Honda goes hard: Incoming S2000-style sports car to follow the banging Civic Type R - reports

Hot on the heels of global adulation over the (very good) Honda Civic Type R, reports have emerged in Japan that the former performance powerhouse will next turn its attention to a two-seat sports car that harks back to the Honda S2000.

The S2000 was a two-seat sports convertible sold in Australia between 1999 and 2009, collecting close to 2000 customers and cult following during that period.

And now, according to Japan's Best Car Web, Honda is set to turn its attention to breathing new life into the two-seat sports car segment, following up the success of the Civic Type R with a performance-focused EV that will help shape the brand's sporty future.

According to the site, "Honda is developing a new BEV sport", which will hark back to the EV-STER concept that was revealed in Japan more than a decade ago.

It will also reportedly be a spiritual successor to the Honda S660, a Japan-only ‘mini car' that was on sale from 2015 and discontinued last year.

But while that model was exclusive to the Japanese market, the site reports that the BEV version will be a global product, with its eye on Europe and other international markets where it can help lower the company's average fleet emissions.

Details remain thin on the ground, but the site suggests one option would be to borrow from the Honda E, equipping the small, relatively lightweight sports car with a 113kW/315Nm electric motor that, in the E, can shoot the hatch from 0-100km/h in around 8.0 seconds.

Another option would be to lean on Honda's relationship with GM to use the Ultium platform, which would allow for perfect 50:50 weight distribution and higher-output motors.

The reports are preliminary at the moment, but watch this space. And cross your fingers.