BLADES2K

The front end on the Nissan Z and RX8 are identical to the S2000. but that aside what do you guys think of these cars? I like the performance of the Z but it's engine resembles more American design than Japanese plus i dont like the remark the creator of the Z said about the S2000 being too much like a go-kart. The RX8 seems like it'll be fun but reliability is another question.

S2peed

Brother, how did u come to the conclusion that the S2K front looks identicle to the Z, maybe after a fat blunt and 10 shots of 151 and ill i agree with you. Dude maybe the front got a round similaraty but ohter than that its totaly different. In my opinion it got a porche, celica, TT look. But honestly i like the way it looks better than the S

tokyo_james

I think that Z looks great. I would certainly wait to test drive both of the other cars before commenting on their handling or engine abilities. Neither are convertible, which to me makes them totally different cars that are not really comparable to the S2000.

If I needed to have a car with four seats though, I would certainly be looking closely at the RX8...

(I am going to keep a close watch on this thread as it has the makings of a great flame war before it has even started )

xpander4

the RX8 is going to be a monster on the track.

Chris S

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BLADES2K
[B]The front end on the Nissan Z and RX8 are identical to the S2000.

Gateace

How could you not like it being like a go-kart. I've been racing shifter karts for years, and the reason I bought my S2000 was that it was the closest thing to my kart that I could find (except a caterham, but my wife said no way to that).

Takashi KazuMori

The Nissan is still like a joke to me while the RX8 basically looks like it copied the S2000 from scratch, but I'm not betting on it. Whether if the RX8 is gonna be a killer or not ... We'll just have to wait and see, not long now folks. Too bad they simply look too much like an S2000. Copy cat designers ... Get a grip!

rstark

I think the Rx-8 looks quite good. That's the car I was holding out for but bought the S2000 instead - couldn't wait that long. The things I like about the RX-8 is that it's small, compact, but it's a four seater! Now I would never allow someone to actually sit back there, but it's extra room in the cabin to carry things. Plus, it's a hardtop, which I already have on my car, and I love the looks. Performace wise, I'd give the edge to the S2000 since I think the RX-8 will weigh slightly more with roughly the same engine specs.

For the Z, it's a personal taste, I don't like the styling. Although the HP and torgue would outweigh that decision. That thing is going to haul a**.

For the comparison, there is no comparision. The S2000 is designed to be an open top roadster period, end of discussion.

RxS2K

The idea of a sports car that happens to seat 4 is very tempting to me now. The recent addition to the family (5 month old girl) dictates some added practicality. From my point of view, the fact that the Rx8 looks like the S2000 is just fine (I won't be losing the looks). If the car is what it purports to be, I can have my cake (practicality) and eat it (fun) too.

Based on the photo's I've seen, I'm not really impressed with the looks of the new Z. I'll reserve judgement until I see it in person though.

Rick Hesel

I've expressed my opinions on current automotive styling more than most of you are willing to tolerate, but here I go again. Many of the current styling trends, which are reflected in these two cars, are mere fads and, IMHO, clumsy to boot. They borrow retro themes and mix them with more contemporary themes, making for an ungainly and often awkward combination. These cars will look dated in a hurry, like the Z3 does now. The Z3 was hot when it came out, largely because the whole design was a fad, but it looks incredibly dated already.

Compare this with the original E-type, penned in the late 50s and put into production in the early 60s, 40 years ago. It still is beautiful and graceful, and it still turns heads. It's a timeless design. In contrast, the new Z and Mazda, are what I would call timebomb designs -- they will explode into banality in a very short period of time. The S2000 design, falls on the timeless side. Gimmicks are largely avoided, lines are fully integrated, curves are graceful and subtle, and there are no major retro allusions or infatuations.

There's much in our popular culture today that is ugly and ungraceful to the core, and automotive design is only one example.

Yes, I'm a social critic