Thinking of buying a Honda S2000 (1 Viewer)

[Bruce Chang]

"Bitch car? That's peculiar. The S2000 is a sophisticated sports car with terrific performance and reliability. I'd love to hae one."

Um, I don't consider it a sports car. What the heck are you going to do with a high rev engine. It will suck in a road course and off the line. The only thing it would be good at is an oval track. Hmm, who says it's reliable? Do you phyically have the statistics on the reliablity rate of S2000s?

And this is coming from?????
The Miata was/is the first great attempt to bring a convertible roadster to the masses at a reasonable price . Sure it was underpowered , but driving characteristics were near ideal for rallying, and the car is "fun to drive"
Now the S2000. I don't know, but any review I've read says it's pretty near ideal for a racetrack. As with most Hondas of anything but very recent vintage the torque is somewhat limited and a little high in the rev range. Drive the car lightly and you get good gas mileage and a comfortable ride.
Open it up though and almost any Honda has a very high "fun to drive" quotient.
Sure the S2000 in particular could use a little more torque in the low end(30-40 Ftlbs would be nice), but measuring a sports car mearly(sp?) by performance #s is not giving a car its due. The NSX was/is so perfect that journalists usually wax poetic about how mundane the car is to drive. VERY much like a Civic .... anybody can drive it and use 95% of the maximum performance of the car ..... Not many real sports cars can say that.

This car isn't even close to rallying. Rally cars have more torque at low revs. The S2000 cannot compete with the Subaru WRX sti, Lancia integrale, and the Evos. Gas mileage is probably equal to C5 corvette since the S2000 is a tuned car. Your post is the most inteligent out of this group.

I guess I should say that I currently own a '94 Prelude VTEC, so I am used to less torque...but MAN when the VTEC kicks in.... I can imagine on the S2000 it would be more like
Personally, I prefer this. I appreciate great engineering and design....I don't like most American sports cars (the Mustang, Camero, Firebird, etc....NOT the Viper and Corvette) at all...either from their looks or spec sheets. It's almost like they dumped that 5.0L engine in there because they couldn't figure out how to design it worth a damn. Those F-1 cars sure don't use a 5.0L engine, and
I have also considered the Maxda RX-8 (but it's not going to be out for a WHILE) and the Nissan 350Z (I'm not crazy about the rear end of that one), but I like the Honda name, both of the Preludes I've owned (my first car 1985, and my '94 VTEC) have been wonderful and trouble free.
I will definately test drive one before I go for it, obviously, and I've met a couple of friends of friends that have them who have offered to take me out and show me what they can do!

hahaha, what a joke! You're comparing the S2000 to F1 car. I can say the Ferrari's, Lamborgini's, and the Mclaren F1 sure have more then a 5.0L. Hmm and they couldn't figure out how to design it worth a damn. Right!

This deserves the ol'
Do you think car and driver would've given the miata Top10 awards for almost every year since it came out if it was a "bitch car"? The handling and fun-to-drive quotient is what makes the miata sucha great car.
The S2000 isnt a drag racer, but it is an awesome car to drive. You gotta drive it like ya stole it if you wanna get some power out of its 1.9l engine though.

Car and driver generally puts new cars on their top list. You know the old Mini cooper was fun to drive and sure beats an S2000 on a road course and handling.


I've driven my friends S2000 and I was very disapointed. Sure it's fun to drive, but the performance wasn't as good as people say it is. All Hype!

 

[Todd Hochard]

You really ought to look at the quote feature, Bruce. I can't make heads or tails of it.

What the heck are you going to do with a high rev engine.

Uh, how about learning how to keep the revs up, if you want to go fast?

Honda set the standard with 120bhp/l in a naturally aspirated engine.

Suffice to say, we disagree. I'll leave it there.

Todd

 

[Bruce Chang]

Hey Todd, there's no replacement for displacement. I think alot of people in here watch too much "fast and furious". Hey man the S2000 need two large tanks of NOS and a spoon engine.

 

[Max Leung]

Bruce, it's all about how you drive it. A natural reaction for most people when trying something new is disappointment when they don't get the results they want. They'll blame everything and everyone but themselves for their lack of knowledge and training. (No, this isn't an attack on you, but a general observation about people in general. I'm sure there are a lot of teenagers in Africa who are disappointed that their AK-74s can't mow down 10,000 people with one clip of ammo!)

