ET65. That is the factory rear offset on an S2000, and it is the highest number in this entire guide series — higher than the NSX, higher than any front-wheel-drive car we have covered, higher than most people believe is possible on a rear-wheel-drive sports car.
The front runs ET55. Both figures sit far outside the range the performance aftermarket builds in, and that single fact defines what it is like to buy wheels for an S2000.
Section 1: OEM Wheel Specifications
| Package | Bolt Pattern | Hub Bore | Thread | Front Wheel | Rear Wheel | Tyres (F / R) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-inch | 5×114.3 | 64.1 mm | M12x1.5 | 6.5Jx16 ET55 | 7.5Jx16 ET65 | 205/55R16 / 225/50R16 |
| 17-inch | 5×114.3 | 64.1 mm | M12x1.5 | 7Jx17 ET55 | 8.5Jx17 ET65 | 215/45R17 / 245/40R17 |
AP1 (1999-2003) and AP2 (2004-2009) share bolt pattern, hub bore, thread and offset. The 17-inch package became standard on the AP2.
Section 2: Offset Comparison & Fender Clearance Visualization
Section 3: Why ET65 at the Rear
The S2000 is a short, narrow, front-mid-engined roadster with an X-bone frame and a very high polar-moment sensitivity. Honda set the track width with the suspension, not the wheel, and the wheel then has to reach a long way inboard to meet the hub.
The rear also carries an extra inch of rim while moving further in — the added width is entirely inboard. Honda used the same logic on the NSX, which runs ET55 front and ET60 rear. Across two very different cars, the company’s answer was the same: tuck the wheel, widen inboard.
Section 4: What This Means When You Buy
Very little of the mainstream aftermarket is made in ET55–ET65. A typical 17×8.5 comes in ET30–ET45. Fitted to an S2000 rear, an ET40 wheel sits 25 mm further outboard than factory — which on a car with these arches means the tyre is outside the bodywork.
Your realistic options:
- Japanese wheels made specifically for the S2000. RAYS, Volk, Enkei, SSR, WORK, Advan and Mugen all produced S2000-specific fitments in period. This is the market to hunt in, and it is exactly the market Japanese sellers serve.
- Deliberately running lower offsets with fender work. The overwhelmingly common route on modified cars: 17×9 ET35 and 17×9.5 ET40 with rolled arches and negative camber. It works, and it is why so many S2000s look the way they do.
- Genuine OEM wheels. Still the cleanest solution for a standard car, and still available.
- Multi-piece wheels built to specification. A three-piece can be assembled to ET55 or ET65 exactly.
What does not work is buying a set of 5×114.3 wheels on price and hoping. On this car, offset is the purchase.
A track-prepared AP1 changing wheels — the platform where offset choice and fender work go together. — via @@sdc.charles
Section 5: The 64.1 mm Honda Bore
The S2000 uses Honda’s standard 64.1 mm bore with M12x1.5 studs — shared with the NSX, Integra Type R, Civic Type R, Accord and Prelude.
- Honda wheels fit mechanically. Integra Type R and Civic Type R wheels bolt on — but those are front-wheel-drive fitments with their own high offsets, so the result is usually more tucked, not less.
- Nissan wheels (66.1 mm) need hub rings. Same bolt pattern, 2 mm too large, and on a car that revs to 9,000 rpm that is not a corner to cut.
- Toyota wheels (60.1 mm) will not fit at all.
See our Civic guide for how the same bore behaves on Honda’s front-wheel-drive platforms.
Section 6: Weight Matters More Here Than Almost Anywhere
An S2000 weighs around 1,270 kg and makes its power at the very top of the rev range. It is a car built entirely around response, and unsprung mass blunts response faster than anything else you can bolt to it.
A light forged 17-inch wheel does more for how an S2000 drives than an extra inch of rim ever will. Look for the JWL and VIA stamps on any used Japanese wheel, and treat weight as a headline specification rather than a footnote.
Related Fitment Guides
- Honda / Acura NSX — the same extreme-offset thinking
- Honda Integra Type R — and again, at ET60
- Mazda RX-8 — a comparable lightweight rear-drive car
- Honda Civic — the 64.1 mm Honda bore
Every guide in this series is built the same way: verified factory specifications, an offset diagram, and an honest account of what fits and what does not.
Buying Wheels for Your S2000
One question first: what offset is this wheel actually made in? Everything else — diameter, width, style, price — comes second on a car with a factory ET65.
Looking for a specific set? We specialise in genuine Japanese wheels — RAYS, Volk, Enkei, SSR, WORK, BBS Japan and the rare discontinued sets that never left the country. Tell us the wheel, the fitment, the year — our team searches our networks until we find it.
Specifications in this guide reflect factory equipment for Japanese-market vehicles. Trim levels, optional wheel packages and market-specific variants can differ. Always confirm the fitment against your own car before purchase.