Facts
-
Year of manufacture
2002 -
Movie
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) -
Role
Suki’s Honda -
Screen driver
Devon Aoki -
Status
Original Principal Car #2 -
Engine
2.0-litre four-cylinder engine -
Standard power output
240 hp -
Gearbox
Six-speed manual gearbox
Bright pink, low-slung, open-top and impossible to miss: Suki’s Honda S2000 is one of the most eye-catching automobiles from 2 Fast 2 Furious. In the night-time street race through Miami, it goes head-to-head with Brian O’Conner’s Skyline, Slap Jack’s Supra and Orange Julius’s RX-7 – and eventually takes off over a raised drawbridge.
According to ChromeCars, the car on display at the Red Bull Ring Classics is an original ‘principal car’ used during filming. It remains in its unrestored original condition and is roadworthy.
The vehicle
Even the standard Honda S2000 was anything but an ordinary convertible. The two-litre naturally aspirated VTEC engine of the European version produced 240 horsepower and revved up to around 9,000 rpm. Added to this were rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox and an almost perfectly balanced weight distribution.
For the movie, the minimalist roadster was transformed into an extreme show car. The pink paintwork, anime graphics, VeilSide body kit, large rear wing and underbody lighting embody the unrestrained tuning aesthetic of the early 2000s.
The movie character
Suki is one of the few female drivers in the early Fast & Furious films who doesn’t just pose next to the cars, but actually competes in the races herself. She drives aggressively, confidently and without letting Brian O’Conner or the other contestants intimidate her.
Her S2000 acts as an extension of her character: loud, flamboyant and liberated. Although Suki only appears in the film for a relatively short time, her pink Honda became one of the most recognisable cars in the series.
Fun fact
The spectacular jump over the open bascule bridge was actually filmed using a real Honda S2000 – though without Devon Aoki or even a stunt driver at the wheel. For the scene, one of the movie cars was fitted with a sophisticated remote-control system. The steering, accelerator and brakes were operated from a support vehicle, while the driver seat was occupied by a dummy.
The story behind the car
As with the other key vehicles from 2 Fast 2 Furious, there was not just one single Suki S2000. Several similar-looking cars were used for different purposes: meticulously prepared vehicles for close-ups and driving shots, and more basically kitted-out cars for stunts.
ChromeCars lists the vehicle displayed at the Red Bull Ring Classics as ‘Principal Car #2’. It should therefore not automatically be equated with the car that made a hard landing during the bridge jump. According to the collection list, it is confirmed that it was used in the production, has been preserved unrestored and is driveable.
The legend
In regard to Suki’s S2000, stories about the various doubles featured in the films are often mixed up. One other car in particular is well known: it is now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum. This car appeared in the first film as Johnny Tran’s black Honda S2000 and was subsequently repainted pink and modified for 2 Fast 2 Furious.
However, this does not mean that all the scenes in the film were shot using the same car. Behind Suki’s S2000 lay a small fleet of vehicles. The legend therefore centres less on a single car than on the unmistakable overall look created by the pink paintwork, neon lights and the bridge jump.