Tips for Finding the Best Honda S2000 Hardtop

Most Honda S2000 owners don’t realize that it’s quite easy and inexpensive to convert their car to a hardtop model. There are many reasons why one should consider this option. Appearance is one of the first and probably the most important reasons, at least for S2000 owners involved in the world of automotive fashion. Mugen and Spoon-style hardtops are available in paintable fiberglass as well as fully finished carbon fiber. As we all know, the use of carbon fiber parts in the automotive industry has been very popular for more than a decade and the trend will continue to increase in the future.

There have been numerous successful car thief attempts on S2K models and many insurance claims filed for the same vandalism. S2000 seems to be easy enough to break into, cutting the factory soft top and unlocking the car. The car seats seem to be worth quite a bit and have a decent resale value on the streets. Now there’s a second good reason to have a hardtop.

Winter is probably not a good time to own a soft-top convertible due to rain, humidity, wind noise, and leaks. Almost any vehicle equipped with a soft top will have some type of leak, usually air, sometimes water. Without the car being hermetically sealed, the windows tend to “fog up” during the winter. When it comes to air leaks, nobody likes that “hiss” caused by an air leak, especially on a long ride. If installed correctly, a hardtop will not cause any of these problems.

There are a few styles of hardtops available for an S2000. Honda makes an OEM hardtop, which is available directly from the dealer. This option is probably the most common for people who bought the OEM hardtop while buying the car from the dealer. This factory part is considered quite expensive, costing over $3,500 with hardware. High price tag and not too attractive appearance. Not a great option.

The most popular option is the Honda S2000 Mugen hardtop. There are a few reasons why this is such an attractive product. Like the OEM hardtop, this part installs to the vehicle using factory front latches and two brackets behind the seats (one on each side). The rest of the installation consists of simply applying weatherstripping and seals. The beauty is that you don’t even need to remove the car’s factory soft top. This hard top installs over the factory soft top. Like the installation process, it’s also a breeze to remove the Mugen hardtop from the S2000 for those warm summer days. Simply unlock the front and remove the two brackets at the rear. Available in paintable fiberglass as well as finished carbon fiber, typically a car show winner. For a price starting around $800, the best option so far.

The Spoon S2000 hardtop has the most distinctive appearance. This two-piece piece completely changes the look of the car. The rear of the soft top is sloped down to give the S2K that “fastback” look, making it very popular on the track. Starting at around $1,800, some love it, some hate it. So whether you go for the OEM hardtop, Mugen, or Spoon, it’s still better to deal with the issues caused by the factory soft top.