Honda Ready To "Stun" The World With Electric S2000

Honda is apparently gearing up to unveil an electric sports car later this year that may be the spiritual successor to the S2000. British publication Car has been told by insiders that a special Honda sports car is ready to stun the world later this year. The S2000 was revealed for Honda's 50th anniversary, and with 2023 marking 75 years since Honda was established, it's believed the company wants to capitalize on the occasion, much like Porsche did by choosing its 75th birthday bash to reveal the Mission X concept.

No details are currently known about the sports car other than the fact it will be an EV. Honda teased two sports cars last year, one of which displayed familiar S2000-aping proportions, giving everyone hope. Are we getting a lightweight, electric convertible that will go up against cars like the upcoming electrified 718 Boxster successor? Or something else entirely?

Car Magazine also confirmed that the sports car could receive the Type R moniker. Honda technical consultant, Kotaro Yamamoto, confirmed to the publication that, "'Type R stands for racing. It's pleasure transported. An electric car can deliver this, and a Type R is not obliged to use a combustion engine. Even in a fully electric society, there will still be Type Rs delivering ultimate driving pleasure."

Honda and Type R are intertwined, with Honda's lead engineer for Type R Hideki Kakinuma, even going as far as saying, "Without Type R, there is no Honda." It represents the brand's performance aspirations, showing to the world that it isn't just another boring automaker. The Civic Type R will go electric at some point in the future, but if things go according to plan, it may be the second electric model to wear the Type R badge.

Thanks to Honda's upcoming e:N architecture, there's also a good chance the model will arrive with RWD and possibly even AWD for the higher-performance Type R version. One motor will help the vehicle keep the weight and price down, but how much so varies on the vehicle's design.

Most electric sports cars in the pipeline tend to be relatively heavy - circa 4,000 lbs - especially when relying on traditional construction methods. The carbon fiber Lotus Evija hypercar weighs 3,702 lbs but the MG Cyberster weighs 4,079 lbs. The Rimac Nevera weighs 4,740 lbs. There's hope though, a Caterham has revealed the Project V concept sports car with a weight of just 2,624 lbs, while the Alpine A110 E-ternite weighs 3,038 lbs.

If Honda can find a way to make the S2000 successor something similar, it will bring the company into its electric future while staying true to the lightweight roots that made it so famous.