DSPORT strives to be the authority for accurate and verifiable information on import performance products. The right products can dramatically increase the performance of the vehicle. With quality used examples of S2000s selling in the $10,000-to-$15,000 range, many purchasers of these used cars have a healthy budget for aftermarket upgrades. The incredible abundance of quality aftermarket performance products and the inherent performance potential of the Honda S2000 make it an ideal platform for upgrades and tuning.

While basic bolt-on performance parts (intake, header, exhaust) offer slight to moderate increases in performance, nothing compares to the performance increase available from a well-engineered supercharger or turbocharger system. We decided to see how five of the most popular forced-induction systems for the S2000 would fair against each other.

To ensure as even a playing field as possible, we enlisted supporting sponsors to supply identical footwork components and performance lubricants to each team. EBC Brakes supplied the rotors, brake pads and brake fluid to equalize the stopping power across the test vehicles. Rota wheels and Nitto Tires supplied the rolling stock while BC Racing Suspension provided the adjustable coil-over suspension systems for each vehicle. Robispec set up all of the vehicles to have identical alignments and proper corner balancing. Royal Purple supplied the engine oil, gear oil and coolant additives that optimized engine performance and protection.

To simulate the same performance that could be expected on the street, all vehicles maintained the factory catalytic converter while the gas tanks were filled with 91-octane pump gas. No addtional aftermarket suspension components were permitted (including bumpsteer, roll-center adjusters, tie-rod, camber plates, etc.). Aftermarket exhaust systems were permitted but they were restricted to off-the-shelf systems only. Supercharged vehicles were allowed to run an "off-the-shelf" aftermarket header (it was factored into MSRP and HP/Dollar ratios when used).

All vehicles were inspected thoroughly by the DSPORT staff before the competition began. The competition would consist of an extensive on-track and on-road evaluation designed to extensively evaluate each system. Both objective testing and subjective evaluating by a professional driver would factor into the scoring. Objective testing included a chassis dyno, emissions testing and road course lap time at The Streets of Willow. Rule infractions would result in point penalties.

Dyno Competition

The first part of the Honda S2000 Challenge was the dyno competition. All the manufacturers involved with the S2000 Challenge were invited to MD Automotive to witness the dyno testing. Each vehicle was allowed three runs on the 248C Dynojet dynamometer. Boost pressure was datalogged on the dyno to ensure all competitors were playing by the book and only running the kit's rated boost pressure level. Before any of the force-fed competitors hit the dyno, a stock S2000 was tested to provide a baseline figure. The stock vehicle generated 209.3 horsepower and 144.4 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. The first competitor to take the stand was the Ultimate Racing turbocharged S2000. The best run for the Ultimate Racing S2000 was 308.5 horsepower and 206.8 lb-ft of torque (9.2 psi) to the wheels. To our surprise the Ultimate Racing vehicle was still using the factory exhaust system. It's our belief, a high-flow 3.0-inch exhaust system could helped this vehicle easily generate another 10 to 15 horsepower at the wheels. Next up, was the Vortech-powered S2000. The Vortech S2000 was probably the most aggressive sounding vehicle in the bunch. The Vortech V-3 supercharger was dialed in and cranked out 348.5 horsepower and 229.9lb-ft (9.2 psi) of torque. The third vehicle on the dyno was the Rotrex-powered Kraftwerks S2000. The hybrid centrifugal supercharger was able to generate 349.0 horsepower and 234.7 lb-ft (9.7 psi) of torque to the wheels. The fourth competitor to take the stand was the ScienceofSpeed (SOS) S2000 with its Paxton/Novi supercharger providing boost pressure. The SOS S2000 generated a whopping 396.4 horsepower and 245.1 lb-ft (13.6 psi) of torque. The last competitor of the day was the GReddy-powered S2000. Previously having difficulty completing a full dyno run, a couple days of diagnostics by the GReddy engineers concluded that a tank of bad gas was to blame. After filling up with a new tank of 91-octane juice the vehicle was retested on the dyno. This time the S2000 spun the rollers to 294.8 horsepower an 222.6 lb-ft (8.5 psi) of torque.

For more on this article, grab a copy of DSPORT Magazine on newsstands nationwide!