In the world of car companies, Honda is seen as the sober maker of practical, innovative family cars, minivans and crossover sports utility vehicles.

If you want something dramatic, sporty and full of high-tech engines, its Acura arm always seemed the place to go.

But Honda isn't just a company for soccer Dads and salespeople.

The Japanese car company ran in Formula One racing from 1964-1992, and is now second in points four years into its return. It had lots of success in CART open-wheel racing from 1994-2002, and is first in points two years into its entry into the Indy Racing League, with 11 entries in the Indianapolis 500.

On the street, Honda introduced its cute two-seat Civic del Sol with removable roof and retracting rear window in the 1990s. And in 2000, the company introduced its sportiest Honda -- the S2000, with a 240-hp four-cylinder engine with a then-unheard-of 8,000-rpm redline.

Now the sleek little roadster gets a larger 2.2-liter engine with a broader power band, retuned suspension and bolder front and rear exterior styling with triple-beam lens design. And its price hasn't gone up that much in four years, meaning there is "still a lot of bang for the buck," says Honda spokesman Sage Marie.

OK, so what did Honda do exactly to facelift its only sports car?

Our red roadster's nose gains a redesigned front bumper and repositioned air intakes, with a wider mouth and better integrated side brake ducts for slightly improved aerodynamics. You might see that the new headlight design gets tubular housings for some of the bulbs. The sloping nose and long hood with chiseled fender lines remain the same, the flared fenders framing more aggressive 10-spoke buff and gloss alloy wheels that really show off the vented disc brakes and Bridgestone Potenza P215/45ZR17-inch radials up front, and smaller flares framing wider P245/40ZR17s in back. The taillight's red lenses are swapped for clear with tubular housings, while the pert high-mounted stop light remains in a little tail spoiler, with two chromed exhausts thrusting from under the bumper.

First Coast News meteorologist Steve Smith was just one of many who walked up to the red rocket and exclaimed," This is a Honda?," while a co-worker called it gorgeous and folks in Integras and slammed Civic coupes were ready to race me. It was definitely in a lot of driver's radars as we drove.

Inside, its still black-on-black with a slight touch of silver trim here and there, a tight cockpit arranged for two but really aimed at the driver. Twin bucket seats are clad in black leather with see-through hoop headrests and matching roll bars behind. The seats are firm and very supportive, with plenty of head and leg room, while redesigned scalloped door panels give you about 20 millimeters more elbow room, although its still tight. I found that affecting that James Dean attitude and dangling my left elbow out the window worked well.

My son thought the race car-like 9,000-rpm digital sweep bar tachometer with a big digital speedometer underneath was really cool. The temperature and gas gauges are arced bar graphs, with an odometer/trip meter/clock in the middle. Just like an exotic car, the S2000 has a red starter button on the left of the non-tilt steering column. The starter doesn't have a lockout, so it will turn the starter even if the engine is running. But the alloy-faced pedals and dead pedal looked cool.

The small, grippy steering wheel has integrated cruise controls on the right. The fan, temperature, a/c and recirculation controls are a finger's-length away from the driver to the right. The AM-FM-CD stereo is hidden behind a silver door on the dash center, with easy-to-reach redundant radio controls to the left of the steering wheel. The stereo's four door-mounted speakers sound OK, but wind and tire noise wash sound out at speed, so I would suggest suggest the optional headrest speakers. The a/c was strong and cold top up or down, with a topless setting that blasted the feet and the cockpit center with a separate vents.

The redesigned console has two cupholders instead of one under a sliding silver door, near the flasher and power top buttons. Don't look for a glove box. Storage is limited to mesh pockets on the door and a locking compartment between the seatbacks that just fit a folded-over owners manual and inside trunk release, a secure place if you park with the top down. The slim trunk was almost filled by the semi-soft tonneau cover, briefcase and my son's baseball bat and equipment bag. Top up, the convertible is comfortable and fairly quiet, its former plastic rear window replaced with a glass pane with defroster. Unclip two windshield headers and it powers down in 10 seconds, although the tonneau's inside snaps are fiddly to use. Once down, wind buffeting was manageable, not helped much by the clear windblocker between the roll bars.

The first-generation S2000 we tested in 2000 got to 60 mph in 6 seconds after we revved its little alloy heart to about 4,000 rpm and slipped the clutch quick so we wouldn't lug it. The same test on our 4,800-mile-old 2004 model saw 60 mph in the same, the engine snarling like a Formula One car when you push the power pedal. Honda says available torque and horsepower have been increased between 4 and 10 percent between 1,000 rpm and 8,000 rpm, with more power boost kicking in around 3,000 rpm, compared to 6,000 rpm on the 2003 model. You really notice the VTEC variable valve-timing system, which kicks in around 6,200-rpm with a deepening engine note and a boost in power. The revised six-speed manual transmission has lower ratios on gears one through five, and new carbon synchronizers on one through six. The result is almost telepathically short throws and precise gear engagement; this box never gets a shift wrong. But we netted only an average 18 mpg on premium gas.

The new suspension tuning gets stiffer front spring rates and softer spring rates with changes to the rear geometry to limit roll and offer a "more forgiving ride without compromising at-the-limit performance," said Marie. That translates to firm but more fluid ride in real life, the S2000's desire to really hang its tail out under throttle reined in a bit, making it easier to catch when you get too aggressive at the limit. There is no traction control. But the combination of precise steering with better feel, rear-wheel drive with limited slip differential, a stiffer frame, double wishbone suspension and Honda's claimed 50-50 weight balance make the S2000 handle like a slot car. The S2000 corners flat, very neutral on the skidpad with better at-limit handling and less nervous rear end. The all-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS had superb stopping power and little fade, even after some hard use.

The base price on the first S2000 we tested was ,000, compared to the ,430 base Porsche Boxster and ,245 base Mazda Miata. For 2004, the base Honda S2000 starts at ,800, with standard 2.2-liter, 240-hp engine, ABS braking system , 17-inch alloy wheels, four-speaker AM-FM-CD audio system, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, theft-deterrent system, a remote key fob, high-intensity discharge headlights, combination LED taillights, six-speed manual transmission and power soft top with glass rear window and defroster. Our options were limited to a security system, so add the destination charge and our car's manufacturer's suggested retail price was ,569. The base Boxter is now close to ,000, the Miata about ,000, while other competition like the BMW Z4, Nissan 350Z Convertible and Audi TT roadster are in the ,000 range.

Bottom line -- this fun little go-kart for two doesn't demand as much driver skill to have fun, yet lets the skillful have even more. You hear wind, snarling engine and tire noise at speed, making the S2000 a more visceral driver than say, an Audi TT. And it is a small car inside and out, which lends to the intimate feel but means tight quarters.