Elvis’ Supercharged S2000
Sometimes things just fall into place as if a higher spirit had planned it all along. This is exactly what happened leading up to the discovery of Elvis’ car and how this feature came to fruition. From the very first moment I caught a glimpse of it, I just knew I had to know about it.
So let me set the scene for you. It was at an End of Month Meet.. and no offence to the organisers of EOMM’s I generally find them quite lacklustre. At this point we’d already been there for a few hours so it was just about time to wrap it up and attend to our grumbling tummies. *Queue the dramatic Batman music* I see this sleek, dark, shiny thing out of the corner of my eye. As it weaves through the crowd, my brain is in full Pokedex mode.. trying to identify if I’ve seen this S2000 before. I turn to Justin and say “Look at that..” He looks back at me and we unanimously agree that we have to shoot it. Fast forward a week or so and Elvis actually PM’s us through Facebook, and as the rest you can say is history.
We’re going to take a bit of a turn today.. Usually myself or one the other writers would whip up a story for the features we have. But after meeting Elvis; an owner so passionate about his car. It felt right to let him tell the story in his own words. Seriously, you wouldn’t be to escape Elvis’ place without a history lesson on the S! So without further adieu, this is Elvis’ Supercharged S2000.
I am 31 years old, and work in the Construction industry as an Estimating and Contracts manager and I live on the South Coast of Sydney. I have been a car and motorsport fan all of my life since I can remember and that hasn’t changed. I love all cars. Small, big, slow and fast. ALL CARS. About close to 2 years ago, I started looking at purchasing a sports car. I already had a company car and wanted to have a weekend car that I could enjoy on nice drives as well as take it to the track on occasions.
I said F*ck it, I only live once. So I set my eyes on a 2010 BMW M3 Hard-top convertible. While all of this was happening, something very interesting was developing in the background. My brother Harry was looking at getting his first car as he had just got his license, and I was helping him search for one. Harry found a Monte Carlo Blue Honda S2000 with 60,000km on the clock and a unique cream interior in perfect condition. It was beautiful. We decided that was it. He was the happiest kid on the block.
After Harry got his car, we were at a Birthday party on a sunny day in the park when someone forgot to bring the cake. Harry and I offered to go get it and Harry said, “Let’s go in my car and you can drive.” Those words were what got me to where I am today, a proud owner of a Honda S2000. When I drove Harry’s car, it blew my mind. We had the top down and I could feel every part of the road. I could also feel the air and the spirited driving sent tingles down my spine. I was hooked to this car. I loved it.
That same weekend I changed my car sales search information to Honda S2000 and quickly found the car I was in search for. I contacted the owner and started talking to him. The talking lasted about 4 or 5 days until I finally saw the car. No test drives, no viewing in the rain. Only at particular times.
The previous owner was very selective and wanted to ensure that the car went into the right hands; Someone who would look after it, someone who cared for it as much as he did. After about a week the car was mine, I was over the moon. The previous owner had spared no expense and the car was looked after immaculately.
He had done a lot of work to the car when I purchased it. The list is long and all parts and upgrades were calculated and of the highest quality. From the engine to the diff, to suspension, all the parts were J’s Racing, Spoon, Mugen and so on.
The car was supercharged to begin with but the set up was on 5 psi and nowhere near its potential. But I had my car and that’s all I wanted. I knew that this was only the start for me and the modifications would follow.
The owner gave me a lot of information when we made the transaction and many contacts. One of those contacts was BYP Racing and Developments. It didn’t take long before I contacted them and came in to start working on the car. The team at BYP was most friendly and most helpful, they also knew the car previously and told me that no expense was spared with this vehicle. We started talking and drew up a plan of attack.
From there the BYP workshop was a regular visit for me and my brother Harry. I became power hungry and wanted more control over the car which lead to smart and calculated modifications by the BYP team.
We decided that we wanted more power, but only to safe levels and this lead to a few changes. To describe some of the work I did on the car without going too much into detail I can confirm the following: Supercharger components were changed to make more boost, the ECU was changed which allowed BYP to set it up the way they wanted. The exhaust was changed, a high flow cat was added, the headers were changed and the suspension was changed and now running a BYP spec set up which is amazing. 1000cc injectors were added and tuned to run on E85 fuel, tuned to perfection by BYP. There are too many details to list.
