Of all the auto manufacturers that have contributed to the import racing phenomenon, and to the larger sport-compact hot-rod movement, which has grown to startling proportions around it, Honda has to be considered the scene's godfather. Like it or not. Honda enthusiasts nursed the import movement through its infancy; Honda's cars provided a competent platform that aspiring auto enthusiasts, particularly those on a budget, could transform into outrageous show cars and potent street weapons, and soon after proved that front-wheel-drive cars could indeed constitute a force to be reckoned with on the drag strip.
Of all the aftermarket-parts manufacturers that lend their goods and services to the import racing scene, few focus on only one auto manufacturer. As the movement expands, most strive to encompass a wide range of cars, to diversify in the interest of broader appeal to a wider range of enthusiasts. Spoon Sports, based in Tokyo, Japan, has remained faithful to a single marque through it all. That marque is Honda. Well, Honda and Acura, but they're one and the same, anyway.
Spoon Sports was established 25 years ago by Tatsuru Ichishima, an avid auto enthusiast and racer. Five years prior, Ichishima was racing an N360, a little white shoebox of a car that makes today's Civic seem like your mom's Suburban. That was 1970, and the car was equipped with steel wheels (about a whole 12 in. in diameter), bias tires and oil-pressure-activated drum brakes-at all four corners, of course. Even with equipment that today seems prehistoric, the quest for speed, and for shaving fractions of seconds off elapsed times, was still the same.
Though Spoon specializes in Honda vehicles, the company doesn't support every model in the lineup. Needless to say, you won't be finding any CR-V power adders in Spoon's repertoire. The company does, however, support all your favorites: the Civic, the Integra and, naturally, the S2000, Honda's two-seat, open-top, 9000-rpm rocket pod-the car you should be driving instead of your older brother's '89 Accord. God damn, you hate that Accord don't you?
Shortly after the turn of the millennium, Honda introduced its S2000, the first real sports car to sport a Honda badge, to such a frenzy of excitement that the car almost appeared to be the product of a massive automotive orgasm. Spoon was just as excited as everyone else, and now with two years marked off on the S2000's production odometer, the company has developed an extensive performance program for the car.
Interestingly, Spoon makes it a point to call out the fact that a true sports car should not be just fast. It should first be comfortable and driver friendly, and then fast, a combination of characteristics the company refers to as "real comfort." Spoon Sports' performance components are tested extensively on and off the track to ensure the highest level of quality and reliability, and keeping with the "real comfort" theme, Spoon also offers cosmetic and interior treatments for the eclectic S2000 enthusiast.
The particular vehicle you see in front of you is an actual Japanese circuit race car, assembled by Spoon and delivered to our studio by Motorex, Torrance, Calif., the distinguished automobile importer best known for its street-legal American Skylines. The S2000 was built to compete in the Super Taikyu N1 endurance circuit. I don't exactly know what "Taikyu" translates to in English, but I imagine it probably means "driving shit-your-pants fast for extended periods of time," or something similar. In fact, the Japanese Super Taikyu endurance series consists of eight races each season, including the Tokachi 24-hour race. Spoon's S2000 currently competes in the Class 4 segment, which limits entrants to a total engine displacement under 2 liters, against eight other S2000s and other cars such as the new RSX and Lexus IS. Of the eight S2000 cars that compete, Spoon Sports helped build five of them, excluding the company's own entry.
Though in competition it actually runs on Yokohama race slicks-of the type not approved for all-season street traction-the performance parts used on this S2000 are Spoon Racing components similar to the ones you can buy for your own car. The engine, which relies on a factory-spec block, has been pumped with a Spoon exhaust, drop-in filter and a carbon-fiber air duct that routes air from the front bumper directly to the factory airbox, which is also still employed. Other engine improvements consist of a 70mm throttle body, a baffled oil pan to keep the engine from starving under high-g loads (Motorex claims the car is capable of reaching more than 1.1 g of lateral acceleration in independent skidpad testing) and a re-programmed ECU. The head was reworked with high-rev springs, polished valves and a pair of hot cams, before being slapped back on the block over a Spoon head gasket.
As I pointed out, Spoon doesn't set out to just improve a car's straight-line performance. Reliability and driveability are just as important as the delivery of power. The S2000's drivetrain has been thoroughly bolstered with a bevy of Spoon products for bulletproof mechanical integrity and smooth operation: flywheel, clutch kit, driveshafts, propeller shaft, limited-slip diff and differential gearbox, and stiffer engine, transmission and differential mounts. Special transmission and differential oil coolers have been installed to help drivetrain components cope with the extreme demands of endurance racing-you think that hour-long commute from home to work is bad? The suspension has been bolstered with a chassis X-brace, rear lower frame brace and front strut tower bar, as well as racing coilovers and matched dampers. The brakes incorporate larger rotors and Spoon pads and lines, but still use OEM calipers, apparently.
