The rumour mill is churning again with reports that Honda will attempt to resurrect the much lovedHonda S2000. The front-engined rear drive sports car became a cult car for enthusiasts with its high revving (9000rpm) nature and rear-wheel drive handling.

Honda s2000 to return?

The latest reports seem to be quite specific about what’s planned for the S2000’s return. The most interesting report being that the new car could be mid-engined and rear-wheel drive, a drastic change from the original car. The shape has also been touted as a coupe, rather than the rag-top of old. The design of the new car could take much inspiration from the NSX concept that Honda has been working on for a while now.

Engine wise the new S2000 is most likely to employ a tuned-up version of the Civic Type R motor. Impressively, the figure doing the rounds is 272 kW from the four-cylinder 2-litre turbo. It will have some sort of electric assistance aiding initial acceleration. Expect a dual-clutch transmission instead of the fast, bolt shift manual of the old car.

Using chassis technology from the NSX will lead to extensive use of aluminium and carbon fibre in key areas, reducing the overall weight to around 1300kg.

There is no specific timeline for the new Honda S2000 yet and as we know, Honda likes to take its time on projects. In the meantime we can look forward to both the Civic Type R and Honda NSX making a statement in 2016.