Kevin - Turbocharged 2001 AP1 Honda S2000

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 Kevin Vinh

Turbocharged 2001 AP1 Honda S2000

Instagram: @Kvinh90

Photographer: @fireblazinmedia 

I really didn’t have any interest in cars until maybe late high school, when a bunch of my friends started to drive and get into their first cars. The S2000 always had a special appeal to me, first seeing the car in the Fast and Furious series, I knew it was a car I eventually wanted to own. A few of my friends actually owned S2000s which gave me the opportunity to drive and sit in the car over the years.

 In 2016, I decided that I wanted a reliable, rear-wheel drive, high revving, convertible sports car which led me to purchase my S2K. Shortly after bringing the car home, the modifications began. My initial plan was to just make the car aesthetically pleasing with maybe an intake and exhaust however, I realized that the car would be more enjoyable with a little more power.

Prior to the S2K, I owned a Mitsubishi Evo 8 with a few modifications so the S2K felt a bit underwhelming. I began researching various forced induction setups, comparing turbochargers vs. superchargers and decided that I wanted to go with a simple log manifold turbo setup. I started browsing the classifieds for a used turbo kit and eventually found one that fell within my budget. The car initially made 350whp/205tq on ~8 psi but of course, I wanted to max out the setup so I discussed plans with my friend Gary Burch (who did all the work and tuning on the car) over that winter and decided that we were going to turn up the boost and run E85 the following season. The power goal for the car was 450whp however, we ran out of turbo with the car making a final number of 425whp/265tq on 18 psi. Nonetheless, I was completely satisfied with how the car ran and had zero complaints!

As far as the driving experience goes in the S2K, it never fails to put a smile on my face, providing me with good smiles per gallon! The car is very driver-focused, from the interior controls to the ergonomic shifter positioning. I always express that the S2K feels like a slightly bigger and faster go-kart that you can drive on the street, being lightweight and nimble with a small cockpit. I’ve added a few bits to improve the driving experience such as coil-overs, an Alcantara steering wheel and Recaro seats. Every little modification has definitely added to the overall feel of the car. When it comes to cosmetics, I’ve just simply added exterior pieces here and there that catch my eye and pieces that make the car look more aggressive and “racecar” like. I never really had a true vision on how the car should look at the end of the day, just adding to it as I go along and continuing to get inspired by other builds.

I tell myself all the time that I want to be “finished” with the car and just enjoy it but I’ve been unsuccessful thus far. I think that adding to the canvas, especially with the exterior, will continue up until that day, if that day ever comes, to move on and sell the car. It is just so much you can do to the S2000s, so much aftermarket support, so many different styles/looks you can chase, it is truly never-ending! 

I just wanted to say thank you to every individual who assisted me with this build and a huge shout-out to the following photographers who have taken amazing photos of my car in the last few years:

Thomas Vo @aivothom

Pablo Colon @fireblazinmedia

Jack Li @byjackli

Daniel Ibalio @daniel.ibalio

Exterior:

• Spoon style front bumper
• Spoon style side skirt extensions
• ASM style rear over fenders
• J’s Racing style rear diffuser
• Mugen style CF hardtop
• K1 Lab style decklid (not pictured)
• 1700mm Swan neck wing with Voltex stands  

Engine/Drivetrain:

• 18 psi on E85 (425whp/265tq)
• Hondata Kpro
• Turbonetics T3/4 .63
• Precision 39mm WG
• Tial 50mm BOV
• DW400 FP
• ID1000 injectors
• Invidia Q300 dual exhaust
• ACT HDSS Clutch Kit

Suspension:

• Fortune Auto 500 series coil overs
• 17x9+45 Enkei Rpf1s with 245/40s

Interior:

• DND 350mm steering wheel with ChasingJs horn button
• NRG short hub
• Innovate Motorsports boost/afr gauge 
• Origin Fab shift knob
• Cusco 4-pt roll bar
• DC5 Recaros
• Ap2 centre console 

Future Modifications:

• Wider front fenders
• Chassis mounted front splitter
• Additional suspension bits
• TE37 Sagas 17x10+47 with 255/40s
• Recaro Pole Positions with proper harnesses 

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