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Tamiya Eunos Roadster vs. Honda S2000: Open-Top Car Kits Compared

Published September 23, 2026 by Muncle Mikes

Tamiya Honda S2000 1:24 assembly kit 24245 with open-top or hardtop build options

Choose Tamiya Eunos Roadster 24085 for the Mazda subject, or Honda S2000 24245 for the Honda body and explicitly included left- or right-hand-drive choices. Both offer an open-top or hardtop build, making them useful candidates when you want to see the finished cabin clearly.

The choice is between two different 1:24 cars, not two levels of the same kit. Each is unassembled, with paint and model cement required separately.

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Eunos Roadster 24085: choose the Mazda shape

The Mazda Eunos Roadster kit describes a detailed interior and chassis underside, with the choice of a hardtop or open-roof configuration.

Pick it when the classic Eunos body is the reason for your project. A top-down build leaves the seats and dashboard on view, so their finishing remains a major part of the completed display rather than work mostly hidden behind glazing.

The listing does not establish a left- and right-hand-drive parts choice. Do not transfer that option from the Honda kit or assume every MX-5-market specification is supplied merely because the Eunos belongs to the familiar roadster family.

S2000 24245: choose the Honda and its configuration options

The Honda S2000 kit includes parts for left- and right-hand-drive builds as well as the open-top or hardtop choice. Metal transfers reproduce the Honda emblem and S2000 lettering.

Its underside depicts the suspension and exhaust, while the interior gives you the compact two-seat cabin to finish. Tamiya lists a completed length of 173 mm and width of 74 mm; leave additional room for the display base or cover.

Choose the steering side before assembling the dashboard. A regional configuration choice is not a promise that all market-specific details or every production-year change can be recreated from the box.

Choose the roof for the display you actually want

An open cabin makes careful seat and instrument work easier to appreciate on the shelf. A hardtop changes the silhouette and may be the better match to the car you want to model.

Read the attachment sequence before painting and assembly. A build option should not be described as a working folding roof, and you should not assume a roof can be repeatedly exchanged after completion unless the kit instructions support that arrangement.

Clear parts require their own careful preparation and attachment. Test their position before final finishing rather than using force to correct a painted assembly later.

What these kits do not promise

Neither linked description promises a complete engine beneath an opening hood. Their emphasis is the exterior, cabin and underside. That can be exactly right for a roadster display, but it is a different project from choosing a kit specifically to show engine-bay work.

Their modeled rubber-like tires and finished-car photographs also do not make them ready-built diecast collectibles. You are selecting an assembly and painting project.

Budget and gift decisions

Compare current kit prices after deciding which vehicle you want. Reserve money for the paints, cement and tools required by your chosen finish, rather than treating a lower box price as a complete-project total.

For a gift, identify Mazda or Honda and whether steering-side choice matters. A collector with a favorite S2000 may not regard an Eunos as a substitute, even though both are two-seat roadsters.

Our first-car-kit guide helps choose by project goals, while the supplies guide explains what is not automatically included.

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Kit descriptions reviewed September 23, 2026. Configuration and display advice does not imply hands-on testing or unlisted interchangeable parts.