2002 Honda S2000

With just two former keepers, ‘PA02 KBE’ was a 40th birthday present to himself. And what a present it was! Finished in Nürburgring Blue Metallic and a matching blue leather interior, he’s thoroughly enjoyed his nigh-on four years with it.

Not that it’s had a hard life, either in his hands or before. He’s only covered around 6,000 miles in the past three years, and this gentle use has raised the odometer to just 48,000 in total.

With room for only one car at home, the S2000 has been kept in storage and the demands of a young family means it simply isn’t getting used as much as he would like. He therefore feels the time is right to let someone else enjoy having one of Honda’s finest in their garage.

The legendary Honda build quality is evident, even after the passage of almost a quarter of a century. Take a look at the shutlines, for example, which are still razor-sharp and mm-perfect. 

Its curation has been equally impressive. The flanks are free of ripples and even the corners and the door mirrors, usually the first places to betray a careless owner, are free of scuffs and scrapes.

The Nürburgring Blue Metallic still has a good shine to it too, and the colour looks even better in real life; the seller tells us it attracts a lot of attention and draws universally positive comments.

The black folding roof rises and falls as it should, sealing tightly when it is raised and tucking snugly away when it isn’t needed. It is free of rips, tears, and other damage and features a proper glass rear window complete with heated element. The inner headlining and frame are just as good as the outer fabric.

The lamp lenses are bright and undamaged, and the badges still look great.

As for the 16-inch alloy wheels, they’re not only in great shape with no kerbing or other damage (and this alone tells you all you need to know about the care with which the seller has maintained it) they’re also fitted with a new set of Uniroyal RainSport tyres in 225/50R16 on the rear and 205/55R16 on the front. 

None, we are told, have covered more than a 1,000 miles and still look like new.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The blue leather interior looks great too, doesn’t it? Always crucial on a convertible because you see more of it more often than you would in the equivalent coupé, it too has weathered the intervening 22 years well.

Sure, the outer edge of the driver’s seat shows the usual wear pattern you get from the driver sliding in and out, but the rest looks very good indeed. They’re great seats anyway, and the condition of these means they’re still as comfortable and supportive as they are elegant.

The netting pockets behind the seat and in the footwell are both still nice and taut, and they give more useful storage space than you imagine. There’s a lockable cubby between the seats too, which further extends the S2000’s usefulness.

But practical as it is, the S2000 is a sports cars and in this regard it doesn’t disappoint. First, there’s a big red starter button, and while they might be commonplace these days, we never get tired of using ‘em.

Then there’s the digital speedometer and 9,000rpm rev counter, both set behind a suitably fat-rimmed and ergonomic steering wheel. The gear lever is as short and stubby as you’d hope, and the pedals, including a footrest, are perfectly positioned.

As for its condition, the door cards, dashboard, carpets, instruments and controls are all very good, if not excellent.

As for things you might like to address, the leather-covered gearknob is lightly worn. That’s it.

The Honda’s service history is recorded as follows:

• 16.01.2003 and 1,678 miles – service by Derek Warwick Honda
• 04.10.2005 and 9,220 miles – service by (unreadable)
• 21.02.2007 and 13,406 miles – service by Derek Warwick Honda
• 19.01.2011 and 23,453 miles – service by Derek Warwick Honda
• 31.08.2012 and 24,957 miles – service by Derek Warwick Honda
• 08.10.2013 and 27,698 miles – service by Derek Warwick Honda
• 17.08.2017 and 39,236 miles – service by Honda Doyle Motors Limited
• 01.07.2020 and 43,775 miles – service by Honda Marshall Motor Group 
• 20.04.2022 and 46,179 miles - service by The Motorist.
• 02.06.2023 and 47,720miles - service by The Motorist.

The Motorist fitted new rear discs and pads, a high-flow catalytic convertor, a powdercoated rocker cover, and new suspension springs in September 2020.

We are told the Honda is “mechanically perfect” and “drives brilliantly.” As you can see, it certainly starts, idles and revs as it should.

The engine bay is very well presented being clean and nicely detailed. The refurbished and powdercoated rocker cover looks particularly good; after all, if you’ve got it, why not flaunt it?

The underside also looks good, and the repair that was made to the boot floor can be seen between the twin exhausts. (Please see the next section for further details.)

The Honda’s MoT certificate is valid until May 2024. Those of you of a cynical nature (heh, we aren’t judging…) will note the reason for failure was given as “Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”. 

The seller says this wasn’t the case, and it was because there was a hole in the boot floor near a grommet and this simply needed patching. 

In 2020 the MoT tester wrote: “Central Rear Integral body structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced Slight corrosion to boot floor,” which the seller says more accurately describes the issue.

A video is available that explains what the problem was and shows how it was rectified.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and it comes with two keys, the Honda book pack, and a bunch of old invoices.

As a birthday present, the Honda S2000 takes some beating. Fast, beautiful, and benefitting from Honda’s legendary build quality, few sportscars are as practical and thrilling as this.

And yet, for all their many benefits – and there are many – they are still very accessible. 

This one, which is beautifully presented and comes with both a low mileage and a good history, will fetch somewhere between £12,000 and £16,000, which seems like a small price to pay to have a legend in your garage.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in York, North Yorkshire. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.