Hey guys, just wondering why the s2k seems to be so heavy? after comparing it to my buddys 240sx it seems that the s2k weighs more than the 240?? Is this right?? it said the 240 weighs like little less that 2700, also our car is not much lighter than a civic with back seats and everything else.

Does the weight of the s2k benefit it at all in handling? Am I missing something here?? lol TIA guys

 

depending on which model 240 yes, its in the 2500+ lbs range...

our car has a lot of bars and braces to keep the body stiff with it being conv... But they design this car perfectly with the weight and power it has to handle really well.

 

hmm i see... damn so my buddies s13...with the same whp will be able to walk me. I wasnt just crazy and missing something on the weight on his car.

Will his handling be somewhat comparable due to his light weight??

 

I think everything is relative and you have to compare apples to apples. As someone said before, older cars in general are lighter than newer cars. Chalk that up to many things, such as higher demands for safety (usually requires more stiffening and more metal) and a higher demand for more feature-added content from customers (more electronics, bigger tires, etc.) -- all these things add up in weight.

If you look at a car like the NSX, for example, it was light by compettitors standards when it debuted. It was originally around 3,000 pounds. But at the end of production it was about two hundred pounds more, with bigger tires, and a heavier body after stiffening to accomodate the T-top feature. Other cars grow in weight too when they upgrade to bigger engines. MDX has grown in weight. G35 coupe becomes G37--grows in weight.

With all that said, the S2K is still one of the most efficient packages out there. It weighs just over 2800 pounds, and comes in lighter than most of its compettitors, save the Lotus Elise and and the Mazda Miata. And it still has one of the pound for pound strongest engines ever designed, while still having good fuel economy and reliability. It helps to look at the whole picture sometimes I think.

 

Another point, the S2000 engine (I think) is fairly heavy for a I4 but then it's one of the more powerful I4s ever.

As a whole, the S2000 28xx lbs and 238hp is one of the lightest cars around that has 238hp. In other words, a MX5 and Elise weigh less but also have less power. Cars like SLK350, Z4, Boxster etc.. weigh more.

The S2000 also is very overbuilt / stiff. I seen pics of S2000 in accidents and it does amaizingly well in roll-overs and my car has little or no flex going over RR tracks etc..

 

dont worry about any 240 SX. I've been to the track a few times with a big group of S13, etc. drivers and they generally cannot keep up with the s2k. granted, this is a tighter track where the s2k really shines. they will be faster in a straight line, but does anybody really care about going straight?!?!

 

Two reasons:

Newer cars are gonna be heavier because of safety regulations.
Convertibles weigh more because of the additional structural reinforcements compared to a closed shell car (the s2000's chassis is stiffer than some coupes).

 

i third the two posts above about why it is heavier...keeping in mind it has abs,2 air bags, is a convertilble, has a stiffer chassis, has allot of crash protection built in (this i know from experience), larger tires and wheels, etc....newer cars weigh more than older cars for sure.

And it is far from being a heavy car, i guess it depends on what you expect, what you compare it too, and what you have driven.

 

Wow thank you guys for all your responses. It seems to make sense now.

It just seemed weird to me at first since new usually is lighter in just about everything else. I guess I figured as technology went up the weight in the materials went down. But anyway it makes a lot of sense

 

not just that, i think its significantly reinforced and overbuilt... it has consistently and reliably held 200 HP PER LITER of displacement in F/I cars (400 HP total)... thats a very significant achievement for any motor, much less an aluminum block motor like in the S2K...

also, weight compared to the FWD cars mentioned... the S2K has the added weight of all the RWD drivetrain components... driveshaft, differential, etc.. as well... i also believe the brake system is large and very efficient for the size of the car... proven by consistent track performance in stock form (not including pads)...