The new 2020 Honda S2000. Just kidding. The rendering before you is actually a work of Jon Sibal - one of the most proficient rendering artists in car world stardom. His latest work revolves around reinventing the Honda S2000 with contemporary Honda (and Acura for that matter) styling philosophy. It seems that Sibal knocked it out of the park with the new S2000 rendering. I find this study looking right in so many ways it is hard not to imagine it under the spotlights of any car show.

Yet, a new S2000 isn’t likely. At least, not in the day and age where fairly cheap roadsters aren’t exactly popular if they are not wearing a premium brand name.

Jon Sibal Honda S2000

Sibal published the rendering of the updated S2000 on his Instagram account with a comment:

“My slight update on the S2K integrating some current design cues while retaining the original form.”

Obviously, even an untrained eye can see NSX influence over Jon Sibal's work. Yet, I think Sibal did it better with the S2000 reimagining than Acura did with the NSX itself. That is why I think it would never work in real life. The last Honda S2000 was produced nine years ago. And that car was already old considering that its architecture was imagined all the way back in the Nineties. Do you really believe that Honda could create something similar in today's world? With safety and efficiency standards as they are? No freaking way. The new S2000 would be considerably different compared to the last model. Larger too.

Unfortunately, despite all the Honda fanboys getting aroused by looking at this Jon Sibal rendering, the new Honda S2000 is far from happening.

Last year, Takahiro Hachigo, Honda’s man in charge, commented about the S2000 with Autocar journalists. He said, “as of today, I cannot say clearly that S2000 will be reinvented as further studies are necessary. I’ve already heard many voices expressing they’d like a next-generation S2000. Honda development engineers are quick to develop sporty cars if the requests are there.”

This was not as disappointing as one would imagine. Almost a year after, however, Hayato Mori, Honda Senior Manager for Product Planning apparently dismissed all hope for a new Honda S2000. As we all know, if a car company can’t make money on a certain car, that car isn’t going to happen. In this case, it is not going to happen in the foreseeable future at all. It is a sad prospect, but an expected one as well.

Body Kit Like This?

While we are still far from a world that would accept the new S2000, a body kit based on Jon Sibal's rendering would be acceptable. I know that Liberty Walk isn’t exactly into building such elegant pieces that Jon Sibal's S2000 truly is, but I can see the company making a kit like this right away. Why not? I am sure more than a handful Honda S2000 owners would be interested in it.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2009 Honda S2000.

Read more Honda news.