Comptech Honda S2000 & Neuspeed Honda S2000 - Driving Impression

That the Honda S2000 is a capable car both on the street and on the track is a statement with which few in this business will take issue. It is perhaps the first roadster we've ever driven that barely feels like a roadster at all. The S2000 chassis achieves higher bending rigidity than Acura's flagship NSX and its engine has a higher specific output than the famed Integra Type R.

Upon its introduction, we glowed about how it outshined its competition on a racetrack and were amazed by how easy it was to live with during everyday, real-world driving. Inevitably, however, the car geeks at Sport Compact Car can't leave well-enough alone. We must tinker. Our minds fill with "what ifs" and we go on a search for bigger and better. That's what's going on this month with these wild roadsters. We already know how good Honda's roadster is. The question is: Can it be better? -Josh Jacquot

The Big QuestionNine Thousand Rpm, 11.0:1 Compression And 6 Pounds Of Boost. You Do The MathWe weren't sure how the above recipe for performance would work out when we first laid eyes on Comptech's supercharged Honda S2000. Having spent plenty of time behind the wheel of Honda's high-strung roadster, we've grown to love its engine and chassis dynamics. In fact, the stock roadster's performance is so good, we often wonder how well it might respond to aftermarket changes-if at all. Much like the Integra Type R, Honda has wrung every last bit of performance from the S2000's engine; improving it, we fear, may not be an easy task. Here's why.

The S2000's all-or-nothing power delivery works great for one simple reason-its transmission keeps the engine on boil during hard driving. Falling off the VTEC lobes gives the car a different character altogether. That said, we weren't sure what to think when we heard the rumor that Comptech-a name very well known in Honda/Acura racing circles-was planning to release a Paxton supercharger kit for the car. After all, centrifugal blowers aren't known for their linear power delivery or exceptional drivability. Perhaps our cynicism was getting the best of us.

After spending a few days with the car, our ideas have changed a bit. It's fast (noticeably faster than stock) and it has terrific drivability. In fact, in terms of aftermarket performance, this car's engine is a well-behaved class act. It made 293 hp and cranked out 175 lb-ft of torque on our Dynojet chassis dyno. The increased power nets a peak gain of 100 hp more than stock at the wheels-exactly as Comptech claims. What's more, its acceleration is also significantly improved. With Comptech's mods our test car shaved 3.6 seconds from the stock S2000's 15 to 100 mph acceleration time dropping it from 15.4 seconds to only 11.8 seconds.

Comptech accomplished the feat of engineering another 50 hp per liter from the S2000's 2.0-liter engine with relatively simple external bolt-ons. Beginning with Paxton's Novi 1000 centrifugal supercharger, Comptech built CNC-machined brackets to locate the blower at the front of the engine driving off the crank pulley. Fuel management is handled with a rising rate fuel pressure regulator, which increases fuel pressure with boost and uses larger in-tank fuel pump. Comptech retained the engine's stock MAP sensor, which is bypassed once the manifold sees boost using a bleed valve. The ECU still controls the engine's timing map, which remains stock. This is curious and we're not really sure how Comptech managed it, but it seems to work as we never experienced any detonation, rough combustion or other drivability issues-it just ran like a champ.

The cost of entry into Comptech's supercharger isn't cheap at $4,895 retail. However, that shouldn't be beyond the scope of most S2000 owners. Plus, it's complete as an off-the shelf package including all the fuel and oil lines, the fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator and the gorgeous machined mounts we already mentioned. The kit has received the OK from California's Air Resources Board and includes an Executive Order number to prove its enviro-friendly status. According to Comptech, installation takes about six hours and doesn't involve any irreversible molestation to the car.

On the road, the difference in power is subtle at lower engine speeds. However, as the revs pick up, so does boost and the rush of six pounds of boost at redline is obvious. It's fast enough on the street that using the top third of the tachometer was reserved for the moments when we were sure we weren't being watched. We've always found S2000s to be deceptively quick anyway and had to be very careful with another 90 hp on tap. Plus, with Comptech's exhaust screaming about the extra power under the hood, we had to be even more restrained. The prototype header (which was on our test car) and exhaust together significantly increase decibel levels at high rpm. The sound is awesome, bringing the scream of the F20C1 even closer to Formula One levels, but be prepared for the extra volume.

Our test car was also filled with loads of Comptech chassis mods. Height-adjustable springs use a threaded collar at each corner to make ride height and corner weight adjustments. Comptech retained the S2000's stock shocks claiming there wasn't an alternative, which produced livable ride quality and performance. Surprisingly, the car didn't feel underdamped, although we didn't have a chance to flog it in an environment which might have exposed this weakness. On the street and during slalom testing, it suffered from the same problems we've experienced in every lowered S2000 we've driven. Our best guess is that an overly aggressive stock rear toe curve makes these cars difficult to drive at the limit when they're lower than stock (hence the slower than stock slalom speeds). Even with huge wheels and tires at all four corners, the added grip is lost during hard cornering. Bottom line? Don't lower your S2000 unless you're prepared to deal with this ill-handling character.

During testing, our car wasn't impossible to drive, it simply lost grip at the rear during hard transitions or during quick turn-in sooner than it should have. On the street that translates into danger if you blast through an on ramp too hard.

Those huge tires we mentioned? Comptech fitted massive OZ Racing Mito wheels with BFGoodrich G-Force T/A KD tires sized 225/40-18 in front and 265/35-18 in the rear.

Three braces beef up the S2000's already stiff chassis. A conventional strut tower brace connects the shock towers under the hood, while two billet braces replace the tubular and stamped pieces under the car at the front and rear suspension.

Brembo's 13-inch rotors and four-piston calipers fill the front wheels, while 12-inch Comptech rotors and relocated stock calipers handle stopping duties in the rear. With this combination comes a set of Comptech stainless steel braided brake lines. The mix of steel lines and bigger hardware at all four corners gives the brake pedal a substantially improved rock-like feel. Brake testing of the stock S2000 from 60 to zero proved impressive at 117 ft. The Comptech car was on par with that number at 118 ft., but we suspect continued abuse of the brakes would have shown the weaknesses of the stock system relative to this car's massive hardware.

The real story with this car is the engine. It's truly an impressive piece of work, considering the simplicity of the modifications which come together to make it work. On the road, it's fast and enjoyable and will get its driver into loads of trouble if he or she isn't careful. In this case, the math adds up. Comptech has come up with a solution, which makes the S2000 fast and drivable-something many tuners miss all together. We're curious to see what happens with the S2000 platform once the rear suspension problems are solved. For now, however, we'll have to simply settle for an extra 100 hp.