Your biggest problem is going to be finding something as light as the S that fits you well. I think a Boxster/Cayman is probably your best bet. They are still small but have less of that snug pair of blue jeans feel. They have more torque but still love to rev, plus you have that Boxer sound, mid engine and classic looks. Plus they have TWO trunks! Had to throw that in because my father in law brags about that all the time lol.

 

That's because if you aren't used to driving engines that make lots of torque, you think it's OK to mat the gas coming out of a corner. Which is just a dumb thing to do in a car easily capable of melting any tire known to man.
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I don't think it has to do with torque. Having seen several reviews that categorize the Vette as dangerous or spooky it is due to the way it lets go when you pass the (high) limit of traction. Certain cars like the S2000 or Cayman let go progressively and you have plenty of warning. The main criticism of the Vette is that even though the limit is high, when you cross the line, it is more diificult to recover and you have less warning that underwear stains are coming.

Now I am sure someone will read that and be confused and think I am stating you can't recover, or that it handles bad, or whatever, but that is not what I am saying. Merely that the behavior beyond the cars limits are less generous than other cars have at their limit. I don't know this from experience, but it is a criticism I have seen in many comparisons of the Vette against other cars.

My old MR2 when it started to slide was super easy to catch, same is said about the BRZ. The FD RX7's were known to be a handful when the back end got loose, same is said about the Vette. Although the C7's are supposed to be more nuetral than older models.

 

c5 Z06 with a aftermarket steering wheel would probably be the closest for best upgrade in size/comfort, while keeping a sporty and adjustable suspension. regular style C6 would be my next choice to not feel large and bulky. The c6 GS/Z06 feel like you are driving HUGE car from the inside looking out. Z4 M coupe and vert feel good from the inside but do suffer from a long snout making you worry about scraping things, which you do in that car. And then there's Porsche Caymans... .

I'm not sure how you can say a Saturn Sky or Pontiac Solstice actually provides more room. I'm pretty sure the 1/2" you gain in knee room to the dash is insignificant in overal feel compared to the S2000. The GXP coupe actually has way less usable storage space than you think it would. The Solstice/Sky do provide a very adjustable suspension that can handle on rails as proven in SCCA Solo competition. The Z0K Naturally aspirated Solstice is classed really high for it's "on paper" performance, just like the S2000 is.

 

From what I gather, (most of the time) the higher a car's limits are, the less forgiving it is once it finally lets go.

 

Convertible e46

 

While not as fast I think the closest you can get to an S2000-like vehicle that is better suited to tall people is the Subaru BRZ. That car has a LOT more leg room than the S2000. It was very refreshing!

 

BRZ, RX8 in terms of flickability and lightness.
370z is close but heavier. Corvette is in the same weight range but WIDER, LONGER. Doesn't share the same go-carty feel as the S. If you want the go-cart feel of the s2000 then weight is what you're looking at.

I'd just pick a happy medium and get a 370z. More storage space, very quick and handles quite good. I would never in a thousand life times buy an RX8 though. Life expectancy on those engines are like 80k.

 

Only if you are stating that you would be losing it at a higher speed. But it has a lot to do with the chasis and the weight bias. Two cars can have the same grip, one with the weight carried in the middle and the other with it all behind the rear axle and they will behave very differently when the rear gets loose.

 

This + Rx8

 

How can you compare a E46 vert to a S2000?

I guess I've never driven one but haven driven the E46 M3 with dinan suspension and stock E36M back to back in Autocross. I can see how you could. The E46 M3 doesn't feel really wide compared to the E36 M3 but it is wider by a little over 3" if you run square wheel setup on E36.

I suppose a E46 M3 vert could be a lot of fun with a manual transmission and some suspension updates. Dinan intake/MAF upgrade and a Dinan tune on sport mode has some lively throttle response.

BRZ/FRS comparison should be implied and no longer needs to be discussed lol!