Today a Craiglist link showed up in my inbox showing a used car listing for a 2001 Honda S2000 packing the engine and transmission from a Dodge Viper. Now, I am not a fan of crossbreed cars…if you want to drive a Honda car – you should suffer with the Honda engine and it breaks my heart to see one of the greatest Mopar motors of all time under the hood of a Honda. However, I am intrigued by the incredible Viper V10 engine with 505 horsepower and 535lb-ft of torque jammed into a tiny, lightweight car.
Considering that the S2000 is a pretty spirited little roadster with the standard 4-cylinder engine with 240 horsepower and 153lb-ft of torque, having the extra 265 horsepower and 382lb-ft of torque has to make this car a little, confused rocket. Oh, and yes, I also laughed at that stock torque figure…it’s no wonder that the owner wanted that stock motor gone.
In all fairness, it sounds like this Viper powered Honda S2000 has been done right, with drivetrain sending its power through an upgraded rear differential while a revamped suspension setup and beefed up braking package helping this little monster to get around the turns safely.
Now, I don’t know that I would be interested in this car as I’m really not a “tiny roadster” guy…but I bet that this car would be a real blast to drive. For those of you who would drive it, I have good news. This Viper powered Honda can be yours for just $27,000. The car has 60,000 miles on it and the V10 engine has 14,000 miles on it so the entire car has only been lightly used in its 13 years of existence.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
