For Honda’s 50th anniversary, the company built one of its best-loved cars: The S2000, in all its high-revving top-down glory. Since that car’s death, enthusiasts have been clamoring for a successor — something to take on the Miata and Toyobaru with Type R power. Now, for the company’s 75th birthday, those enthusiasts may just get their wish.
In an interview with Autocar, Honda Europe vice president Tom Gardner hinted at a project to celebrate 75 years of Honda. He specified a sports car, one we’ll see by the end of the year, but not much else:
He would not go so far as to reveal the positioning of the new model, nor its powertrain, but did suggest that it’s imminent, and that it could be as important as the last sports car that marked a Honda anniversary: “Watch this space: [2023 is] 75 years - we had the S2000 at 50. Who knows…”
Jalopnik reached out to representatives from Honda here in the U.S., who confirmed that “Honda will globally introduce two sports models, a specialty, and a flagship model.” Repeated mentions of “carbon neutrality and electrification” and “the era of electrification” seem to imply at least hybrid drivetrains, if not full EVs.
For now, that’s all we really know: Two cars, with some degree of electrification, to celebrate 75 years of Honda. A “specialty” model could be that S2000 successor, while a “flagship” model could follow the now-dead NSX. The latter name could even live on, though it’s unclear how Honda’s S-series naming would transfer over to EVs. Maybe the S2Kw?
While there’s been no direct confirmation that the cars will release this year, the 75th anniversary means we’re likely to at least see teases or concepts before 2023 is out. I, for one, will be keeping my eyes peeled.