[S2000] Overcast Drive to Yahagi Dam! The Insane Cornering Difference of an Ultra-Lightweight Super 7

2026年6月14日

There are times when a man simply must drive, no matter what. Even if the sky is a dreary, overcast gray. Even if you only have the morning free. You don’t hesitate—you violently twist that key. That is the unapologetic, beautiful karma of the open-top breed.

And so, to completely obliterate my stress, I summoned the S2000 and headed for my usual mountain domain in Toyota City to bring you this drive log. Let me tell you, a climax-level encounter was waiting for me right from the jump!

■ Overcast? Like I Give a Damn

As you can see, the sky that day was a spectacularly gloomy overcast. Normally, this is the kind of uninspiring weather that makes you say, “Yeah, I’ll just pass today…” and crawl right back under the kotatsu. But my soul was already in full-blown combat mode. It was a time attack: exactly how much can I refresh my spirit in this strictly limited morning window?

First things first. You gotta feed your partner a massive, gluttonous helping of premium high-octane at the usual gas station.

Tank full, tire pressure perfect. From here, we plunge straight into the deep green winding roads. Along the way, I took a quick breather and snapped a few shots of my partner’s beautiful yellow body. Precisely because it’s a cloudy sky, this yellow pops aggressively against the mountainside. Yep, my car is still the absolute coolest.

■ Encountering a “Genuine Monster” at Yahagi Dam

I arrived at the turnaround point for this trip: the Yahagi Dam rest area. And that’s exactly where I encountered an absolutely unbelievable machine.

That’s right, a Lotus Super 7!

The owner has been driving this beast for about 10 years, and listening to him talk, it was clear that an insane amount of obsession was packed into every corner. It was, without a doubt, the “Ultimate Machine.”

It was my first time examining one this closely in the flesh, and it was just one jaw-dropping detail after another. For the general public, it’s probably easiest to describe as “the kind of car Lupin the 3rd drives.”

There’s no windshield… there’s a literal kill switch for the fuel pump… they don’t even carry a roof in the first place… But despite all that, he told me it’s never once needed a tow truck. Mind-blowing.

Now, for my fellow car geeks out there, let’s logically compare the specs of my Honda S2000 and this Super 7.

Curb Weight: While the S2000 is roughly 1,250 kg, the Super 7 is an astonishing 600 kg or so. Less than half. It’s an overwhelming lightness that completely shames even a Kei-car.
Power: My S2000’s VTEC (F20C) proudly boasts 250 horsepower, whereas this Super 7 puts out around 160 horsepower.

Looking strictly at the numbers, the S2000 wins on power. But the moment you calculate the power-to-weight ratio, you fall into utter despair. Actually, on the way to this rest area, this exact Super 7 was glued right to my rear bumper, chasing me down, and…

The cornering speed is just absolutely insane, I tell you.

The image in my rearview mirror was like a go-kart hugging the earth. The limit zone is in a completely different dimension. The S2000 proudly calls itself a pure sports car, but that thing is just a “racing car that accidentally happens to have a roof and a windshield attached.” They are on a different level. A massive thank you to the owner for the ultimate thrill!

■ An Open-Top Baptism on the Way Home

As usual, I was recording the drive perfectly on video. Editing takes a bit of time, but I’ll upload it to YouTube in the near future, so if you’re dying of boredom, go check it out.

After our great chat, I headed back, completely satisfied. But that’s when the mountain weather bared its fangs.

Out of nowhere, it started raining.

Look at the hood. Beautiful water droplets are beading up… Wait, this is no time to be moved! I am piloting an open-top car with the roof wide open. One wrong move, and the cabin turns into a “premium open-air bath (cold water only)”, bringing us to the brink of total flooding.

Fortunately, I successfully managed to slap the electric roof shut before the rain got serious. Safe! That was seriously close. But hey, this is exactly the true thrill of being an open-top rider.

It was a limited amount of time, but thanks to the ultimate encounter and the thrilling weather, my daily stress was cleanly obliterated right into the atmosphere. Once again, carving through mountain roads in the S2000 is my absolute, undisputed power spot.

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Author of this article

Buri-shabu

Mid-life salaryman by day, surviving the pharmaceutical trenches with logic. But the moment I step out, I’m a "fanatic" devoted to my S2000. 20 years together—VTEC kick is pure ecstasy.