A 2000 Honda S2000 with just 1,001 miles in the odometer that sold for $48,000 is officially the highest-priced S2000 to ever sell on Bring a Trailer. The beloved Honda convertible, which eclipsed its previous price record of $44,500, was purchased on Tuesday by famous American IndyCar racing driver Graham Rahal.
This particular S2000 is a 2000 model year, which means it has the chassis designation of AP1. The exterior is painted in Formula Red and the interior is done in black leather. The car was originally sold to the owner of a Honda dealership in Pennsylvania, who clocked a total of 988 miles on it prior to selling it to the recent seller. The Honda S2000 has long been heralded as one of the best (and most affordable) sports cars of this century, with its high-revving naturally aspirated engine, rear-wheel drive, manual transmission-only availability, and lack of electronic aids. In fact, it is considered one of the last analog sports cars to be sold by the famous automaker.
The AP1 is known for its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that could rev astonishingly quick until it hit the fuel cutoff between 8,800 and 9,000 rpm. The AP1 is also known for being oversteer-friendly, which has helped make it a fan favorite throughout the years—up until the AP2 debuted in 2003.
As far as its new owner, Rahal isn’t only a fan of fast cars (a must for a second-generation racing driver) but he’s also in the business of tuning and selling fast cars. Graham Rahal Performance is a performance shop located in the outskirts of Indianapolis that tunes and tweaks everything from Honda Civic Type Rs to Porsche 911 GT2 RSs. In fact, we had the chance to tour the shop along with Rahal earlier this summer.
“I am a lifelong Honda guy, and when this car came out it was just eye-catching and such a pure machine,” Rahal told The Drive. “I always knew we wanted one, and I wanted to collect one. This popped up, and it was just too perfect to pass up. My dad has an S600 in red that’s being fully restored, and the 2 of these just belong together in the Rahal family collection.”
Even though Rahal claims he bought the S200 purely because of his love for it, he also didn’t ignore the fact that prices are on the rise. After all, he’s no stranger to vehicular investments as he currently owns several Porsche vehicles including a 911R and various GT2 and GT3 RSs. He’s also a big fan of the NSX, which he helped develop along with Acura, and lastly, he’s the lucky recipient of an incoming Mercedes-AMG One.
Back in September, a 1997 Acura Integra Type R with less than 2,000 miles went for an astonishingly high $63,800 at Barrett Jackson auction.
“This car was ideal, and the red is beautiful and it’s [because of] the purity of it that I felt I needed to get it,” added Rahal. “I also felt the price was right, and that if I bought it right these cars will continue to climb [in price]. The Integra Type R has gone up, the NSX, and I expect these to really follow suit. But ultimately, I bought it because I’m a Honda guy. Honda runs in our blood and this S2000 will be a keeper for me for many years to come.”