Honda S2000 - Sun Seeker / Soul Seeker

When David Potts was a kid circa 80s & early-90s, he’d sit in the front-seat of his dad’s car – windows down. And with every cool car they passed, kid-David would say (as if it was the first time), “Dad!! What’s faster… THAT or an XXXX??” You can fill-in the XXXX with whatever dream car was on David’s mind at the time. Eventually – probably just to shut him up for a second – David’s dad said, “Son, here’s the secret: Just look at how LOW it is. The lower the car… the faster it goes.” His dad probably had no idea what kind of lifelong impact those words would have on David lol. Cut to present day – this is David Potts’ AP1 Honda S2000. But there’s a deeper part of that story I wanna try and tap into.

As 80s & 90s kids, we were exposed to cars…

We didn’t have a choice; we didn’t have distractions. So while our parents were driving, we sat in the front seat, looked at the world, and asked questions about it. We saw cars… really SAW them. And knowingly or not – we studied their nuances. Their design cues, their aura/presence, the way people looked driving them. We soaked-up the way sports car seemed to cut through the air, and how sometimes even going forward, the wheels all-the-sudden appeared to spin backwards. We noticed the way sunlight came-in through t-tops & sunroofs… and highlighted the drivers. How music & automotive design melded together. The way hair blew in the breeze, and arms/hands surfed the wind.

And how cars sounded back when they were shifted by humans… and not software. When it was deliberate & anticipated & stylish. How bout pop-up headlights? Back then – it was all in the details & connection-points. Today – it’s all autotune.

Compare it to the youth today…

Today, kids sit in plush SUVs & country club trucks – windows up – with seat heaters & coolers. Each one of these soulless eyesores is virtually indistinguishable from the next. And completely disengaging. Transmission – auto. Climate control – auto. Headlights – auto. Wipers – auto. Start/stop – auto. Knobs & gauges – none. And the light on their face? It’s not from the sun… it’s from a screen. Either their phone, their tablet, or the monstrosity on the dash.

Where’s the meaningful, soulful exposure in that? The incessant digital distractions of today, have pulled people away from those meaningful/thoughtful/introspective moments… the ones that made us dream & defined us. And the ripple effect is huge… we’re seeing it in all things.

We wonder where the cool cars went…

But where’d the cool drivers go? They say the ART is a reflection of the society. And our generation has become defined by shapelessness, soullessness, colorlessness, detachment, and AI. Let that sink in.

When I look at the Honda S2000…

I used to see a cool car that I took for granted. A Honda that I was gonna own one day when the right one came along at the right price. But now – I see the book closed on a golden age, and the S2000 was the last chapter.

What even is the Honda S2000??

And furthermore, where is the Honda that made it?? The S2000 was built for 1 mission: Not compromise, convenience, compliance, comfort, or cargo space… but thrill! Viscerality! It was a fist-bump to their fanbase! A roadster – with a manual transmission (obviously) – and a 9k redline with VTEC! The S2000 wasn’t about 0-60, or any of that numerical nonsense. It’s beyond that. The S2000 was built to throw all your sense into a frenzy. It pauses, morphs, and warps time. And at those RPMs, VTEC is a decision that’s made. It’s dramatic, thrilling, and full of anticipation. Driving > horsepower. Especially with the top down. So what’s your move?