Honda S2000 Dead After 2009 - Car News

Despite its canyon-carving prowess and prominent cult following, Honda plans to cease production of the S2000 roadster at the end of 2009. Originally positioned as a limited-edition party favor for the automaker’s 50th anniversary in 1998, the high-revving, rear-wheel-drive two-seater soldiered on for nine years (debuting in 1999 as a 2000 model) due to consumer demand, garnering four appearances on our 10Best list in the process.

Honda has yet to say if a replacement is planned, but the sad truth is the company is feeling the global economic pinch like every other manufacturer and is rapidly realigning its future lineup and production capacity. Honda says sales of the S2000 in the U.S. sank to 2538 last year, down from 4302 in 2007, with only 72 deliveries made in December. Overall, just 110,000 of the cars—nearly all of which were built on the same production line in Japan as the NSX sports car and original Insight hybrid—found homes worldwide over the years, with more than 65,000 making their way to the U.S.