For 2024, there’s a generous list of JDM cars that can be legally imported into the US as they turn 25. And while most people start with the Nissan Silvia S15 or the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, we’re here to show you a Japanese Honda S2000 you can bring from Japan to the US.
Despite the Honda S2000 having been sold in the US back in the day, it also makes sense to import one from Japan, simply thanks to having access to extra inventory. There are also more collector-related exceptions, such as the Type V that was only offered in the Land of the Rising Sun.
For the record, Honda built over 110,000 S2000s between—the original AP1 was built at the Takanezawa plant that also made the original NSX (1999-2003), while the AP2 facelift was assembled at the company’s Suzuka site (2004-2009).
The US got the bulk of S2000 production (66,500 units), but Japan also enjoyed almost 22,000 cars, slightly ahead of Europe (under 20,000 vehicles), with Canada getting around 2,500 S2Ks.
The 25-year import rule still applies to the Honda S2000
The fact that the S2000 was sold Stateside doesn’t mean you can easily import one from Japan, though. The 25-year import rule, which states vehicles brought into the US must comply with DOT crash safety and EPA emission standards still applies, at least as far as the latter is concerned. That’s because the JDM spec S2000 has a slightly different output compared to the American model. This covers both the AP1’s 2.0L 9,000 rpm screamer (think: 247 vs 237 hp, respectively) and the AP’s torquier, slightly less rev-savvy 2.2L (239 vs 237 hp).
However, as stated in the intro, as the calendar takes us into 2024, the S2000s from the first production year become 100% legal to import into the US. Of course, you still have to deal with additional costs, and the harsh reality of the S2K having jumped in value all over the world. For the record, grabbing a good-condition Honda S2000 in America these days will cost you under $30,000 for the AP1 and around $35,000 for the AP2.
As for the Japanese Honda S2000 we have here, this is a 1999 example with just 14,000 miles on the clock. Stacked Exports, the specialist showcasing the sports car, tells us that the Honda has no accident history and comes with a buy-now price of 5.36 million yen (currently around $35,950 USD).
The JDM-spec S2000 is dressed in Silverstone Grey Metallic, but you don’t have to worry about the color drawing attention or not—while it may come as a surprise, it is legal to drive a right-hand-drive car in the US, even though you’ll still have to deal with the visibility challenges. Then again, we’ve seen people doing crazier stuff with S2000s.
Speaking of which, now that Honda has showcased the new Prelude concept, the rumors about the S2000 being revived as an EV for 2026 persist.