Despite it now being regarded as one of Honda’s best engines, not everyone was quite so impressed by the F20C at the time of its launch. Some drivers complained there wasn’t enough low-end torque, and so to fix this, Honda unveiled the AP2 S2000 for the U.S. market with a larger 2.2-liter engine. Internally given the engine code F22C1, the revised engine made 162 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm, but featured one key compromise as a result.
Rather than the sky-high 9,000 rpm redline of the F20C, the F22C1 featured a slightly lowered 8,000 rpm redline. That was still higher than nearly every other sports car on the market, and hardly much of a compromise for buyers. Alongside the larger, torquier engine, the AP2 S2000 also benefited from a suspension overhaul to make it easier to drive than the notoriously snappy original car.
