Rumors of a reborn Honda S2000 have circulated for years, yet nothing of any substance has emerged. But this latest bit of gossip has rekindled our hope. Honda will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024 and it's looking for possible ways to celebrate the monumental occasion. According to Forbes, a source "close to Honda," says that the Japanese automaker's marketing team is seriously considering an all-new S2000 timed to launch in just over three years' time.

Apparently, the 20th Anniversary Concept, based on the old S2000 that was displayed at the Tokyo Auto Salon last January was intended to keep enthusiasm high for a successor. The new car will reportedly be a lot more powerful than the last 2009 model that rolled off the assembly line in Japan.

Size-wise, it'll have similar proportions as before but we can expect to see slimmer headlights and greater use of aluminum and carbon fiber to keep weight in check. Honda is targeting no more than 3,000 pounds.

Under the hood, Honda will dodge the industry trend of adding a hybrid system or an all-electric setup by going with a modified version of the 2.0-liter turbo-four found in the current Honda Civic Type R where it produces 320 hp and 295 lb-ft. Honda is aiming for 350 hp this time around. The Type R's six-speed manual will supposedly be carried over, though this won't be possible if the new S200 will be RWD. Why? Because a transversely mounted FWD transmission can't be adapted for a longitudinal RWD setup. Fingers crossed a solution will be found.

Technically, the original S2000 was a single-generation model built for a decade beginning in 1999 and received a significant refresh for 2004. A larger version of the F20C naturally aspirated inline-four engine, with a displacement of 2.2-liters instead of 2.0, was introduced with the same output as before, 237 horsepower, though it kicked in at a lower rpm. Peak torque increased to 162 lb-ft from 153 lb-ft.

The addition of a new Honda S2000 would be fantastic to have back as a rival to the upcoming Nissan 400Z and the just-revealed Subaru BRZ. The Japanese sports car segment is far from dead.