mesh inserts don't quite do it for us visually. All of the body work is said to be 100% functional though along with the additional chassis bracing it does add back a bit of the weight that was trimmed elsewhere. The seats feel quite good to sit in and the shortened shifter action felt quite good, though of course we were rowing the gears while the car wasn't running.

The prototype on display was supposed to have been rigged so we could see the revised dash layout, but the lighting wasn't working properly, so we've only seen it in the press photos (available here). We think the revision is a step in the right direction - we always thought the AP2's gauge design evoked too many rainbow shapes - now the tach, water temp gauge, and fuel gauge make up 3 parts of a continous arc.

Product planner Gary Robinson was quick to point out that the CR's Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires are essentially the same as those fitted to the legendary NSX Type R, with the CR wearing 215s up front and 255s in the rear - only the front aspect ratio differs from the NSX-R's. Speaking of the tires, the spare has been eliminated as part of the weight savings campaign. In its place is a pump/tire sealant kit.

Mr. Shigeru Uehara was in attendance at the private event last night. Uehara-san is the father of both the NSX and S2000. Unfortunately, the S2000 CR will be his final project at Honda Motor Company - he will be retiring later this year. We spoke to him briefly and thanked him for his hard work and his amazing achievements. We can only hope that his successors will be able to match his legacy.

The car shown here was painted in Apex Blue, an exclusive CR color. The CR will also be offered in 3 other hues that will be shared with the base S2000 model (Yellow, White, Black). All CRs will have the same interior color scheme (black/charcoal with yellow stitching and mesh inserts).

Steering ratio has been changed back to the quicker ratio of the AP1. The standard hard top was not shown, but it is said to be the same as the aluminum hardtop that was offered as an accessory. All hardtops on the CR model will be painted black.

Last edited by JeffX on February 01, 2008 09:00