2000 Honda S2000

Some guys change girlfriends every few months. They impress us. Some guys change their underwear every few months. They disgust us. Then there are guys like Benjamin Bermudez. These guys change cars every few months. Guys like Bermudez make us green with envy.

Past cars that have occupied Bermudez's garage include a Porsche 996, a Dodge Viper GTS, a Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 and a BMW M3 convertible. Not bad. This S2000 is the latest in the procession. The car's insanely high-revving engine is what turned his head. Right off the showroom floor, Honda's only rear-wheel-drive offering puts out 240 hp at 8300 rpm. Bermudez's S2000 may look mellow yellow but its coat hides a demeanor more high-strung than a pack of Dalmatian pups.

With the cool looks and fierce performance of a bona fide roadster, the S2000 didn't need much sweetener. With a car like this, you've got the luxury of targeting upgrades at things that will take you from fast to faster. It's all icing on the cake, so Bermudez kept things simple.

A Comptech fuel pump and regulator set-up handle fuel flow to the inline four engine, which gets the added kick of a Paxton Novi 1000 supercharger. The custom-built intercooler is from Bermudez's own Miami-based Wheel and Tire Outlet. An HKS JAMSA stainless-steel header and HKS muffler handle things on the back end.

The six-speed manual transmission is stock, but Bermudez replaced the notoriously weak S2000's clutch with a Clutch Masters Stage 4 clutch. Now hard launches are no problem.

Down below, H&R shocks and coils are used in tandem with Mugen anti-roll bars in front and back.

When you own a wheel and tire shop, you have the pick of the litter. This S2000 rides on 19-inch HRE 543 wheels custom painted at the factory to match the car's coat. The wheels are wrapped in Yokohama AVS Sports, 235s up front and 275s behind.

Splashes of yellow can be found elsewhere on the car. Up front, the grille got the color treatment, and the trunk-housed stereo set-up got some matching fiberglass accents.

Those of you still wearing brown socks with black jeans, take note of the sleek effect that comes with a little color coordination.

Further attention to detail can be found inside, where a carbon-fiber overlay kit accentuates the stereo face plate and gauges, including an air-fuel ratio meter, and sound and ignition controls that are right at the driver's finger tips.

Now, you don't choose an S2000 for its cargo capacity, so the few cubic feet back there have been given over to the operations of a monster sound system. The heart of the system is a Kenwood receiver. But in keeping with the practice of making things faster and louder, a Solobaric 12-inch square kicker and a pair of Rockford Fosgate amps, which give the music an 1100-watt boost, back up the Kenwood.

The weather in Miami being what it is, we imagine the top of Bermudez's S2000 spends most of its time in the down position. The girls being what they are in Miami, we imagine the car gets the attention of a fair number of hotties. And this S2000 being what it is, we imagine the car has the competition reaching for the underwear drawer.

2000 Honda s2000