2000-2003(AP1)
The Honda S2000 was introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year and was given the chassis designation of AP1. It features a front-mid-engine, rear wheel drive layout with power being delivered by a 1,997 cc (122 cu in) F20C inline 4 cylinder DOHC-VTEC engine producing 240 hp (179 kW) at 8,300 rpm and 153 ft·lbf (207 N·m) at 7,500 rpm, though European versions were rated slightly lower at 237 hp (177 kW) and the Japanese models were quoted with 247 hp (184 kW) at 8,600 rpm due to a small difference in engine compression ratio.The engine was mated to a six-speed manual transmission and Torsen limited slip differential. In part because of its high-revving nature for a car engine, the S2000 achieves the highest specific power per unit volume of any mass-produced naturally-aspirated automobile piston engine, producing 123.5 hp (92 kW) per liter, displacing the older record by the Nissan Pulsar VZ-R N1 by 0.375 hp (280 W) per liter.