Hello all!

I currently drive a 2007 Mazda Miata. Please don't shun me just yet. I've been considering the leap to an S2000 for about a month now.

Background: My Miata has mostly chassis mods. Every bit of chassis bracing that you can buy, front and rear shock tower bars, thicker sways, and lowering springs with OEM Bilstein Shocks. I also have a full exhaust (header, midpipe, cat-back), CAI, and a tune. Other than cams or FI, my car has pretty much all you can get power-wise. I love this car. It's fun, communicative, and can be pushed farther than my limits. It's really the first of this type that I've owned, having previously had V6 versions of modern muscle cars (so, underpowered and slow...). The wife also loves the convertible.

There was an S2000 for sale about a half a mile from my house, and that's what got the thoughts going. It had 191K on it, which made me nervous about that particular one. But it got the thought process moving, nonetheless.

Logic: All of my plans for the Miata's future will make it a more powerful, more aggressive, sharper vehicle. With S2000s in a price range similar to KBB value for my Miata, I'm thinking that perhaps I should move to a different platform. My range is $11K and under. I'm fairly handy mechanically, and short of a rebuild/machining, I can probably manage to get the job done.

So, all you S2000 owners, does that logic make sense? I have done a decent amount of reading on the I'm a New Owner What to Change/Check/Replace First? thread. What thoughts jump out at you after reading my ramblings? Thank you in advance for your input!

 

Yes it makes sense. I think the S2000 is less comfortable (and heavier) than a stock NC miata but seeing your list of modifications suggests you are ok with this. Test drive them and see what you think.

 

Welcome and good luck what ever you choose.

 

Hello and welcome to the Forums!

 

I'd make the switch, the s2000 is just a bad ass factory car. The biggest difference between the two cars is this. The miata is very fun and entertaining to drive, and you can really wring out the car on back roads. The s2000 is very hard to throw it around back roads like a miata, the biggest difference is the power difference and the gearing. Once you start getting to speed in the s2000 and you're in 3rd gear going 60-90mph on a crappy back road, that's when it gets a little scary. Because you realize at that speed any mistake can be deadly.

That's my experience with a stock s2000 compared to much lower powered cars. Less horse powered cars are very fun because they give you the sensation you want. Like I said by the time you get rolling and feel like your moving the s2000 around you're at the top of 3rd gear going nearly 90mph. That makes it hard to get the same speed sensation, because you start to care about your safety and all the "what ifs" if something happened. And then you just don't completely push the car.

I know the s2000 doesn't have much horsepower compared to today's cars, but in a ap1 going to 9000rpms, the way the power is delivered does make it a bit nervous for anybody to throw it around on a back road.

 

Nothing wrong with the Miata!

I dont think it would be a bad move. I have driven a Miata on an autox course (E Street car) and it was a lot of fun for sure.

If you autocross or track your cars, I would not be too worried about "being scared to push it on back roads" stuff. You learn the limits and then you know the car. Plus, you should not be pushing the car so hard you are worried on public roads, period.

The S2000 is certainly a lot of fun, has a bit more uniqueness to it, especially the motor. I cant say the Miata I drove was any more or less comfortable, but I didnt spend much time in it. I am 5' 9" so I fit in either just fine. However I know several tall people that cant drive a Miata, but can drive my S2000 (although a bit cramped).

The S is nice because you dont see them everywhere. There are way more Miata's on the road so the S is a bit different.

I think the S2000 parts may be a tad higher than a Miata, but I could be wrong. But both are reliable so you dont have to spend a bunch on repairs.

Take some time to read on this forum to learn the differences in AP1 and AP2 models so you know what you want to buy. For $11k I am guessing you will most likely be in the AP1 territory unless you find a damaged AP2, but you could always get lucky. My AP1 was under $12k last year with a boatload of spare parts (including a diff and axles) from a guy I know, but I know prices are going up lately.

Either way you go, you will have a good car in the end. Welcome to the forum!

 

 

Miatas are great cars, and I am always looking at them since they are inexpensive and reliable. An S2000, though, is a better convertible than a Miata. Now I can't compare the newest Miata to the S2000, but I think jumping to an S2000 is what I would do in your situation.

 

Hah, perhaps you should wait until you drive the 2016 Miata? Although I think the S2000 will do everything just a tad bit better, the 2016 Miata has apparently closed the gap considerably to the point where its a bonafide competitor. It certainly looks awesome in my eyes. Lets face it, decent low mileage S's are becoming harder to find, and the prices are going up and up.

 

Thanks all for the input! The closes dealer that has an S2000 for sale is about 90 miles away. Luckily, it's Nashville, and the wife wants to go there for a day trip anyway. Planning to go drive it this weekend. I've driven a couple S2000s before, but it's been a few years, and the most recent one was running very poorly when I drove it.

I definitely don't push the Miata that hard on public roads. There are a few good twisty backroads around me that I like to go drive, but still only go at 70-80%. (of my ability, not the car's limits)
While I'd love to be able to look at an ND Miata, I can't justify buying a new car. I'm pretty young (23), and the only money my wife and I owe is on our cars (we both worked a lot in college...). My budget of $11K is based on the owed amount on my Miata, plush some cash from me on the side. One of my rules is that I don't put us further into debt for this car. I get to buy a new car every year if I want, but I don't get to borrow more money than we owed on the last car - the goal is to have these cars paid for and borrow little/nothing for their replacements.

Glad the logic seems to hold water to more people than just me and a few friends! I'm strongly considering this S2000. http://clarksville.craigslist.org/cto/5076248491.html
I've got a friend who can do paint, and I'd love to learn, so the fender is just the cost of PDR or a new fender + materials for paint. The same friend can help me put in a new top as well. Do people typically use Robbins for their S2000s? I know those are the go-to for the Miata community.

Thanks all!