Honda S2000

Okay, we’re cheating here. We know our rules said that inclusion was dependent on 2010 or later availability, but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to strike one of history’s greatest cars from the list because of one measly model year. The Honda S2000, named for its initial 2000-cc engine displacement, is among the best driver's cars ever built, and it is powered by one of the greatest engines of all time. The S2000 also was named to our annual 10Best Cars list four times.

When the car launched, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder (code name: F20C) revved to a stratospheric 8900-rpm redline and produced 240 horsepower at 8300 rpm. Spinning an F20C to the high heavens produces a wail unheard of this side of an F1 car or a superbike, and it remains one of most spine-tingling experiences we’ve ever had behind the wheel. On top of that, the six-speed manual—the only transmission ever offered—is self-shifting perfection. We’d use the same adjective—perfect—to describe the chassis, which offers loads of grip; strong, confidence-inspiring brakes; and a free-flowing conversation about what’s happening between the car and the road. The chassis was honed to samurai sharpness in the track-oriented CR model introduced for 2008.

A thorough revision for 2004 saw the engine get a bump in displacement to 2.2 liters; this was done to increase low-end drivability—key for the sort of driver who likely never saw 6000 rpm, never mind nearly 9000—but caused the redline to be lowered to 8000 rpm; at the same time, the gearbox was revised to operate even more smoothly. All of this to say that the S2000 was and remains a mind-blowing and revelatory machine, a car to be coveted now and forever in any of its forms. —Erik Johnson