The first rumors on a possible Honda roadster started back in 2010. Now that the S2000 ->ke1409 has been laid to rest for quite a while, Honda ->ke34 is ready to move on to something else. According to reports, the Japanese automaker is seriously considering offering a new open-top sports car to take on the new Toyota GT 86->ke4085 and the perennial leader in the class, the Mazda MX-5.

A report from GT Channel claims that the new compact roadster will be "small, quick and light" and will come in at an affordable price. GT Channel also claims that the new roadster, which is internally known as the "S1500," is already on the drawing boards in Honda's Tokyo headquarters.

The reports head into speculation from there, but there is one other tidbit that comes from a "source" in Honda, and that is the claim that this new roadster has a goal price of under $20,000..

We'll leave this whole report at this... We have heard numerous claims that an S2000 successor is in the works, and we really want to believe them. However, we have to take any reports like this with a grain of salt because none have panned out yet.

GT Channel

Click past the jump to read more about the Honda S2000.0}

Honda S2000 was produced between 1999 and 2009 and it came as a direct competitor to models like Mazda MX-5. The model was named after the displacement of its engine - just like the S500, S600, and S800 roadsters offered in the 1960s.

The S2000 knew two different generations: one from 1999 to 2003 when it was powered by a 2.0-liter, in-line four-cylinder that delivered a total of 240 horsepower. For the second generation, which Honda offered between 2004 and 2009, the engine's capacity was increased to 2.2 liters, but the final output remained unchanged.

In 2009 prices range from $34,795 for the S2000 version up to $36,795 for the lightweight S2000 CR.