Project ASS2000: Completing The Aero Package

Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-17Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-16

With a 61” span and aerodynamically tuned endplates affixed to the airfoil with beautiful flush mount hardware, the APR GTC-300 is perfectly sized for the S2000 and really gives it a race car appearance in combination with the carbon fiber hard top. We’re told this chassis benefits hugely from a functional rear wing like the GTC-300, so we’re really excited to get to the track and see if it helps the rear end stick better than it did during our last track test.

Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-18

But before track testing, we needed to complete the install of our custom C3 Composites carbon fiber splitter. As you may have read over the winter in Part 1 and Part 2 of the splitter build, Kevin from C3 built the splitter with us using a high-density 3/4” foam core and three layers of carbon fiber. It was an intensive process, but well worth it given that a serious rear wing like the APR GTC-300 really needs a proper front splitter to balance out the downforce front-to-rear.

Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-19

We had sorted out a mounting approach prior to fabricating the splitter, since Kevin needed to know where the mounting points would be so he could reinforce those areas with a core of hardened resin. So now the trick was to finalize the mounting on the chassis side. For this we used some aluminum square bar and angle bar, which we bolted to the chassis on the main frame rails for the central mounting points and on the headlight support bracket for the two outer mounting points.

Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-20 Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-21

We used rivnuts to create a secure connecting point within the square bar that runs across the center of the splitter, and we also used rivnuts in the vertical square bars for the outer two mounting points. Plus we threw a coat of black paint on the mounting bars so they look a little less ghetto.

Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-22 Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-23

With the splitter mounted and the front bumper back on, we check it for level. The fit and installed position was excellent, though we had a slight air gap between the splitter and CR lip where the contour of the lip rises a bit near the middle. We filled that gap, as you’ll see in our bonus video below, with some foam weather stripping, plus we added some carbon diversion panels to cover the front tires where they stick out past the bumper, similar in concept to the little extensions you’ll see on the front end of the new Corvette Z06.

All in all we’re extremely happy with the way our aero package has come together, and it’s finally time to hit the track and see if all the hard work will be rewarded with faster lap times. But will it be enough to break the 1-minute 20-second target we set when testing the ASS2000 against a Jaguar F-Type V8 S last year? We’ll have a track test documenting exactly that very soon.

Honda-S2000-Seibon-APR-24

Oh, and the budget. The numbers are recapped fully in the Downforce Cometh video above, but as the car sits we’re at $28,631.01 including the $4500 purchase price of the car. That’s getting up there and is closing in fast on the $30k-or-so target we set for beating the Jag. Time to go fast!

newest oldest most voted
Notify of
CDerian
Guest
CDerian

measure ride height from the bottom of the wheel – easy to hook the tape and ignores tire squish in case you didn’t set your pressure