However, though it wears numbers on the upper left of its windshield, fresh from a session at the Ridge , this car is not purely a track rat. Nor is it a garage queen. Soo regularly participates in local club events, including an annual drive to Mount Baker, and runs up through the tunnels of the Fraser Canyon in BC.
Gaze closely at the paintwork on the nose of this dagger-like little roadster, and you'll find the tell-tale pitting of a car that is loved, but also used. This January, at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Honda paid tribute to both the S and owners like Soo with an updated early car it dubbed the 20 th Anniversary S prototype. Prepared by Honda Access, the company's parts and accessories division, this S benefited from new bodywork with claimed genuine aerodynamic benefits, a retuned suspension, 17 inch staggered fitment wheels, and an upgraded audio system.
All these parts will be available to S owners looking to refresh their car for years to come. As with Mazda and their MX-5 restoration catalogue, and Nissan and their Skyline heritage parts , Honda is honoring a hero from its past. The sad part about this tribute is, unfortunately, that it's probably an admission that Honda will never build something like the S again. This car may be labelled a prototype, but there's nothing to suggest that anything new is in the pipeline. In fact, if you look at Honda's current lineup, largely reliant on turbocharging and shared platform manufacturing, the company's products seem to be moving further away from the high-revving heritage that inspired the S in the first place.
Last year, I was lucky enough to sample some of that original screaming intensity by way of a very rare Canadian-market Honda S The company's anniversary in the US began in with the proto-Civic Honda N , but a few Ss made their way to Canada first via a handful of motorcycle dealerships.
The S is a tiny car crammed with every idea Soichiro Honda could dream up. It has a quad-carbureted, cc engine that features double overhead cams, makes 57hp at rpm, and redlines at over 10, rpm. Keeping the thing tuned properly is ordinarily a nightmare, but owner Mike Gane is a retired electrical engineer with the kind of mind that welcomes mechanical challenges.
Naturally, he also owns an S The frenetic little S is something of a cross between a hummingbird and a rollerskate. It flits across the landscape in a fury of engine revolutions, not exactly speedy, but poised on its fully independent suspension, and pivoting on its skinny tires. This effervescence was the spirit Honda's engineers wanted to recapture for the company's 50 th anniversary.
The later cars are softer. Ss require an attentive driver. Expect regular oil top-ups and changes 1 MB.
You can get used to the low torque figure. You need to keep an eye out for rust. Values are on the rise. It might 'ruin' other cars for you. More Honda posts. Sort by Best Sort by Latest. Chang owns a S, and the company has occupied 12, square feet in Santa Fe Springs, California, since Evasive works on anything, but it mainly focuses on sport compacts and has wrenched on hundreds of Ss over the years. Check the numbers.
Chang says these cars have become common in junkyards, which is another source of parts. Another sign the car has been crunched is to check the alignment of its four-wheel independent suspension. Common modifications include aftermarket seats with more adjustment, audio systems, and shift knobs. This improves the driving position but eliminates the airbag.
Aftermarket forged wheels are also an extremely common modification because they offer more size combined with lighter weight. Companies like Rays and Advan remain popular with S owners. Rubber suspension and drivetrain components are easily sourced and often replaced with polyurethane units.
Blowby is common and many guys install catch cans. Chang says there is no easy fix for this malady, just keep an eye on the oil level and use a high-quality full synthetic oil. He also says that the engines will last past , miles if well maintained, but you should always do a compression check before buying. The S achieved what Honda claimed as "the world's top level, high performance 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine". Features include independent double wishbone suspension, electrically assisted steering and integrated roll hoops.
The car featured 16 in 41 cm wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S tires. An electrically powered vinyl top with internal cloth lining was standard, with an aluminum hardtop available as an optional extra in The model was largely unchanged; Honda added a digital clock to the radio display and made the rear wind blocker standard.
Honda also added Spa Yellow to the US domestic market lineup. For the model year, suspension settings were revised and the plastic rear window was replaced by a glass unit incorporating an electric defroster. Other updates included slightly revised tail lamps with chrome rings, an upgraded radio with separate tweeters, a leather gearshift knob, leatherette console cover and a revised engine control unit.
Honda added Suzuka Blue to the US domestic market lineup. The Japanese domestic market received the Type V edition starting in mid Variable Gear Ratio Steering VGS , is a steering system that continuously changes steering ratio based upon vehicle speed and steering angle to provide improved handling.
Honda announced the S type V on July 7, as the first system of its kind. The lock-to-lock steering ratio was reduced to 1. The model S underwent several significant changes. Production of the S moved to Suzuka.
The new model introduced 17 in 43 cm wheels and Bridgestone RE tires along with a retuned suspension to reduce oversteer.
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