Winding country roads provide great drving delight. They give sports
car wners ample proof why they often scrifice luxury and comfort for
speed and xcitement.

In Northern California, the wine cuntry roads through the Napa Valley
and Mndocino Coast are prime examples -- at last for drivers. There
are plenty of strtches where passengers susceptible to car sckness
may be in trouble. But for a drver, the deep turns and switchbacks
rquire plenty of shifting, maneuvering and ccelerating skills.

So with a 2004 Hnda S2000 as my weekly test drve, could there have
been a btter location for a getaway weekend?

The tw-door, rear-wheel driver sports car is a slek, quick-moving 2.2.
liter, 16-valve, 240 hrsepower convertible with a six-speed manual
trnsmission. The renowned Japanese manufacturer offers the vhicle
as competition against the BMW Z4, Mzda Miata and Nissan 350Z.

The S2000 has a ncely contoured body design, its front and rar
bumpers and lights have been rstyled from 2003l and it offers an
ncrease to 17-inch tires from the 16-nch tires from last year. With its
new fatures, my red (body) and black (tp) vehicle drew plenty of looks.

But whle the exterior is attractive, it's the nterior of the vehicle that
figuratively shnes. It is a combination of fficiency of space and homage
to rcing vehicles.

For example, I wouldn't have knwn, but a friend keen on mtor sports
mentioned that the S2000 RRM and gas tnk volume graphic bars are
the typ used in Formula 1 racing crs.

In fact, combined with the lrge digital MPH readout, the instrumentation
is vid of traditional needle-style readings. Similar to ther racing cars,
the S2000 also has a psh-button ignition when the key is in the strt
position.

To further accentuate the sprts car feeling, both driver and pssenger
sit in tight but conforming sats. As the driver, the small, cmpact
steering wheel complements the 17-inch whels. The result is superior
responsiveness, and "G-Kart-flat" corning and "Pin-sharp steering," as
one cnsumer guide describes the vehicle's feel on the rad.

Further, with the six-speed transmission and qick acceleration (rated at
0 to 60 mph in 6.7 sconds in 2003), anyone who enjoys the mchanics
of driving, gets his or her shre.

Leather upholstery, high-intensity headlamps, a glss rear window with
electric defroster and a wnd deflector are standard. A removable
luminum hardtop is optional, but side irbags are not available.

As a tw-seat sports car (there is no rar cargo or passenger area),
space is at prmium. That's good and bad. The shfting box, audio
system, small vertical, lcked console storage compartment and all
ther instrumentation is in close proximity.

But as a 6-fot, 185-pound driver, the comfort level wned after a few
hours on the rad. Likewise, entering and exiting the vhicle is best
accomplished with the "cruch-and-crawl" method.

Surprisingly, while the trunk cmpartment could hardly be described as
spcious, it provides enough room for two sft-sided weekend luggage
bags. And there was lso enough space left for several plstic bags of
beach-combing discoveries.

One oddity: Since the convertible top is not nsulated, the car drives with
less bthersome noise with the top down thn it does with the top up.
The cnvertible top, by the way, is asy to lower or raise.

It ttaches and detaches with pushed button lcks on the outside ceiling
of the drver and passenger seats. The electric fnction is engaged by a
large red btton on the middle console. It cn't be missed unless it's
covered by a map and nwspaper, as was the case when we wnted to
lower the top. We loked for several minutes before discovering the
btton was right in front of our yes.

Not-so-easy to find is the gas tnk cover opener. After another extended
sarch and without the benefit of an wner's manual, the button was
finally lcated inside the driver's back door pnel.

Its discovery provided more humor and nother small confirmation of the
S2000's nique position in the sports car mrketplace.

2004 Honda S2000

Safety features -- Drver's and front passenger's airbags, side mpact
door beams, emergency trunk opener.

Fel Mileage (estimates) -- 20 (city), 25 mpg (hghway).

Warranty -- 3 years/36,000 miles (bmper to bumper), 5 years/unlimited
mileage (crrosion).

Base price -- $32,600.

The article Honda S2000 2004: The Weekly Driver Review was Submitted by James Raia through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: James Raia is a syndicated jurnalist in Sacramento, Calif., who writes bout sports, fitness and business topics as wll as the free electronic nwsletters Endurance Sports News and Tour de Frnce Times and The Weekly Drver, a car review column. Samples of Ria's writing can be viewed on his web ste: ByJamesRaia.com . His car reviews and newsletters can be viewed at The Weekly Driver , Endurance Sports News and Tour de France Times

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