My dad is looking for a toy car that has a reasonable amount of reliability. He's been looking at M3s, STi (like me), Evo, etc... but he'd like something a little more grown up/ better looking/ different.

So he's been looking at used NSXs, but their gearing is so long for the power and the car isn't as fast as he'd like. To make it fast costs a lot of money.

So he was looking at the S2000, and he liked it a lot when we drove it a couple years back. He wanted more power out of it, but loved everthing else.

So I thought I'd do a little research and see what options there were.

From what I gather, turbos are a bit finicky in that you have to change the head gasket, knotch the frame, etc etc. While I personally love turbo cars, maybe a supercharger would be the best way. Is this true? The Comptech supercharger seems touted as idiot proof, but his this really the case? I'd imagine you still need larger injectors, and some form of engine management. It doesn't seems like there is much fuss about who tunes the kits, are the off-the-shelf maps really that good?

Am I completely wrong? How easy is it to make around 350 whp? What do you have to do? Are there other idiot-proof options other the the Comptech supercharger?

Finally, what version of the S2000 lends itself better to FI? The 2.0 or the 2.2? I loved the 2.0 much more then 2.2 when I drove both, the 9k rpm redline is just so much more exciting (hell, I do 8k all day in my jdm sti) and I like the transmission much more. Is the 2.2 better performance-wise?

Thanks

 

a stock comptech kit will get you around 280whp...now to upgrade to 350whp you'll need injectors,smaller pulley,belt,and some type of engine management and tune.

 

AP1 all day

 

Have you dad buy a Z06 and he is done... Plenty of power any time he wants.

 

what do you mean the gearing is too long for the power to come in? i assume your talking about it having little torque? if thats the case, the S2000 is DEF not the car for your father. he would be better off driving a saleen or z06.

 

Go with a comptech sc aftercooled. At stock settings (no ems or injectors) it will make a decent bit more hp (100 or so) at the wheels. Then have the final drive gear swapped to a 4.57 or even a 4.77 if he doesn't have to drive on free-ways much, that will give the car alot more get-up-and-go. Or as mentioned above, have him look at a Z06 if he wants power and can afford it.

 

My dad hates american cars. No good reason really, I wouldn't mind a Z06. When I say the gearing on the NSX is too long, I mean the shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd drop you out of the powerband. I really have no idea why honda did it. Above 100 mph it's great, but neither my dad or I do over 100 on public roads often.

Besides, shorter gears are more fun, rowing through the gears makes the car feel like a racecar.

It seems like the comptech SC is the way to go... how is it that you can get away with +100 hp without engine management? In Subaru-land that's the first thing you have to do.

 

I should correct myself, it comes with a piggyback type unit. No stand alone engine management is needed.

Also I am not speaking from first hand experience as I have yet to boost my s2k. This is from experience with other cars, mixed with the knowledge I have from reading posts, reviews, manuals etc.

As far as the nsx falling out of the power band, I have driven two and had not had that problem when driving aggressively and shifting at red line. The rpms will drop to the brink of vtec engagement (with the exception of 1st to 2nd which will drop out of vtec if you don't feather the clutch just a little). However if he likes the car otherwise I would look into getting the final drive ratio changed as that will easily solve that problem and will make the car quite quick.

 

i made 305whp on my comptech with stock pulley, stock injectors, just vafc2

 

Yeah if you want to fork out $70k for a new one or $45k for a used C5 Z06. He'd be better off saving $20k and getting a new S and putting FI on it and pulling on Z06's.