Scale Technics Honda S2000 Super Taikyu ST4 Endurance - M04/06/08

[technics 3161]

Project Start: 2023

Chassis - M-04L / M-06L / M-08L / TBD

Body - Tamiya Honda S2000 / Mazda Mx5

Electrics - TBD

Paint - TBD Tamiya PS

 

Ambitions 

- DIY livery / Decals 

- Functioning driving lights with brake. 

- Build and 3D print front & lamp buckets 

- Build and 3D print Hardtop? 

- Source Lexan hardtop from Tamiya’s Mazda Eunos MX5

A Honda S2000 inspired build by spoon sports for the Super N1 Taikyu Endurance Racing Series. Some notable races that Spoon as a company has participated over the years and finished with a win were -

- Super Tayiku ST-4 class championship

-24h of Nurburgring 

-24h from Tokachi

-25 from Thunderhill

- 9h Tsukuba 

 

Fun FACT:  The name of Spoon, comes from the famous curve with the shape of a "spoon" (Spoon in English) of the Suzuka Circuit.

The first generation of s2000 cars remained mainly unchanged visually from exterior which I always liked other then the hardtop, fuel cell and livery. Their later cars came with aggressive bodywork which I like too but would be much harder to do,  a future project plan for sure! 

[technics 3161]

In my opinion it’s one of Tamiya’s most beautiful bodysets from their golden era. It’s for the M chassis in 239mm wheelbase. I’ve been holding onto a few and been planning what to do with each for a while.

[Kowalski86 3983]

I think the more "elegant" M08 chassis would fit your S2000 well, the more race-worthy M chassis use better plastic, hex screws, and are better balanced weight-wise.

The M06 might be better for an unprepared street, but it is a bit tail heavy.

The M04 would be a bit difficult to find parts/hop-ups for.

[Grumpy pants 5170]

Nice project 👏

I don’t know much about M chassis’ however @Kowalski86 suggestion to use M-08 as a base sounds like a good idea to me. 

[technics 3161]

@Kowalski86 @Grumpy pants

Thanks for your posts, yes you’re both right on the right track. I favor new technology and plastic much more both to work on and to look at.. I do have a few M04L runners however so they might be perfect for this. 

The M06 wasn’t exactly a fun build, with basically wood screws and very shiny brittle feeling plastic but the chassis is very fun to use and performs well for fun bashing. Really fun with the rear weight bias engine position.

 

[Pylon80 3316]

30 minutes ago, technics said:

The M06 wasn’t exactly a fun build

Even after the M-06 came out, people would still modify M-05's to RWD. Must have made for a horrible car with the nearly 5deg of front kick-up becoming 5deg of rear pro-squat 😐🤣 but people would do that rather than using the M-06.

The M-08 should make for a fantastic scale build 👌

[Kowalski86 3983]

3 hours ago, Pylon80 said:

Even after the M-06 came out, people would still modify M-05's to RWD. Must have made for a horrible car with the nearly 5deg of front kick-up becoming 5deg of rear pro-squat 😐🤣 but people would do that rather than using the M-06.

The M-08 should make for a fantastic scale build 👌

I can't imagine a RWD M05 handling well, even as a FWD it has its share of flaws.

The M08 should be a more "hobby grade" feeling build, and there is a used one in the sale section. The only thing with M08s is that they may prefer smoother surfaces, since they're a proper "race-grade" chassis.

 

[technics 3161]

For continued motivation a new post. Here is my stash lineup, boxes have original contents and there’s a few that didn’t make it in the photo actually 😂

I have had the lexan bodyset scanned. I will develop the parts in 3D which will enable "the ultimate" s2000 build(s) from here onward  Exterior trim, inserts, lamps, oem and spoon hardtop, a simple iconic S2000 Instrument Panel? 

Time and sky is the limit.

[ChrisRx718 4599]

Amazing. I've been looking for an S2000 for years, but it seems they're very rare. I used to work in a shop in the UK where we would sell the M-04L version, but nobody wanted it at the time (including me) - it sat on the shelves for ages - everyone wanted the Rover Mini Cooper / Racing Cooper, or the cheaper Mercedes SL / BMW Z3 Roadster.

