Feature: Project Import S2000

During my time at GTA, I really wanted to look for cars that spoke to me. Cars that spoke to my passion for time attack in the same way as the cars in Japan. So, when I stumbled across the Project Import S2000, I was pretty excited to see what times it would be able to put down. Little did I know that team behind this year’s effort was none other than the boys behind Battlecraft. Everyone in the track scene (or wider Honda scene) around SoCal knows Battlecraft for their many in-house products such as shift knobs, collaboration products with tuning shops in Japan and so on but many may not know of their deep mechanical understanding of these cars or just how well they can drive them. With Kristian (@studytuned) as driver, Jay (@jjthongcharoen) as tech and a myriad of other talented hands working on the car, there was no doubt that car was capable of a new PB at Buttonwillow.

This car brought an energy few others had. Many came around to check it out while being tech inspected which makes sense considering the number of famous tracks its seen over the years and plethora of content online. The bright orange livery against the desert backdrop of SoCal really popped in contrast to the many black, white and greys of other cars.

While standing around and staring at these machines is fun, what I really appreciated was the amount of help everyone wanted to give to one another. At the end of the day, everyone wants the next person to succeed. In a way, watching someone break a new record or personal PB is a small shot of dopamine for everyone. It’s what makes this sport so addicting compared to the contemporary understanding of motorsports; the self-pursuit of a goal and the storylines behind it.

I think what’s most fascinating is this car still retains the stock F22C engine that came with S2000’s from factory (albeit heavily modified). In a world full of K-swaps and easy power, its refreshing to see the engine paired with the car it came in. The P.I. S2000 makes a comfortable 700 horsepower and sits near 2900 pounds. With leftover tires from its Pikes Peak run, it clocked a very comfortable 1:47.068 on Saturday’s runs.