The car has an Oil cooling system, Comptech intercooler, which is a water to air cooling system and an ARC radiator. Which when combined, effortlessly keeps the temperatures down at all times.
The power currently is north of 300rwkw. It is very light, so the power to weight ratio is incredible. The car performs very well and drives like a dream.
When I drive this car it makes me feel very safe and I feel like I am in control. I drive down south on regular occasions and sometimes take my hard top off which is very nice. The car grabs allot of attention from young and old, every time I drive it people ask me, “What car is that?”. Honda S2000, that’s what it is.
I now have a hobby car that is fast, agile, reliable, convertible option and with looks that are unmatched. I am proud of Honda as a company and car manufacturer. They are one of the best car manufacturers in the world and I am proud to own one of their cars.
The car has also brought me new friends that I have met along the way. All in all it has been a very positive experience in my life and I look forward to what is around the corner.
There isn’t much more that I can say about this car without missing it and wanting to drive it. Let it rev and feel the goose bumps and adrenalin rush through my veins.
I hope that Honda will make another S2000 soon and let the legacy and the car reach a new era of enthusiasts and give the world another piece of engineering to hang on to for another decade and beyond..
The S2000 is a unique vehicle unlike any other vehicle in the world, it was developed based on the concept called Real Open Sports. I developed the car as the same high-level sports car as the NSX.. with its high-revving engine, precise gearshifts and open roof… feeling oneness with the car.
Thank you to:
Noel, the previous owner. My brother Harry Bunic for the inspiration and passion. BYP Benny and Jimmy Tran. Hanny’s Performance, Robert and the team. Street Cover Josh and Justin. AUS S2K fan page and members. Last but not least.. Shigeru Uehara and Honda for making a perfect car.
Engine
Blueprinted Rebalanced F20C
Haltech Elite ECU Plug and Play
BYP Tuned on E85 Fuel
Comptech Carbon Airbox Comptech Supercharger With Chargecooler | Water-To-Air Intercooled
Denso TRD Iridium Spark Plugs
Spoon 70mm Venturi Big Throttle Body
ID 1000cc High Flow Injectors
Toda Dual Valve Springs + Base & Titanium Retainers
Toda Intake & Exhaust Valves IN 37mm, EX 32mm
Invidia Q300 Dual Exhaust
Invidia High Flow Cat
J’s Racing Tegiwa Manifold (Headers)
Cooling
ARC N1 Aluminum Radiator
Spoon N1 Fan Switch & Thermostat
Spoon N1 Radiator Hoses
TRD 1.5 Radiator Cap
Trust Oil Cooler Kit
Exterior
ASM Craft Engineering Side Skirts
BYP Mugen Style Wet Carbon
Hardtop With Race Brackets
Ings+1 (Hybrid Aero) Front Bumper
Ings+1 (Hybrid Aero) Rear Bumper
OEM Honda AP2 Headlights & TailLights
PIAA 6000K Tera HID Low Beams
PIAA Tera LED Daytime Running Lights
Xenon Depot Philips 4300K HID High Beams
Interior
Amuse A-Pillar Mount Apexi EL Series Gauges | Oil Temperature & Oil Pressure Gauges
DJ Qube (S2Ki) Multi-Color Instrument Cluster
OEM Honda AP2 Center Console
RSpec Data Systems Turbo Timer
Voodoo Titanium Shift Knob
Chassis
Innovative 75A Engine & Gearbox Mounts
J’s Racing Front Adjustable Tie Rod Ends
J’s Racing Front Camber L1 Joints
J’s Racing Rear Bumpsteer Kit
J’s Racing Rear Control Arms
J’s Racing Rear Roll Center Adjusters
J’s Racing Rigid Differential Mounts
Wheels & Brakes
Brembo Japan 2-Piece Slotted Front Rotors
Cusco Master Cylinder Brake Stopper
Endless 650-1000C Brake Pads
Endless DOT4 Competition Brake Fluid
Spoon 4-Pot Calipers Spoon Braided Brake Hoses
Volk Racing Forged TE-37 Front 16×7 +32 | Rear 16×8 +42
Drivetrain
Comptech Reinforced Differential & Housing
Spoon Carbon Propeller Drive Shaft
Spoon Center Propeller Brace
Author
