The Honda S2000 was built for cutting up corners on a race track as opposed to providing straight-line speed. For those that wanted to kick things up a notch, Honda upped the ante on its rear-drive roadster back in 2008 by producing the S2000 CR, which had a tighter suspension and more was more aerodynamic.

For many Honda S2000 enthusiasts, the question always remained: Is the S2000 CR really faster around a track than the regular one? Fortunately, two YouTubers put their cars to the test by lapping the famed Laguna Seca Raceway together and filming it so we can go along for the ride.

Both Honda S2000s were nearly stock

The friendly lap battle included a silver 2008 Honda S2000 and a 2008 Honda S2000 CR. According to the video, the regular S2000 – driven by a YouTuber named “W33lhop” – was mostly stock with the exception of a set of Ohlin coil-overs (14 kg front, 12 kg rear), a set of Nankang CR1 tires, and a set of Project Mu 999 brake pads.

On the other hand, the black 2008 S2000 CR – driven by YouTuber “DIY Guys” – was mostly stock as well. The modification list for the S2000 CR includes a set of super-sticky Yokohama A052 tires, a set of Raybestos brake pads with help of brake air ducts, as well as a Hondata ECU reflash that slightly alters the car’s fuel mapping for a little more power.

Overall, the cars look pretty even in their stats considering neither of them has any extensive engine modifications or weight reduction.

The lap battle was a close one

Now, for the fun part. The video provides a lot of fun commentary and even an overlay of the S2000’s telemetry data while on the track. Both drivers showed their driving talent with the silver S2000 getting a little sideways at some points. During the silver S2000’s “best lap,” we can see that the black S2000 CR was able to maintain a steady pace through the corners and down the straightaway while keeping the lead the whole time.

In the end, the black S2000 CR came out on top, but only by a small margin. The silver S2000’s best lap time ended up being 1:42.46, while the S2000 CR pulled off a slightly faster time of 1:42.06. It’s a super small difference, and of course, we have to factor in driver skill into the mix. But as far as the car setups go, we’re not too surprised to see the S2000 CR take home the win.

Do the different suspension setups play a factor?

Maybe. While the silver S2000 did have a set of aftermarket coil overs on it, we doubt that it made a huge difference between the two cars. If anything, the modified suspension might have helped the car keep up with the S2000 CR, but the sticky tires could have played a larger factor as well.

All of the variables aside, it’s nice to see some video proof of the differences between the regular S2000 and the S2000 CR on an actual racetrack, which is where they are meant to be. Apparently, the slight tweaks that Honda made to the S2000 CR actually paid off. Although, not by much.