June last year saw Top Gear take delivery of a gleaming red Honda S2000 with twin bucket seats, a screaming 237bhp VTEC engine, electric hood and super-slick six-speed gearbox. Only one thing stood between us and motoring bliss - the thought of giving it back. Initially set to be with us for six months we managed, by persuasion, skilful negotiating and blatant grovelling to keep it a little longer.

Our time is now up, however, and after 11 months, 16,339 miles, one minor shunt, a new windscreen, a trip to Spain and no sparing the horses, the S2000 is due to return to Honda. Time for one last go, then.

Unfortunately 'one last go' on a Friday in London means a long wait in traffic before getting anywhere near a quiet road. Still, it allows me more than enough time to settle into the S2000's cabin, a process that's as easy as ever. Even after almost a year of serious use from everyone in the office, the interior still looks fresh. The seats are firm and comfortable, the leather steering wheel feels great and the electronic Knight Rider-style dash is still as efficient as ever. Only the poor-quality radio, the lack of a CD changer and the somewhat tinny-sounding speakers have given us any cause for complaint.

Cruising past shop windows, with sly sideways glimpses at the S2000's slinky reflection, confirms its cool looks. The shark-like nose, gorgeous alloy wheels and prominent twin rollover hoops, while not exactly subtle, send out all the right sporting messages. If you're not careful, though, the engine's lack of torque can make for a faltering take off, sending out all the wrong ones.

Breaking from the traffic onto quiet B-roads, any gripes over the clutch and poor stereo dissolve as the two-litre engine hits the magical 6,000rpm, at which point the VTEC wizardry comes into play and that 237bhp is pumped through the rear wheels.

The engine, which is a little harsh and unrefined around town, breaks into an F1-style howl - the electronic meter on the dash plunging deep into the red above 9,000rpm. Outrageous.

The gearbox which is notchy before it warms up, suddenly makes more sense, with a precise and smooth action and, whilst over-firm in traffic, the clutch is perfect for quick changes, with a nicely-weighted feel.

As soon as the traffic returns, so too does the S2000's more humble alter ego. Lurking below 6,000 revs, this side of its character is so docile that it's difficult to believe you're behind the wheel of the same car.

A trip to the Chobham test facility during a roadsters group test (TG 91) saw the S2000 return a 0-60mph time of 6.3 seconds, beating off BMW's Z3 and Alfa's Spider - testament to the Honda's schizophrenic character.

With near-daily harsh treatment and regular trips across London in crawling traffic, the car's mechanicals have taken a pounding; the only consequences being a slightly jerky clutch and a notchier gearchange.

For such a focused sports car, the S2000 has been surprisingly easy to live with. The boot is large enough for a couple of overnight bags and the cabin makes a stab at being practical with a small lockable cubby above the transmission tunnel. Fuel consumption, meanwhile, has been far better than expected, the S2000 returning an average of 25mpg. A sun-seeking trip away from London's gridlock in December (TG 88) gave us a chance to enjoy the S2000 to the full, with our Froggy driving it across Europe to the blissfully traffic-free roads of Spain.

Such opportunities were rare - a shame when the roof works so well. Engage the handbrake, unlatch two catches, press the button and the roof quickly and quietly lowers into the boot. Poseurs' paradise. With the roof stowed and its cover in place, wind noise is minimal, the heater succeeding in keeping you partially warm while the VTEC soundtrack more than makes up for any discomfort.

Damage? While not entirely our fault, the windscreen suffered a nasty chip, requiring new glass (£372), the alloys also got scratched after a bit of hasty parking and a minor traffic shunt took some paint off the rear bumper.

After nearly a year's motoring the S2000 has behaved impeccably, no matter how much it was provoked - no mean feat when it spent most of its time shepherding round over-enthusiastic road testers. Depreciation has been reasonable, and soon after we took delivery of our long-termer, Honda dropped the S2000's price by two grand, making it even better value for money. But, on a May morning, with summer tantalisingly close, the man from Honda came to take away W235 PLH. “Bloody brilliant, these things,” he grinned. Spot on, mate

Angus Fitton

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