Wednesday, April 21, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER D3 AUTOMOTIVE B y M alcolm G u n n SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER About the only thing that can be said about the Honda's forthcoming S2000 roadster is, 'what took them so long?' After all, Honda is a company that has a reputation for building fun, exciting motorcycles with more than a hint of high performance hidden beneath the fuel tank. Honda is also well known in racing circles, where it has been a successful power provider in both Formula One and CART open-wheel racing. Finally, through its Acura division, Honda has pro duced the NSX, arguably one of the most thrilling rides for the money to be found anywhere. So, with this history in mind, it's amazing that Honda has waited such a long time to finally bring a roadster to market. (For the record, it must be stated that Honda did produce a tiny, motorcycle-powered sports car back in the mid-'60s that saw very limited export to our shores). The rear-wheel drive S2000, officially launched at the Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows in January, is a stunning piece of work (the S2000 des ignation refers to engine dis placement, and not the model year). Some of the car's styling cues aft reminiscent of the Mazda Miata and BMW Z3 roadsters, with a few unique designs of its own, particular ly the angular-shaped front fascia. Overall size, however, more closely approximates the BMW. The top is power oper ated, and a full range of addi tional power and convenience features, including air condi tioning, will be part of the S2000 package. The car also features 50/50 weight distribu tion, which should help to give it excellent handling con trol and balance. Under the hood, the S2000 is pure magic. Power is provided by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine equipped with Honda's variable timing (VETEC) system that gen erates an astounding 240 horsepower. At 120 horsepower per litre, that's more than any other normally-aspirated motor available on the market. Even with all this energy on tap, the S2000 will still meet California's tough low-emission vehicle (LEV) standard. As with most Honda powerplants, the S2000's engine is a high-revving unit, maxing out at 9,000 RPM before the self-destruct sequence begins. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with no word of automatic availability as of this writing. Although styled in the United States, the S2000 will be built entirely in Japan alongside the NSX (designated as a Honda in Japan). Initial plans call for only 12,000 cars to be built in the first year. Of that total, 5,000 will be shipped to North America, ensuring the S2000 will be a fairly exclusive item for the first year or two. Final prices have yet to be established, but you can expect to pay about $30,000 range to take possession of one of these little gems (pro viding you get on Honda's waiting list early enough). The S2000 may be long overdue, but should live up to Honda's reputation for build ing exciting, yet reliable vehi cles. Availability is planned for September. This latest creation seems to have all the right ingredi ents to make it a huge hit with those few owners lucky enough to grab hold of one. From a standpoint of styling, power and price, how could Honda go wrong? SPEC SHEET " ' " i t ! Honda S2000 ★Two-door sports roadster ★2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder, pro ducing 240 horsepower ★Six-speed manual transmission ★Extremely powerful engine (tops in its class) ★Attractively-styled bodywork ★Unique rear-drive Honda model ★Competitively priced -- com pares favorably to BMW, Porsche and Chevy counterparts. ★Base Price: $40,000 (estimated) L. __I Intake stroke Spark U f plug Compression stroke ^ Combustion ® / /E x h a u s t '^ch a m b e r M » valve Sx \ i f / / Intake valve Non- com pressed volume The volum e ot air/fuel m ixture that fills the cylinder and com bustion cham ber with the piston located a t bottom dead centre (BDC). Compressed volume The volum e into which the air/fuel has been com pressed once the piston has reached the highest poin t in its travel, called top dead centre (TDC). Piston bone (cylinder) PistonPiston travel Piston travel Connecting rod Crankshaft Crankshaft rotation COPYRIGHT WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS If you have a news tip or story idea, call the Oakville Beaver at 845-3824 1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX Fully loaded. 4-door, alloy rims, balance of factory warranty, only 30,000kms. $20 995' 1997 BUICK REGAL GS Fully loaded, feather, CD, chrome alloy rims, one owner. 37,000kms. *24,395'1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE CONVERTIBLE Auto, air, power everything, alloy rims, remote entry, low mileage. 1998 PONTIAC GRAND AM Auto, air. cass., V6, ABS, dual airbags, balance of facto iy warranty, low mileage. $ *§ & 9 9 $ * 'PST, GST, license & administration extra. KERRi SOUTH SERVICE RD. W. £ See our website: www.kerrcadillac.com A B 1 I 6 R & P K C o m p r e s s i o n r a t i o An engine requires fuel, compression and ignition to run. The highei compression ratio, the more densely packed the air/fuel mixture (intak charge) becomes. This means the 'explosion' of the intake charge that moves the piston becomes more powerful. Compression ratio is a term often tossed around, but what does it really mean? It is best described as \. a ratio of cylinder volume when the piston is at its furthest point of downward travel In the bore as compared to the volume when the piston is at the highest point of travel in the bore. Most gasoline engines today operate with a ratio of between 8.5 and 11:1. OAKVILLE Si"™R ASSOCIATION Do you know a girl between 4 and 18 years who could benefit from a one to one relationship with an adult female volunteer? Our matching and group programmes offer friendship, emotional support and guidance allowing girls to realize their full potential, build on their unique strengths and enhance their self esteem. Please call Karen or Fiona at 338-0238 to see if Big Sisters is right for you! ALSO NEEDED: VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS LAST SATURDAY Parts off every month! n I w o I l FILTER & L CHANGE * OFFER VALE) SATURDAY OF EATERY MONTH 'HONDA VEHICLES ONLY OAKVILLE N D□ 191 WYECROFT ROAD OAKVILLE (9 0 5 ) 8 4 4 - 9 8 3 1 Visit our website at www.oakvillehonda.com The 4-wheel ventilated ABS disc brakes will bring you to a satisfying halt. As w ill the price. The 1999 Lexus GS 300. Nicely equipped from $59,220' Walking around the stunning GS 300 performance sedan in our showroom, many customers put on the brakes at the rear window. It's hard to believe that a high performance sedan like tins, with its menacing stance and dramatic headlight configuration is available at tins price Especially considering it's a Lexus. The numbers just don't add up: A 3.0 litre inline 6 with 223 lip and 0-60 in 7.6 seconds for tliis number? Their surprise grows, of course, when they learn of standard features like Variable Valve Timing and Vehicle Skid Control. (One feature electronically maximizes power, the other does the same for braking.) H ID headlamps, 3 times brighter than halogen, a 5-speed electronic transmission, dual front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioners are also included, as is a sumptuous leather interior with lacquered walnut trim. We invite you to come in and take a walk around the exciting Lexus GS 300 yourself. Just be careful when you come to that rear window. I S Basal on a 36 month lease at 3.9% ol a new GS300 "B" package from TCCI on approved credit with a downpayment or trade in of S7.500.00. Kilometre limit: 24.000 km/vear (excess @.15/km). Refundable security deposit of $800.00 required. All taxes, freight, pdi. license, registration anil insurance are extra. Offer expires April 30.1999. Erin Park 2 LEXUS TOYOTA Your Exclusive Lexus Dealer for Oakville, Brampton, Burlington S Mississauga ERIN MILLS AUTO CENTRE 111 Motorway Blvd.Mississaugi Call Us For More Details at (905) 828-7711 www.lexus-toyota.com XO'cc Xozo WO OD CH ES TE R 01/ d r N M IL LS P KW Y | MOTORWAY SJG3 z DUNDAS cr ■§ Q.E.W. http://www.kerrcadillac.com http://www.oakvillehonda.com http://www.lexus-toyota.com