For the last 18 years I've been driving a Cobra replica. Unfortunately it just got totaled out by my insurance. I need a convertible that is a little more civilized than the Cobra. I've been trying educate myself about the differences between AP1 and AP2. In reality is an AP1 good enough with right aftermarket suspension and wheels? No track days but just a lot of back road aggressive driving. The Cobra was a sledge hammer. I'm ready for a scalpel.

 

AP1 and AP2 are engine designations and both engines are at the wimp end of the scale relative to a 427 Ford V8 (or even the original 260/289) so I doubt you'll be happy with this car unless you super- or turbo-charge it. Due to required offsets few aftermarket wheels will even fit the car without body work. AP2 (stroked) engines appeared in the US in 2004, Japan in 2005, and in the rest of the world Never. Body and chassis was restyled in 2004 in all markets coincident with the engine change in the US. Both engines are anemic until they go into VTEC mode which is at 6000rpm unless tuned to a lower rpm. The 2006 and later cars are DBW and can be tuned without an aftermarket ECU.

-- Chuck

 

As Chuck said, it will take some getting used to if you are used to a car producing high horsepower and torque. It is a very different driving experience in every way and I would be really interested to see what you think after a test drive. Honestly, it took me a while to accept not having the power I was used to after having a modified Mustang Cobra and I do miss it from time to time. The feeling goes away when I hit a twisty road or a vacant round-a-bout, but it still comes back to haunt me occasionally. I want to leave my S2000 stock and I am not really in a good stage of life to be adding a muscle car to the stable with a newly driving kid that will be heading to college in two years.

If it helps you at all, I really think this is an amazing machine without a single modification to the suspension. It is just that well done from the factory even after 20 years. You have to keep it up in the revs to make it fun and you kind of feel like you are thrashing the car, but that's what the engine was built to do ... quite well, I might add. I will go back to a muscle car one day but I will also hang on to the S2000 because I enjoy a variety of driving experiences.

Good luck.

 

The motor characteristics will know doubt take some getting used to. I grew up with high revving Japanese motorcycles so hopefully that will help. What I would like now is an outrageously good handling car that has some creature comforts. The Cobra had no roof, heater, or power anything. All manual. I'm an official geezer of 70 who needs something new and different. From what I've read on the forums here all the versions of the S2000 are good. Just subtle differences in the flavoring. Is that about right? I'm looking at a 2002 with wheels, suspension, and exhaust modifications. Seems like the guy used all the good stuff according the forums here.

 

I'm in the camp that this car needs no modifications to perform well, just good tires. Not sure what the "good stuff" may be, the OEM is very good. But what would the Honda engineers know? To me aftermarket wheels are largely bling, aftermarket suspensions are frequently fitted merely to lower the car to make it look more aggressive, and exhausts to sound more aggressive (often to the annoyance of everyone other than the guys at the high school) and convey more performance regardless if there is any.

My recommendation -- likely to represent a tiny percentage of folks here -- would be a late model, low mileage 2006 or later (so you can inexpensively tune it) in as stock condition as you can find. Drive it this summer on good Extreme or Max performance summer tires and then make any changes you think necessary or helpful, not what the prior owner(s) thought was kool.

-- Chuck

 

Buy a mustang,and be happy street racing. S2K is not for you.

 

Mustangs are just too big. Had a Fox Body for a while. They need too much work to handle well. Makes great noise though.

 

At this point, just get out there and drive a few if you haven't already. You may find that an S2000 just isn't what you want but least you could scratch it off your list of candidates. For me, the intoxicating handling makes up for the lack of the power I was used to.

 

Yes, this is the car version of the motorcycles you used to drive. These cars do not have a lot of torque under 6K revs. Its not terrible. But nothing like your Cobra. Completely different animal.

The ap1 v ap2 debate rages on. The similarities are greater than the differences. I prefer ap1. I like the 9K redline and the slightly sharper handling of the ap1. If you decide to look at 06 and newer ap2s I recommend you do a compression test before you purchase, unless the car has 30K miles or less. Those DBW cars have a known tendency to burn valves because the valve gaps tighten prematurely. If you adjust them on a shorter than normal schedule they are fine. But, something to pay attention to.

I would not mess with the stock suspension or anything else for your use. At least not until you have owned the car for a full season. BTW - your age and your expected use are pretty much the same as mine.

That's my 2-cents.