Honda S2000

• Japanese AP1 runs from 15 April 1999 to the October 2005 catalogue end, including the October 2003 facelift. AP2 starts on 25 November 2005.
• AP1 uses the F20C (1,997 cm³, 250 PS). AP2 uses the F22C (2,156 cm³, 242 PS).
• Type V, with variable-ratio steering, is an AP1 grade from July 2000. TYPE S is an AP2 grade from October 2007.
• The Club Racer (CR) is a US trim with a hardtop in place of the soft top. It is not a Japanese grade.
• Honda gives more than 110,000 worldwide sales to the end of December 2008. No AP1 and AP2 production split is sourced.
• US import age is judged per car from its build date; EPA's engine rule applies separately.

• Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
• High-revving naturally aspirated F-series four-cylinder (F20C or F22C)
• Six-speed manual in every Honda Japanese specification table
• Two-seat open roadster

Dates are Honda's Japanese announcement and sale dates. Each generation page carries its own specification tables, recalls and checklist.

Generation names are broad families. The factory chassis codes below identify the variants represented in JDMBUYSELL's current Honda S2000 guide data.

AP1 (F20C, 1999–2005 in Japan)

Chassis code: AP1

Confirm the complete code on the vehicle's frame or VIN plate; drivetrain, body, and market variants can use different prefixes within one generation family.

These pages use Honda's Japanese specifications, in PS and kW. Honda's US releases give different ratings for the 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre engines, and the US Club Racer (CR) has no Japanese equivalent. Each generation page shows the US figures it relies on as labelled comparisons.

Figures are Honda's Japanese catalogue ratings in PS and kW, net. US rows are labelled comparisons.

Engine options

Grades are those in Honda's Japanese releases. The Club Racer is a US trim shown only as a comparison.

When did the Japanese S2000 change from AP1 to AP2?

Honda announced the 2.2-litre revision on 24 November 2005 and put it on sale on 25 November 2005 as the ABA-AP2. The facelifted 2.0-litre cars sold from 17 October 2003 are still AP1 in Honda's Japanese records. The US had the 2.2-litre engine earlier, for the 2004 model year.

Which S2000 grades were sold in Japan?

AP1: the S2000, the type V (from 14 July 2000) and the GIOIRE special editions (from 4 October 2002). AP2: the S2000 and type V in the earlier catalogue, then the S2000 and TYPE S (from 25 October 2007). The Club Racer (CR) is a US trim.

What gearbox did the Japanese S2000 have?

Honda's Japanese specification tables for every S2000 catalogue list a six-speed manual, with rear-wheel drive.

How many S2000s were sold?

Honda's January 2009 release says more than 110,000 worldwide and more than 20,000 in Japan, as of the end of December 2008, for both chassis codes together. Hagerty UK gives 110,673 cars over ten years. The reporting periods differ, so the figures do not conflict. No final production total or AP1 and AP2 split is sourced here.

Can I import a Japanese S2000 into the US?

The US 25-year rule uses each car's manufacture date (49 CFR 591.5(i)). EPA's 21-year provision requires the original engine model and configuration; its 2011 guidance allows equivalent or newer EPA-certified engines and emission-control systems. Confirm swaps with EPA. Canada counts 15 years by manufacture month and year. Import clearance does not guarantee registration; check state or provincial rules.