Test Mule

’02 Honda S2000

Key Features

• Lightweight, solid-aluminum construction
• Spherical bearing top mounts
• Corrosion-resistant bodies
• 14mm front and rear shock shafts
• One-way 32 times adjustable
• Ride height adjustable without changing spring preload
• Dual-flow valve technology for instantaneous suspension movement

Description
So you’ve been driving around in your S2000 for quite some time now, enjoying the nimble handling and quick, precise steering. The S2K turns heads and feels great to drive, but deep down inside you know Honda didn’t build this RWD roadster to cruise in. It needs some track abuse every now and then to keep it satisfied. Problem is, you want to separate yourself from the boys and drive with the men. You want an S2K that can be pushed to the limit with little compromise. It’s time to get serious and upgrade the most important part of your car: its suspension.

There are plenty of low-buck coilover solutions on the market for S2000s, and most of them are passable for daily-driving duties, but when it comes time to get serious about performance, there are only a handful of companies on the market that can meet that demand, and one of them is Ohlins.

With a long history in motorsports racing, Ohlins has been dedicated to producing quality suspension that meets the needs of both racing and road-going enthusiasts. Its Road & Track lineup of coilovers is meant to be a perfect blend of racetrack and street performance. Built with little compromise in mind, the R&T coilovers utilize a proprietary Dual-Flow Valve that allows instantaneous suspension movement during harsh, high-speed loads ensuring the tire is always contacting the ground (that’s a good thing).

While other dampers’ performance tends to deteriorate as the fluid inside the shock heats up, Ohlins has a unique needle bleed valve that expands with the internal temperature change, therefore maintaining a consistent damping rate no matter how hard the shock is working. The result is a reliable and stable automobile, turn after turn, lap after grueling lap.

Even though Ohlins’ top priority is performance, it realizes many customers want to be able to lower their cars without detrimental effects. That’s why the Road & Track coilovers employ a threaded body and an adjustable lower flange, which means the spring and its perch are left untouched, maintaining the same characteristics no matter the ride height.

Ohlins R&T coilovers are fully rebuildable and built with quality, corrosion-resistant, lightweight components to ensure they’ll last as long as your car.

Ohlins’ proprietary Dual-Flow Valve (DFV) technology allows immediate suspension movement during high-speed, harsh transitions. It’s a high-flow two-way valve that bypasses the shim stack for faster suspension movement, keeping the tire patch in contact with the road at all times.

Results
You know when you pick something up and can instantly tell how well it’s built? Well that’s the feeling we got after examining the R&T coilovers. From the heavy-duty upper and lower mounts to the robust adjustable collars and 14mm-thick front and rear shock shafts, there’s no doubt these coilovers are made to handle plenty of abuse. The ribbed rubber boots protecting the shock shaft are a nice feature; we rarely see them on coilovers and often wonder why more companies don’t use them. After all, protecting the exposed shaft from dust and debris seems like a great way to extend the life of the shock.