S2000 Battles MX-5 and Fiat Abarth Spyder In Budget Roadster Shootout
The old man of the group manages to put up a good fight against the newbies.
New vs. Old
Though it isn't really fair, per se, to compare the aging S2000 to modern vehicles, that won't stop people from doing it. Case in point - this video from YouTuber Track Day, which aims to find the best budget roadster for under $30k. The contenders are an AP2-gen S2000, the old man of the group, which must do battle with a pair of brand new vehicles - an ND2 Mazda MX5 Miata RF with the GT-S package, and a Fiat Abarth 124 Spider.
Talking Mods
The biggest footnote in this comparison is that these cars are not exactly stock, which is obviously a big factor in how things shake out. The S2000 only has a catback exhaust installed, but the other two cars are more heavily modified. The Miata's mods are not discussed at all, strangely, but the crew goes through the Fiat's mods quite extensively, as they happen to own that particular car.
>>Join the conversation on the S2000 vs the MX-5 and Abarth Spyder right here in the S2Ki forums.
Select Mode
The Abarth Spyder utilizes a tune and an aftermarket exhaust to make more power, but Track Day claims that the tune is designed to produce stock power unless the car is put in Sport mode. That means it should be cranking out 164 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, which flows through an automatic transmission in this case.
>>Join the conversation on the S2000 vs the MX-5 and Abarth Spyder right here in the S2Ki forums.
Power Department
Meanwhile, the Miata features a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter mill that is rated to produce 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. The S2000, despite being the old man of the group, beats them both in the horsepower department thanks to its 2.2-liter four that makes 237 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque.
>>Join the conversation on the S2000 vs the MX-5 and Abarth Spyder right here in the S2Ki forums.
Straight Line
Track Day proceeds to pit these three roadsters against each other in a 30 mph roll race and a half-mile drag race from a dig before lapping all of them around a track. The S2000 wins the roll race hands down, walking away from the Miata twins with ease. It would have also won the dig race, but unfortunately, the driver messed up the 1-2 shift and denied it the victory.
>>Join the conversation on the S2000 vs the MX-5 and Abarth Spyder right here in the S2Ki forums.
Track Test
Out on the track, the Fiat proves to be the superior car, but much of that win can be attributed to the fact that our host drives it on a regular basis, as it's his wife's personal car. The S2000 came in second place, beating out the Miata despite running an inferior tire.
>>Join the conversation on the S2000 vs the MX-5 and Abarth Spyder right here in the S2Ki forums.
Still Winning
At the end of the day, our host says that the S2000 is his own personal pick as the car he's most like to own out of the trio. It's the most balanced of the bunch, providing the best on- and off-track performance, with predictable and linear power. And thus, the aging machine is still beating the competition, many years after it was discontinued.
>>Join the conversation on the S2000 vs the MX-5 and Abarth Spyder right here in the S2Ki forums.