In order to satisfy series safety requirements, the cockpit has been covered by a special hardtop, which also helps to improve vehicle aerodynamics. A six-point rollcage serves to further stiffen an already rock-hard chassis and provide further requisite safety equipment. The driver's seat has been replaced with an ergonomic Spoon racing bucket for the driver, an important consideration in the comfort side of Spoon's comfort equation, which is strapped with Takata harnesses to keep the driver tied up firmly in place. The passenger seat has been removed entirely, as has the factory carpeting and sound damping materials, leaving only smooth, blue metal to surround the driver.
In case you might be interested, I heard a rumor that the Spoon S2000 will be up for sale once it's done racing-and done posing for all the magazines. Maybe if you start saving now you'll have enough by the end of summer. Think of what your friends will say! Think of the girls that will swoon! One thing though-you'll need to go out and practice shifting with your left hand. Don't worry, it's easy-similar to switch hitting when you're all alone with no one to give you any love, if you catch my drift. Have a good one.
When Tatsuru Ichishima of Spoon Sports is in the States for only four days you better make good use of his time. It was a mad scramble to set up an interview, but A'PEXi USA president Toshi Hayama was willing to let us use his company's R&D department as a place to hold our interview. Not only did Toshi allow us to use his facilities, he also helped out with the technical translation part of the interview. Since we only had a short visit with the Japanese Honda god we had just enough time to get the low down on the B-Series engines and not the K Series. Sorry RSX fans.
IT: Which is your favorite B-Series engine?
SS: I prefer the B18C4
IT: I don't think we have a C4. As matter of fact, I don't even think we have a C2, C3 or C4.
SS: If the engine has B18C stamped and no number after it, that means it could either be a B18C2 or a B18C3. C1 through C3 of the VTEC B Series are considered the knock-down models in Japan. The favored engines are the B18C4s, which are not available in the States. The C5, which is found in the U.S.-spec Integra Type R, is also a good engine.
IT: What is a common mistake you see when building a VTEC engine?
SS: What I would like to see is a shift in the mentality for the way builders are assembling the motors. People need to address the fact that factory components are very high quality, but it's the details in the engine that people don't pay attention to. For example, the oil jets that run through the rocker shafts look like the same size, but in actuality they were designed with different sized orifices for the intake and exhaust sides. Honda compensated for the acceleration of a vehicle and the oil shifting to the rear of the car by changing the size of the nozzles. To top it off, they also made it so you could not get the two jets installed backward so you can't induce improper oiling.
IT: When rebuilding an engine, what are some of the components you want to service?
SS: Depending on what you are building for, you want to figure out what OEM components will not work with your application. Engine builders tend to want to replace everything regardless if a part does or does not work. I don't want to downplay what is going on over here in the States, or even say my way is the only way, but I think engine builders should analyze what needs to be replaced for the type of engine you are building. If you replace everything, how do you know if what was replaced really needed to be? Once you understand this part of the situation, in normally aspirated trim, then you think about turbocharging the engine and what parts are prone to fracture.
IT: What is a key component that you have seen fail under extreme power?
SS: It's very important on a high-speed Honda engine that you polish the sections that the crank rides on because oil pump failure is often caused by the shock of the clutch engaging. This will make the crank move and if the oil pump catches on the crank it can cause the vein on the pump to shatter. It's also important that the pump doesn't have too much play on the crank. This can cause too much harmonics on the crank. Most factory pumps have too much play and upgraded pumps offer a much tighter fit.
IT: Are there major differences on VTEC B-Series ports?
SS: On VTEC exhaust ports there is not much difference, but intake ports vary from engine to engine.
IT: Which B Series do you think makes a better turbo application?
SS: The B18C makes a better motor in turbocharged applications because of the lateral movement of the rod. It's an ongoing theme when it comes to rod lengths.
IT: That's funny, because it's the same situation here in the States. What do you think about B20 cranks installed in the B18 engines?
SS: I don't understand why people want to do this. There is a small cult following in Japan on the same swap, but they are basically spending a lot of money and going home crying. The B20 crank in a B18 would have problems because the engine's sleeve already has a vibration problem at the sleeves with the original crank. The B20 crank causes even more vibration. If the engine were only revved up to 5000 rpm, it would be fine, but when you get up to 8000 to 9000 rpm, warping will start to occur. Again, this is a problem that occurs even with the original crank.
IT: On a completely different thought, where did you get the crane symbol?
SS: My name is Tatsuru Ichishima, and the Japanese Kanji character "Tsuru" means crane.
IT: That makes sense. Out of all the Honda models which is your favorite?
SS: The S2000. It is very well balanced and the engine was designed very well.
IT: Last question. How do you feel about the mention of your motors in the movie "The Fast and The Furious"?
SS: I didn't really know about it, but it doesn't bother me.