By now, most of you have read reviews lauding the S2000 CR as a paragon of track performance. With an interior bereft of air conditioning, radio, and virtually all other amenities, the S2000 CR has been cited as bare-bones enough to make a Lotus Elise seem cozy. The CR stands for “Club Racer,” and that is, very specifically, just what this vehicle was designed for. But assuming this S2000 is anything in the way of a potential purchase, you may wonder what it’s like as a daily driver. WINDING ROAD recently had the opportunity to find out—something we had been anticipating since the car’s debut in New York City last April.

Approaching the S2000 CR, the add-ons had us a bit skeptical about the supposed weight reduction. The protruding, lowered chin and almost cartoon-like rear wing do it no favors in terms of appearance, and the removable hard top sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb, almost begging to be taken off. It should be. Leaving the roof in place virtually cancels out the weight saved by stripping the interior: top on, the CR is only forty-two pounds lighter than the base model.

Roof in place, entry is daunting for normal-size humans. Even at the modest height of five feet, eight inches, this author suffered bruised knees, near-pulled muscles, and several bumps on the head. But once you’re in, you’re in, and the arrangement is relatively comfortable—at least until it’s time to get out.

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Magazine Issue: Winding Road Issue 30