When Honda first announced the S2000 to the world, rear wheel drive enthusiasts were overjoyed to say the least. Ecstatic is almost an understatement in describing the outbursts coming from the Honda camp. In fact, Honda probably converted many new fans to their manufacturer just by releasing the S2000. Rear wheel drive powered in a roadster chassis along with 240hp to boot in a high revv’ing 2.0L, it was almost hard to find any flaws with the car. Combine that with its naturally balanced handling characteristics and it was extremely difficult to find flaws with this car. While most recently several drift teams across the nation have been making S2000s their weapon of choice, show themed S2000s along with heavy driven performance have been coming out of the woodwork, perhaps heavily influenced by the technology spawned by manufacturers developing parts for drift S2000s.
Tony Phouaykoumpha of Woonsocket, RI first got his 2001 Honda S2000 as a replacement project car. Owning a shop at the ripe age of 23, Tony knew that this S2000 had to do more than just be fun to drive. It was going to become a marketing tool for not only his company but his associate sponsors as well. Representing Team Emotion, Tony also knew there was a standard that had to be achieved with this project – and boy did he surpass those expectations! Starting with a custom wide body throughout the whole chassis, Tony designed on his own a widened 3-inch front half while the rear was widened 6-inches. The doors were even modified to flow with the rest of the car, along with the C-West front and rear bumpers. APR threw in a helping hand with a bulk of their carbon fiber goods including hood, spoiler and mirrors. With all the body work accomplished, Tony had the entire chassis painted a traditional Honda color – Imola Orange Pearl.
Under the hood, Tony cranks out plenty of power to eclipse the quarter mile in a quick mid 11-second pass. What brings it to those impressive numbers? Well, Tony contacted LoveFab for help on this project. LoveFab, having worked with Stephan Papadakis and his drift S2000, had no problems implementing a fully reliable turbo kit for Tony. Starting with a Garrett GT3071R turbocharger, LoveFab fabricated the exhaust manifold that houses the turbo. A custom v-mount intercooler was setup utilizing a GReddy intercooler and a Koyo radiator was added to insure temperatures wouldn’t reach outstanding numbers. The rest of the engine bay is all business, with ARC tidbits, a titanium front strut brace from Opak Racing and your usual 3-inch exhaust piping and 4-inch intake with K&N filter. Oh yeah, the motor was built too – how could we even forget to mention that?
On all four corners, the S2000 reaches an optimal height for show, street and has the performance to drag thanks to TEIN’s RA suspension setup. A staggered set of 18-inch Volk Racing GT-7 wheels in a Noble Gold finish are wrapped with Yokohama Tires to really impress the ladies. When the top gets dropped, a Cusco six-point roll cage just screams while the bright red Bride Zeta III seats accent the Imola Orange pearl exterior. Pivot gauges along with a Sparco Race steering wheel and Spoon Sports titanium shift knob is at Tony’s disposal during daily driving routines. An all out stereo filled with Zapco components is just icing on the cake for this S2000.
Tony has more plans for this car and we can’t wait to see it. As any true enthusiast knows, you’re never done with a project unless you’re bankrupt or your significant other leaves you.well even then that might not stop you!
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