I think alot of people in here watch too much "fast and furious".

Huh? Based on what evidence? Everyone here is aware of the limitations of the S2000 (and most other sports cards for that matter). :rolleyes

 

[Chris Moe]

I am very happy with my "Bitch Car", especially when driving it on a race track, I feel like such a bitch. Bruce... oh nevermind your not worth the energy.
Jason_H, Check out http://www.s2ki.com/ they have an excellent forum and the people there are very knowledgeable and will be able to answer just about any question you could possibly have.

 

[Eric Kahn]

unless you plan on racing, I would buy a Miata simply because it is $15,000 cheaper around where I live to get a miata S2000's are going for like $35,000 here

 

[brentl]

"don't compromise for the masses" Yep the same way that Porsche did for the first 15 years of the 911.

Brent

 

[Jason_H]

Very good input, guys, both the pros and the cons...I do appreciate it...except for you Bruce. Your feedback isn't really helpful, if you don't like these style of cars, go to the Camero forum, don't stir up shit in my thread!

Why do people put SO MUCH emphasis on torque? As Brent said, I'm much more interested in the complete package. Yes, it's fun to haul ass off of the starting line, but that is the first four seconds! I am more interested in the minutes or hours that follow in the driving experience...as long as you can drive worth a damn and keep it in the high revs, it should HAUL BALLS. I'm not interested in drag racing for two blocks over and over again. I'm interested in the handling, the looks, the actual act of running at a good speed, the whole deal! If I just want acceleration from the start line, I will go ride a roller coaster at Six Flags and save myself $35k!

 

[Todd Hochard]

Hey Todd, there's no replacement for displacement.

Do I not know that? Check the sig. You're talking too much smack.:rolleyes
S2000 is a fine sports car. I considered it for a time (then my wife got pregnant, so I stopped ).

 

[Bruce Chang]

Very good input, guys, both the pros and the cons...I do appreciate it...except for you Bruce. Your feedback isn't really helpful, if you don't like these style of cars, go to the Camero forum, don't stir up shit in my thread!
Why do people put SO MUCH emphasis on torque? As Brent said, I'm much more interested in the complete package. Yes, it's fun to haul ass off of the starting line, but that is the first four seconds! I am more interested in the minutes or hours that follow in the driving experience...as long as you can drive worth a damn and keep it in the high revs, it should HAUL BALLS. I'm not interested in drag racing for two blocks over and over again. I'm interested in the handling, the looks, the actual act of running at a good speed, the whole deal! If I just want acceleration from the start line, I will go ride a roller coaster at Six Flags and save myself $35k!
Jason, you know nothing about cars. You are pro Japanese cars which is fine, but are closed minded. I'm not hear to blow sunshine up your ass about the S2000. What would be helpful to you Jason? Do you want me to say that the S2000 is good? I really don't care if you buy this car, it's your money. I love all cars whether it's Japanese,American, German, etc. I hope the best for you and please be a little open minded. I answered you questions and if I recall this is what you posted, "...and was curious if there are any S2K owners here on the HTF and what you think of it? I am growing fonder of this car the more research I do into it! Any feedback appreciated, positive or negative..."
Do I not know that? Check the sig. You're talking too much smack.
S2000 is a fine sports car. I considered it for a time (then my wife got pregnant, so I stopped ).
Todd
I guess talking smack to you is when people tell you the truth.

 

[Masood Ali]

For around 30k, you can get a Nissan 350Z; for a few grand more, you can get an Infiniti G35 coupe. Both are built on similar platforms; both are excellent looking/performing cars. Check them out if you're serious about buying a Japanese performance car in the near future.

 

[AjayM]

hahaha, what a joke! You're comparing the S2000 to F1 car. I can say the Ferrari's, Lamborgini's, and the Mclaren F1 sure have more then a 5.0L. Hmm and they couldn't figure out how to design it worth a damn. Right!

