Test Drive Honda S2000 since 1999 Convertible

All photos of Honda S2000 since 1999

What sports roadster Select: Opel GT (264 hp) or Honda S2000 (240 hp)?

Both competitor Roadster, both look powerful and not too suitable for the role of a family car. Opel GT and Honda S2000 primarily make an emphasis on getting pleasure from management. Although they achieve this common goal completely differently.

About why in the company, whose headquarters is located in Rüsselsheim, this double convertible called Opel GT, perhaps only a couple of creative careers from the marketing department is known. After all, the current Opel GT does not have almost nothing in common with the classical coupe of the 1970s, except for two places. In terms of design, he, rather, looks like a little converted model of a rough Opel Speedster At the beginning of the millennium, this car was put on the Lotus ELise platform, in order to refresh the outdated Opel brand image. At least, then the idea was successful.

But this similarity is only external: compared to Speedster, Opel GT seems to be a luxury car. Although just a simple refusal of all extra gave Speedster of his charm: Maximum drive with minimal weight and even less comfort.

But now Opel GT can be compared with other representatives of the class of sports roadster. For example, with Honda S2000, which has gained wide fame in the market and has been produced from 2000 to the current year. In other words, a serious competitor.

About Opel GT do not tell this. He is a real American, and it can be seen. First of all, his quality speaks about it. GT for General Motors is one of the incarnations of a kind of multifunctional rhodster. It is produced on the conveyor along with such models like Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice and Daewoo G2X in Wilmington, Delaware. At the same time, it is practically identical to these cars. And let the sticker on the doorway read about how the factory employees are proud of the quality of their products, but in reality everything is more different.

Starting from wires and gaps
Take our test copy for example: parts on the hood, imitating ventilation grids, noticeably stick over the edges of the grooves. Or another: the internal light power supply unit is placed in the rearview mirror, and the wiring to it is absolutely not covered up to terminal connections. Yes, and the concept of the gap in some parts of the GM body determines completely in a new way.

With Honda, everything is different. Wherever you look everywhere dear and high-quality finish. Materials look solid and reliable, nothing to see work on an ambulance hand or halchsy. Before the little things, a thoughtful Japanese.

True, close. The one who sits in S2000 must love closeness. Already the landing itself in this car requires much more effort than landing in Opel GT, which at least in this regard demonstrates the positive aspects of its origin. It offers significantly more space and freedom of movements. Nevertheless, the designers also managed to benefit. GT has many control buttons, as usual, are located on the steering wheel. For S2000, this solution is not necessary: \u200b\u200bits steering wheel is so close to the dashboard, that the driver is easy to use conveniently placed switches on the panel, without releasing it from hand.

Seats in Opel wider and softer than in Honda. Both cars allow you to move the chairs far back, and this is enough enough for passengers to an increase of up to 1.85 meters. What is missing, so this is places for things, even for the necessary everyday little things. From the glove compartments, both convertibles have only requiring dexterity when opening the boxes between the seats. In these boxes, only the wallet and the phone will fit. The glove boxes are already full of documents on the car. And narrow pockets in the door as if not so ...

Huge ledge of benzobaccas
The trunk, which language turns to be called the trunk as such, is only at Honda S2000. Let it be uneven, and with a volume of 143 liters, not very suitable for use. But the example of Opel GT shows what happens and worse. Yes, his luggage compartment is more on paper (153 liters), but a fuel oil passes in the middle of the rear axis, which reduces all the usefulness of the department. And it does not matter that there is no open roof in it at all. In the luggage compartment S2000, at least the portfolio * will fit.

For both roadsters, the roof is soft. Honda has it much more convenient to open it and at least half this process is automatically. Opel GT has defects here. Because of the protrusion of the gas tank, the roof is only after you attach quite a lot of effort to catch it, and branding the trunk lid. A still protective visor will have to stuff in place. If you go with an open roof, then in both sports cars a powerful wind stream Treplet hairstyle.

Power under hoods is enough for both roadsters. They only elaborately show on the road. Honda sees the use of motorcycl development experience that explains its charm: an aluminum 4-cylinder engine with a capacity of 240 horsepower is capable of infinitely maintaining high speeds, and it is delightful. Up to 9,000 revolutions per minute each acceleration when leaving the track becomes a holiday for the soul. Just put pressure on gas. And Gaza. And further. Where Opel would need to include increased transmission twice, S2000 fun rolling further without any switching.

Strange, but this is expressed not only in overclocking to hundreds in 6.2 seconds, but also in modest fuel consumption. Honda S2000 is enough 9.9 liters of 98th gasoline (Super Plus). Whoever wishes to switch the transmissions, will experience delight from the exact 6-speed transmission with a very short move of the lever, as well as from the motor's abilities.

Twists and turns, and turns, and turns ...
With a weight almost 1.4 tons a little, a slightly heavier Opel GT turns out to be more shridly, accelerating to 100 km / h in 5.7 seconds. Only it is not so noticeable. Its 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with a maximum power in 264 hp Thanks to the turbine more powerful by 24 hp than the Honda unit. But it accelerates much more moderately: more movements of the speed lever, the sound of the sports car. Opel also has a short crossing of the CAT handle, but the switch itself seems more sluggish. Fuel consumption is only slightly less than 9.2 liters of 92th gasoline (Super). And in general, driving such machines, you need to enjoy the trip, and not from savings.

As for behavior on the road, here Honda gets more points again than Opel. Not least due to the body-resistant body and hard suspension, the Japanese confidently holds on the road, he does not knock him down anything. Reliable brakes immediately stop the car. The car is perfectly moving in a straight line, turns turns exactly according to the steering position. Control the power of Opel GT on the track is much harder. With good acceleration, he begins to shive until ESP cares for him (although she does it quickly). Maximum speeds are not too different: S2000 accelerates to 240 km / h, Opel ends breathing already 230 km / h. Both indicators are more than enough.

You can't call these cars for truly inexpensive, especially if you consider that they forced to have another machine for everyday use. Bottleboxes at best can be transported to the passenger seat. Or in an additional family universal. With the price of 32,180 euros Opel, though significantly more expensive than its similar colleagues from the United States, but it is almost 6,000 euros cheaper than Honda S2000, the basic value of which is 37,950 euros. It remains to add that both cars have quite a decent complete set.

Who is willing to spend such money on a decent dose of drive from car management, both rhodster will like. If you appreciate the quality, then only Honda will please you.

* Note from Drom.ru. The Germans believe that only a portfolio can be placed in the Honda S2000 trunk, but exploitation in Russian conditions refutes this assumption. The photo demonstrated how to accommodate in the luggage compartment of Sport-Kara Tire for the cargo car ZIL, and another place for other things there will be: