spike.spiegel

Hi,

I don't own an S2K yet, but am seriously contemplating getting one to daily drive and autocross at the national level for next season. I'd likely want to develop the car as much as possible and take it to nationals next year, or at a minimum, do most of the west coast national tours and pros.

So, what do I need to know before diving in? I've read about the difference between the AP1 and AP2 and will likely go for an AP2. Are there particular years that would be preferable for a dual purpose car? I know the CR is probably the best bet for pure autox, but I doubt I could handle it as a daily driver, and the extra cost probably wouldn't be worth it to me.

Are there any things I should watch out for while car shopping? Common problems, e.t.c.? Will I be OK picking up a used 04-05 with around 50k miles?

Anyone know of an already prepared car that's on sale or might be on sale in the next month or two? I may wait until after nationals to see if anything pops up, but I'm itching now...

Thanks in advance!

VitaRenovatio

CR > AP2 > AP1

CR is just fine for daily driving. Not that different from a regular S2000.

CKit

I enjoy daily driving my CR. It's not our only car, though.

PedalFaster

Says who?

sirbunz

Tommy Pulliam...

It comes down to the driver, preference, and mods/tuning in the AP1 vs AP2 vs CR "best for auto-x" debate. I believe any model can be victorious so long as they were well prepped (*edit ... and or well driven). I have paxed the same locally in all three models and put down times within driver error. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses.

If you plan to ever upgrade to new STR class in an S2000, you will want an 06+ model.

krshultz

It's called "AS" because the "A" stands for "Awesome." It's a great class and you'll have a blast regardless of which S2000 you get.

Something to consider: some folks are reporting some peculiar behavior in 2008+ S2000s with regards to launching at Pros, and the weird revlimiter. 2006-07 cars may do it too, I don't know. My 2004 doesn't display any of the described behavior. (Link: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=709377)

Anyway, I'm with sirbunz - they're all capable of winning; it'll depend on the course, the driver, and the level of prep. Mine's a standard 2004 AP2, and was in the mix at Nationals last year and the DC Pro this year.

marks_lude

I guess something else to consider is the theoretically stronger rear differential of the AP2's

mavm86

Fixed for you

But seriously, I think that it really comes down to the driver. Look at last year's nationals results, 1st was a CR on stock shocks and exhaust, 2nd was an AP1 on stock shocks and a dump exhaust. As long as you have a front bar, R-compounds and driving talent, you can be in the mix.

Personally, I bought an AP2 because of the ability to fit bigger tires, and the slightly better looks (imo). The supposed extra torque of the 2.2 didn't hurt my decision either.

spike.spiegel

Thanks for the replies--everything seems pretty much as expected. I like top-down motoring so lugging the hard top on and off the CR seems like it wouldn't be ideal--it's also a lot more expensive than an 04 or 05, which is a big factor in my decision.

I'm aiming for an AP2 mostly because I'd like a newer car, and for the added torque of the 2.2--I'm coming from a BS RX8 so I'm looking for every last bit of torque I can get

I've also heard that some AP1 diffs had issues at pros.

Why would I want an 06 for STR?

sirbunz

All OEM S2000 diffs have issues with the type of launches and stress many of us put on them. If you never drive the S2000 hard, you shouldn't have any issues. The AP2s are a bit stronger though.

You would want an 06+ for STR because of the ability to flash the ecu. Ask "TheNick" about the specifics.