Ummmm, you really need to get a clue.
First, Ferrari and McLaren are F1 teams, however McLaren uses engines from Mercedes Benz. Oh and Lamborghini hasn't competed in F1 in such a long time, maybe early 90's.
Second, F1 engines are smaller than 5.0l, they are actually 3l engines, which also cost enough to develop for the year that you could probably run a small Nascar team with the money.
As to the S2k, all I have to say is drive one...it's quite an experience. It is fairly gutless down real low, so if you are used to driving a big torque car you may be disapointed. However rev it up and it goes like crazy. And the handling is second to none, you basically have to bring heavy iron (think Viper) in order to beat an S2k at the track, and that's all handling. Check out http://www.pulpracing.com and the exploits of the guy who races his own NSX and his S2k to get an idea how fast it can be.
As to the "bitch" car comment, I've driven lots of cars. Everything from the mundane grocery getter fuel effecient practical car to balls to the wall cars like Ferrari's and Vipers, and I'd still rate the Miata pretty damn close to the top of the fun to drive scale. If you have a problem being seen in one, maybe that says more about yourself than the car does.
Andrew

 

[Clinton McClure]

I'm only gonna say "proper shifting techniques". It can be quite difficult sometimes to keep the car near redline to draw the VTEC power, but if you can....
I have driven both the S2000 and a 2001 Miata. While I am not a skilled enough stick-shift driver to harness all the VTEC power, the S2000 and Miata are both in my top 10 non-luxury cars which are truely fun to drive. Some others being the 2000 Toyota Celica GT-S (which I own), Subaru WRX, Acura RSX, and Pontiac Feiro (sp). A former girlfriend had a tuned Civic CRX which was a fun auto to drive.

 

[Jason_H]

Jason, you know nothing about cars. You are pro Japanese cars which is fine, but are closed minded. I'm not hear to blow sunshine up your ass about the S2000. What would be helpful to you Jason? Do you want me to say that the S2000 is good? I really don't care if you buy this car, it's your money. I love all cars whether it's Japanese,American, German, etc. I hope the best for you and please be a little open minded. I answered you questions and if I recall this is what you posted, "...and was curious if there are any S2K owners here on the HTF and what you think of it? I am growing fonder of this car the more research I do into it! Any feedback appreciated, positive or negative..."

Negative feedback yes, directly insulting me and everyone else, NO. An example of helpful negative feedback being that the car has more questionable performance on wet surfaces with the stock tires, not telling me I am a dumbass.

And like Ajay said, I was referring to Honda's F1 engine which is a 3.0L naturally aspirated V10 engine....800 HP. Obviously, Honda takes what they learn with their racing division and applies it to cars like the NSX and S2000. No, I'm not trying to directly compare an S2000 to an F1 car, don't put words in my mouth. But companies like Honda and Mercedes have a long racing legacy which trickles down technology to their street models.

I had briefly considered the 350Z, but I decided, and it's just me, but I hate the way the back end looks...a lot. I'm interested in the Mazda RX8, but it won't be out for another year. My friend has a WRX which is fun, but just isn't for me. Any other cars that appeal to me are pretty much out of my price range.

 

[NickSo]

How about the upcoming G35 coupe? Some say the styling is way better than the 350Z. I like the back end of the G35 coupe WAY more than the G35 sedan:
Link Removed
http://www.mcarsweb.com/infiniti/g35sportcoupeb.jpg

 

[Jason_H]

Masood and Nick, thanks for the heads up on the Infiniti...I was not aware of this one and I will check it out! You are right Nick, the back end of the Infiniti easily has the edge over the Z!

 

[Todd Hochard]

Bruce,

It might be time for you to review the forum rules of conduct.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

S2000 is a sports car

the s2000 is a sporty car.
the bmw M3 is a sports car.
the bmw M5 is a serious sports sedan (that will keep up with vipers, and leave vettes in the dust)
can you tell i'm a bmw enthusiast?
CJ

 

[Chris Moe]

BMW has 4 seats which automatically makes it a non-sports car, its a sports coupe/sedan. Don't get me wrong the M3 and M5 are both amazing cars, but neither are "sports cars".
From www.dictionary.com
----------------------------------
sports car
n.
An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds
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Sounds like the S2000 to me.

 

[Bruce Chang]

BMW has 4 seats which automatically makes it a non-sports car, its a sports coupe/sedan. Don't get me wrong the M3 and M5 are both amazing cars, but neither are "sports cars".
From www.dictionary.com
----------------------------------
sports car
n.
An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds
----------------------------------
Sounds like the S2000 to me.
Chris there's no right or wrong answer. If he thinks it's a sports car, then to him it's a sports car. To me I have to agree it's a sports sedan/coupe. Just my opinion though for the people that are sensitive