The Honda S2000 has a cult-like following and has become quite the collectible little car. It's for a good reason as the rev-happy front-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster is still sadly missing from Honda's lineup after its ten-year production run from 1999 to 2009. It was a different flavor to Mazda's MX-5 with more power and a longer wheelbase but offered the same level of reliability and driving fun. Now, though, it's hard to find an unmolested low-mileage S2000, and prices are reflecting that. That's why we watched the Bring A Trailer auction of this New Formula Red painted example with just 1,900 miles on the clock with interest.

We wondered if it would go for record Honda S2000 money, but, ultimately, $62,000 seems about right for something that adds up to a lovely collector's piece. It was first purchased in 2007 from High Country Honda in Boone, North Carolina, and has the original New Formula Red paint over a black interior, and still sits on the factory rubber. Amazingly, according to the seller, the first owner bought it when he was 72 and enjoyed it sparingly for the next ten years. The second owner, a collector, bought the S2000 with around 1,700 miles on the clock and only drove it another 75 miles. The rest of its miles appear to be to-and-from servicing appointments.

Usually, we're a little disappointed when a car designed to be driven becomes a pedestal-piece, but we're now at a time when the remaining excellent condition S2000s need to be preserved. We would have trouble resisting as we've experienced the joy of the S2000's 2.2-liter VTEC engine's 8,800-rpm redline, the slick 6-speed manual, and the combination with the chassis, suspension setup, and limited-slip differential. This one is also an AP2 generation model with the upgraded suspension geometry and drivetrain. It gained more power as the 2.0-liter engine was stroked out to 2.2 liters, but lost a few revs at the top of the range. This model was rated from the factory with 237 horsepower and revved out to an 8,800 rpm redline with a 9,000 rpm fuel cutoff.