Austere yet elegant, gorgeous yet purposeful, all blended with just the right hint of aggressiveness, the Honda S2000 looks best with the top dropped – though the optional dealer-installed aluminum hard top looks terrific, too. Lovely design details abound, from the sharply creased high-intensity discharge headlights and the way the front fenders flow tautly over the wheels to the sexy twin exhaust outlets and smoked taillight lenses at the rear. The new 17-inch spoked wheel design gives the S2000 more character than the simplistic style that preceded it, and the build quality of our test car was almost flawless.

Honda sells the S2000 in seven exterior colors paired with one of four interior hues – all with a black top. Suzuka Blue gets an exclusive blue interior, and if you like tan leather upholstery your only paint choice is Grand Prix White. All other exterior colors – New Formula Red, Sebring Silver, Silverstone, Berlina Black, and Rio Yellow Pearl – get a black interior. An appealing black-and-red interior color combo is offered only with Sebring Silver and Silverstone.