Guilt can be a terrible thing, and I’m sure you will agree with me when I say it’s not a nice thing to have hanging over your head. Yes, I for one have experienced many moments of guilt. I once ran over a cat, and felt so bad I didn’t stop. I felt guilty about that one for ages! Picturing how a little old lady came home from bingo to find her only companion in a, shall we say, less than cuddly state.

Then there was the time when I was just a little fulla, maybe five, and my dad won a magnum of champagne. He left it sitting in our dining room for a while! And it taunted me. No, I wasn’t a primary school piss-head keen to tip back some of the good stuff, but I was bloody keen to give it a good old shake-up, just like the race car drivers did when they won. So one day, when the temptation got too much, I attacked the bastard. With my skinny little arms going for gold I shook that bottle as hard as I could, and before too long 'bam’ — there she blew! With an arse smacking a certainty if I was found out, I had to think fast, so I put the bottle back where I found it and acted as if nothing had happened. Of course dad was angry as, but with no evidence as to what had actually happened I got away with it, or so I thought.

About 10†years later, however, when my mum was going through some old papers she found a note. It was written by me, when I was five, explaining how I’d just shaken up the bottle of champagne and how I was very sorry for what I had done! Even though I don’t even remember writing that note, or hiding it for that matter, it appears even at the tender age of five, guilt had got the better of me. I’m not all that sure what Christchurch’s Thor Hein has to be guilty about, but going by his number plate, it’s definitely something. Maybe he too has run over an old lady’s cat. Or maybe it’s just that he’s guilty of putting every other owner of a Honda S2000 in the country to shame? One look at his wild, turbo-toting drop top will attest to that.

About a year ago now our man Thor decided it was time for a new car. Nothing run of the mill or sedate was going to do the trick, however, as Thor had very specific requirements in mind for this new machine. Well, there were two requirements really — it had to be a convertible and it had to be a turbo. With very limited options available to him Thor realised he too needed to re asses his options. And the outcome was this — if he could not buy the car he desired, he’d build it instead. From the outset Honda’s S2000 had appealed, given its aggressive styling and equally aggressive 2.0-litre VTEC F20C four-banger mill. The only problem — no turbo, but that minor issue was soon to be changed. That’s right dear readers, Thor knew what he wanted, and that meant the already impressive power made by the naturally aspirated VTEC engine was about to be upped quite significantly, by way of hanging one rather large puffer off the side. Sure, he could have travelled down the road of yanking out the engine and filling it full of forged this and heavy-duty that, but since ludicrous boost levels were never going to be on the cards, Thor opted to leave the internal make-up of the F20C just as the factory had intended. The induction system, well, that’s a completely different story.

Given the rev-happy nature of the 2.0-litre twin cam engine, and its excellent power delivery higher in the rev range, choosing a turbo to suit was always going to be a an important part of the process. In the end the decision was made to go with a HKS GT3240 ball bearing number. With this sucker, boost would not come on too early and run out of puff as the revs climbed, nor would it be too laggy and only good higher up — the perfect mix for the engines characteristics. Of course it wasn’t a case of simply bolting this puffer to the side of the engine and roaring off into the Christchurch sunset, a fair few changes, removals and additions had to be made before this baby was good to dance. First up, the factory exhaust manifold was relegated to the rubbish tip, as in its place went a Custom Pro Turbo manifold. Custom Pro also got the call when it came to the S2000’s intercooler and associated piping.

Once air has been sucked up through the pod filter and hurled ’n’ heated inside the HKS turbo, it then passes through this intercooler to bring the temperature back down to a much more power-happy level. Also required to support the newly boosted conditions were the obligatory wastegate and blow-off valve, for which Thor fitted a 45mm Tial and HKS item respectively. And yes, the sound of the roaring wastegate fighting against that unmistakable Honda induction growl really is music to any power junkie’s ears!

Just like the internal components of the engine, both the fuel and ignition systems of this package remain in completely stock standard trim. This wasn’t a case of cutting corners, however, as sums were done to calculate the increased demands that would be placed on them, and both were deemed up to the task. What wasn’t up to the task, however, was the factory exhaust system. Thanks to the forced induction, flow was a factor — as in a whole lot more was needed to extract the most power. So just like that, off came that standard pipe and on went a custom three-inch system from the turbo back. Despite the size, the note is very subtle, and off boost there really is no giveaway as to how much punch this little red beast is actually packing.

Although there are many aspects of this car that remain as per factory specifications, one area that definitely needed a bit of aftermarket goodness was the ECU. Something fairly decent was required to ensure the new turbo-toting package ran safe and strong, and that’s why Thor chose to install a GReddy E-Manage, complete with E-01 boost controller and display screen. That helped get things fizzing along very nicely indeed, and the display screen, well, that just looks damn cool!

At this stage of the game, even though the S2000 is knocking out a very healthy 320†horsepower (239kW) at the wheels, the driveline and braking set-ups remain just as the factory intended. All well and good, but Thor is the first to admit that the standard clutch is destined to be destroyed some time in the very near future. And while that’s certain to be replaced for a more heavy duty number, there are no plans in the pipes to upgrade the brakes, because they seem to be working just fine as they are. Likewise, the suspension is still stock standard, but even so the factory set-up sees the car handle really well, and the ride height is one that can definitely be lived with. Sure, Thor could have gone with the full 'sleeper’ look and left the standard rims and tyres on the car too, but thank God he didn’t, because get a load of those Works! Yes sir, those there are big ol’ polished rims alright — 18 by nine-inch on the front and 18 by 10 on the rear. Even so, with a decent lean on the go pedal this pint-sized terror can tear the 255/35R18 Goodyear Eagles to shreds.

For what is at the end of the day a relatively straightforward package, this S2000 is seriously fast. Not only that, for next to no aesthetic modifications it seriously turns heads. So inducing cases of whiplash, and denting egos of wannabe 'contenders’! Maybe that’s what Thor is guilty of?

Tuning Menu

1999 Honda S2000

Engine: Custom Pro Turbo manifold, HKS GT3240 ball bearing turbo, 45mm Tial wastegate, HKS blow-off valve, Custom Pro intercooler, 3-inch exhaust, GReddy E-Manage E-01 boost Controller, pod filter, Custom Pro oil/water catch tanks, braided hoses

Driveline: Factory 6-speed close ratio gearbox, factory LSD

Suspension/Brakes: Factory suspension, factory four wheel disc brakes

Wheels/Tyres: Work18x10-inch rears, 18×9-inch fronts, 255/35R18 rears, 235/40R18 fronts

Exterior: Factory S2000

Interior: Factory S2000

Performance: 320hp @ wheels (Dyno)

Driver Profile

Thor Hein

Age: 32

Build time: 10 months

Thor thanks: Craig @ Jade Automotive, Brent @ Magoo mufflers, Adrian & Joseph from Jap Race for all the technical support, Aaron @ Impro Racing Ltd, Craig & the boys @ Paul Hussey Panelbeaters, Levi, Ben & Rodney for all the polishing and endless cleaning