Hindsight and all that. Closest I ever got was obtaining the official decal set and "H" parts - I don't even know where I've put them now - I gave up on trying to get ahold of a body and moved on to other projects. 

Where did you find them in the end? Just a long waiting game on auction sites?

[Pylon80 3316]

Following your project with interest.

I had noticed on your earlier posts that the 1:1 race cars had hard tops so I am looking forward to see your modification for this. You are taking RC bodies really far!

[technics 3161]

@Pylon80 Thank you! For me it is very fun I love how realistic and nice all these shells look. They are all childhood dream builds / gran turismo obsessions I’ve thought about for decades.  Yes, having several sets I will likely make different spec ones including a completely stock one with a textile roof. The oem looking hardtop will actually likely first be sourced from a NA Eunos / mx-5 lexan. I‘ve had them side by side it’s quite close,  worth a try, it means ruining a body potentially or forced to make a full NA interior for a cab down version. 😅 

@ChrisRx718 I have gotten them from Facebook, eBay and yahoo auctions, not over night certainly throughout the past decade or so. Interesting to hear the story from period. I was not in the hobby in the era, nor could afford the time / finances. I’ve bought every one I seen since though 😂 and a few other subjects I admire in doubles, triples, quadruples. 😂

[Tobyone 558]

17 hours ago, ChrisRx718 said:

Amazing. I've been looking for an S2000 for years, but it seems they're very rare. I used to work in a shop in the UK where we would sell the M-04L version, but nobody wanted it at the time (including me) - it sat on the shelves for ages - everyone wanted the Rover Mini Cooper / Racing Cooper, or the cheaper Mercedes SL / BMW Z3 Roadster.

Hindsight and all that. Closest I ever got was obtaining the official decal set and "H" parts - I don't even know where I've put them now - I gave up on trying to get ahold of a body and moved on to other projects. 

Where did you find them in the end? Just a long waiting game on auction sites?

https://buyee.jp/mercari/item/m29639490649?conversionType=service_page_search

@ChrisRx718 If you are still on the look out

[Grotty Otty 869]

Following with interest. Love a S2000, had a 1:1 back in 2005. Was an '03 model with the glass soft top in a metallic purple. Awesome car, only got rid of as it tried to kill me pretty much every time rained! As Martin Brundle says "a definite case of ambition over adhesion!". Still, it  sounded amazing with the airbox cover removed in the summer ..

[technics 3161]

@Grotty Nice! Likewise! I had one ‘11-‘15. Here was mine. Silverstone AP1. Nicest transmission I’ve ever experienced. It’s why I will definitely do a multi variant build out of all of these kits over time.

[technics 3161]

The digital data build begins. I use the accurate lexan scan as my base and begin to build my own high resolution model one panel at a time. Here is a lunchtime draft of the front fender and hood. There’s no reason to build the entire vehicle but I use the opportunity to exercise the newly developed skill and let the motivation take over. 

[yogi-bear 2412]

I only just discovered this thread. Great work! One question, it looks like you scanned the lexan shell, do you mind sharing how did this?

[technics 3161]

@yogi-bear Thanks! It was done by a friend using a Creality CR-Scan Ferret. I had no part in it 😂 I’m tempted to get one myself as well as a printer but each are hobbies in themselves quickly! 

[technics 3161]

Chipped away at the model today at lunch a little bit more. The essence of the original got a bit closer.

[technics 3161]

I completed the majority of the exterior to get into the mood of the s2000, as a seperate project to learn the software I am making detailed viz models.

[technics 3161]

Onto some parts I have made and will refine further to have printed.

The parts are built intersecting the original lexan scan so ideally they are a near perfect match but knowing how things go it will likely be a trial and error to get things to fit as well as manual work.

WIP shot showing some references I´m using

[clobbo 33]

Wish I found this thread sooner, but I'm very much looking forward to your progress!

The Tamiya S2000 body has eluded me for a very long time, but I did strike it lucky with an HPI S2000 body.  Not sure how good they are but it shall remain sealed until I have time to do a project like this..

I had a 2006 GPW S2000 from 2010-2019.. in the 9 years I owned it I put less than 20k kms on it, but unfortunately life happened and I had to sell it, which was a decision I still regret having to do.