Now some of you may find squishing a small rubber pig or sweating it out in the gym every day to be fine methods of relieving stress, but a few of us at Top Gear magazine have found a much more effective solution to the problem - the Honda S2000 we've just added to our long-term test fleet.

For those of us with the sense to live some distance from our grimy White City offices, the stress-easing process begins with a gentle trickle through the traffic in our new two-seater sportster. Here it's as docile as a basic Accord, with a light clutch and mild-mannered throttle responses - well, so long as you drive moderately sensibly.

The transformation arrives as the road finally opens out. Second gear, gas it, push the digital rev read-out to 6,000rpm and - wham! - the formerly restrained Honda turns into a shrieking mad thing. Mental tension is instantly dispelled in a 9,000rpm brain massage. That's the faintly insane engine speed that the S2000's hand-built two-litre, four-cylinder VTEC-equipped powerplant will rev to - in every one of its six gear ratios. There's no better way to blow out the town-bound blues.

Now with such a manic Mr Nice/Mr Nasty approach, the S2000 clearly isn't to all tastes. Its cabin is also designed for the diminutive Japanese driver rather than lanky Westerners, while the stereo soon gets pumped up to large volumes to cope with the engine racket that results at swift motorway speeds.

Even those who prefer to remain comatose during commuting still find themselves begging for the Honda's keys at the weekend. Rear-wheel drive, no intrusive traction control and stonking performance to play with once the VTEC variable-valve timing and lift cleverness has truly been woken up, make it an excellent companion over a backroad blat. “A proper sports car for people who know how to drive,” as our Tom puts it.

Our first month with the S2000 tested our self-restraint to the limit. Running-in the engine called for 1,000 miles of resisting the temptation to thrash the motor to its fullest. Initially, it felt noticeably tight, not revving round quite as freely as we had expected and sounding rather gruff with it.

Patience, of course, was all it took. The result of our self-discipline is an engine with added smoothness and an appetite to be constantly caned. The superb brakes have gained extra feel too, though the electronically activated steering still feels a smidge artificial.

Everyday practicality issues are dealt with by a reasonably roomy boot and a soft top that just needs a couple of clips detaching plus a brief prod of a centre-console-mounted button to have it disappear rapidly behind the driver. There's also a sturdy tonneau cover available to go over it, although frankly few of us have got round to fitting it.

On the subject of buttons, there's a big red one to the left of the steering wheel to start the S2000 up. The gearknob is alloy and the seats are clad in black leather, yet that's as far as the fashion statements stretch. The S2000 is, after all, a proper sports car.

Where life with such an entertaining companion has traditionally been full of compromises, we're hoping that the S2000 will break that rule. First impressions suggest it's superbly well made. We haven't experienced a single glitch in our 2,780-mile acquaintance.

The S2000 has even supped super unleaded at a fairly restrained rate of 26.4mpg, impressive considering the relentless monstering it gets. And it's sure to receive the same treatment for the rest of its year in our company Peter Grunert

Back to Honda S2000 Overview