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Jory Butardo's 2004 S2000

Propulsion

Jory's F20C has been 'Spoon' fed from the inside out. The entire reciprocating mass is from famed the Japanese Honda tuning house, Spoon Sports. We're talking everything: pistons, rods, rod bolts, even the crankshaft are from Spoon. Opak Racing in San Bruno, California, handled the engine work. A Spoon-infested head features upgraded valves, valvesprings and retainers for ultra-high revving operation. A set of Spoon bumpsticks and cam gears ensure maximum head flow is realized.

j's Racing infiltrates Jory's Spoon-dominated buildup on the intake side with its wickedly trick carbon-fiber S2K intake. The sculpted intake leads to a j's Racing intake manifold fitted with a 72mm Spoon throttle body.

Fuel is provided by a set of upgraded Spoon injectors while a Spoon-tuned ECU oversees engine operations.

Stance

When it comes to apex carving, Jory's S2K again looks to Spoon and j's Racing for inspiration. Spoon dampers and a Spoon camber kit are joined by a j's Racing strut-tower bar and a j's Racing lower bar.

Resistance

The Honda's already brilliant braking system has been overhauled with Project Mu rotors, Spoon monoblock calipers, j's Racing pads and Spoon lines.

Driveline Tricks

The S2K 6-speed manual transmission has been fortified with a Spoon JDM gear/clutch/flywheel tag team. The tranny directs torque to a Spoon differential and upgraded Spoon axles.

Rims & Rubber

Volk Racing CE28 wheels, measuring 17x7.5 inches in the front and 17x9 inches in the rear, wrapped with Yokohama A048 rubber, sized 225/45R-17 and 255/40R-17, respectively, constitute the rolling bits.

Fashion

Outside: Looking at the exotically decked-out S2K brings forth visions of a JGTC super car. The Honda has a well-matched array of modifications, including an aggressive carbon-fiber hood, a Mugen solid top, a j's Racing bumper, a Butardo carbon-fiber fender treatment, j's Racing flares, j's Racing canards, a j's Racing tow hook, Weber Sports side skirts, Auto Square mirrors and a Top-Secret rear diffuser. Inside: The cabin has been personalized with Spoon Sports bucket seats, a Spoon tiller, a Takata harness system, Defi gauges, Veilside pedals and a Spoon shift knob. A Cusco 6-point rollbar adds to the car's race aura.

In the automotive realm there are many things that intoxicate. Hearing is one of the most assaulted senses. Think of a BAR F1 car at full song; some 17,000 rpm, a turbocharger spooling to life and a set of slicks struggling for traction at the strip. But when these sounds are tied directly to your very own right foot, the experience jumps to a whole new level. Factor in the audible allure of the Honda S2000's stratospheric redline, and the sensation and its addictive power threaten to overwhelm.

Jory Butardo has learned to walk the line between control and addiction with his devastating 2004 Honda S2000. His "too much is never enough" rally cry led him to use the j's Racing endurance S2000 racer as inspiration. "My car is designed like an endurance racer, like a 25-hour race; one day at full throttle is not enough. But it has been built for the street and show-this is not a 'track prepped' vehicle," Butardo says.

The S2000 looks more like it's rolling in downtown Tokyo rather than a suburb of Los Angeles. Butardo hit the JDM gong hard, raiding the parts bins of a number of JDM companies but hit j's Racing and Spoon Sports the most prolifically. "I wanted to make the Honda true JDM, to respect and honor the racing history of the S2000, Spoon and j's Racing-and it has gone over well," says Butardo, "nobody bites me."

Indeed, the number of Spoon and j's Racing parts Butardo has amassed is staggering, and he has collected the best of all possible parts. The gems include a full Spoon Sports reciprocating mass, Spoon valvetrain parts, Spoon transmission gears, j's Racing carbon-fiber intake system and a rare j's Racing intake manifold.

Collecting the cool, rare JDM parts is only half the equation; what one does with them can make or break a buildup. The attention to detail found in Butardo's wild ride is top notch, bordering on surreal. The parts are well matched from a form, function and dress-up point of view and their installation has been executed to the highest standard.

In the nine-month period after Butardo bought his S2K (new off the dealer lot in 2004) he has taken the car from zero to hero. He says the roadster is still serving him well as a "weekend toy" and an occasional show entrant. Collecting trophies is not the Honda's legacy; like most next-level cars, its gift is the inspiration within the fine details that can be translated and re-animated by other savvy enthusiasts on their own projects.