drive whatever makes you happy. these two cars are guaranteed to put a smile on your face anyway.

 

i still have yet to drive an ap1. i'd really love to hear 8 - 9k. to answer your question yes everyone likes the ap2's better...ap1 owners are just in denial i guess. j/k.

 

i knew nothing about the handling characteristic differences btwn the two after i bought mine. i went AP2 for the extra torque and design refresh which i love. i plan (hopefully if i can restrain myself) to keep until it falls apart decades down the road, so something newer with several years behind it in models to work out some bugs (hence plastic to glass window) made sense.

now that i hear alot about the more civil ride of the AP2's over the first's actually appeals to me as i drive more streets than i do tracks. i also like knowing when i do track that i can still have fun.

hell im just happy i fit in it now...yay bulletproof seat mod!!

 

Same here

 

Show me the AP1 owners that have said the AP2 is not an improved car. They're either just kidding, or just dumb.

It's a small number of AP2 drivers that have problems understanding why anyone would prefer an AP1 who are in denial. They hate to hear that their cars are "softer," because they have no understanding of what we mean when we say that. We explain, over, and over, and over, and over, but some of them still don't get it.

 

Seriously (for a change ), you guys who think the AP1 is raw need to take a ride in my S2000. It's raw enough to make a 7 driver grin.

Those of you who (rightly) prefer the ride and handling of the AP2 would probably find my car totally intolerable. If not, give me a few more months, and it'll be even harsher.

LOL, AP1's are too cushy and luxurious for my tastes, and AP2's even more so, because a ballsey roadster is *supposed* to extract a toll from the driver and passengers. That's half the fun.

Seriously, it really is a matter of personal preference, and it's all about what one wants from the car. I don't think I'd choose either AP1 or AP2 as my only car. If I had to settle for only one it would most likely be a 2nd gen Miata with all the go-fast goodies and at least 10 PSI boost. A Miata with 200 WHP is a LOT quicker than an S2000 with 200 WHP, and, it is lighter, smaller, and roomier. Thankfully I can have my cake and eat it too, so I can make my S so harsh that even I won't be able to stand it if that's what I decide to do. I did it with our X-1/9 and had to undo a couple mods to be able to live with the car, and I may well end up doing the same thing with my S. It's all a matter of personal choice, and I like my sports cars to be as harsh and rough edged as I can tolerate. It makes everyone else think they're riding in a race car, and that really floats my boat.

 

I must say that I've loved the s2k since its debut and wanted to purchase one since 02. By the time I was able to allow myself to make the deal the ap2's came out. At first I was disappointed in the loss of the 9k but the cosmetic features (both interior and exterior), suspension changes (stiffer front/softer rear), and everything else that changed about the car outweighed that factor in my opinion.

I would not buy the s2000 used, I refused to. So I had to buy an AP2, the AP1 was not "that much greater" that I had to buy a used one. If I didn't mind owning someone else's I would have gotten it much much sooner. I needed the satisfaction of having a perfect car from the beginning,no dents, not worrying about if it was properly maintained, knowing that it wasn't previously wrecked, and having a warranty isn't bad either.

A lot of owners that defend the ap1 so much are used car owners...some may or may have not been able to afford a new one at the time. I am guaranteeing that the majority of them couldn't and they feel the need to defend their purchase. I think this is rediculous but it's true although some people may disagree. I'm not being an d!ck but it had to be said because I am tired of hearing the ap1/ap2 debate between owners that don't know their head from their @ss, especially the little 16 year olds that just get the car and think they are God.

Oh and the people that insist that the ap1's are faster...well they maybe quicker 0-60 because of the extra shift, but every single race that I have witnessed between an ap1/ap2 the ap2 was always pulling. Who stops at 60mph anyways?

This is all just IMO, so don't take it to heart. You can call my ap2 soft and refined, since I don't care what other's think. I got what I wanted...it's an S2000.

 

I'll tell you what I regret. Its getting involved in these Ap1 vs. Ap2 discussions....

 

Glad this topic came up, because after 6 months of owning an 01 AP1, earlier tonight I swapped cars with my friend who has an 04 AP2. (both cars are stock)

The difference was amazing-- as similar as the cars are, just about everything in the AP2 feels more plush-- the shifter is smoother, there is less vibration, the clutch is softer, the steering wheel is softer, the ride is smoother, the handeling is more controled, and there is no power "bump" into VTEC. The added torque was noticeable but I can't say it was terribly useful. I really liked the firmer seats and the glass window.

After the drive I can honestly say that not a single part of me wishes I had an AP2 anymore. All of the refinments I listed above are nice and I'm sure they make the AP2 a better every day car, but they also make it feel more like every other car. My car simply has an edge to it that has been polished over in the newer car.

There is a lot of talk about the 9k redline, and I must stay I felt horribly cheated in the AP2, like "that's it?" Is it faster? I don't know, maybe... possibly, probably, I DON'T CARE! It is not as fun or exciting. And the instrument cluster is nowhere near as cool as having the tach sweep all the way across the dash.

Now I freely admit the styling on the AP2 is better (I love how the front bumper matches the rocker panels and the 04-05 wheels are great). At times I wish for more torque in my car. But at the end of the day these are things that can be changed on the AP1 (4.57 gears, AP2 bumper) while I think it would be much tougher to restore that RAW feel back into the newer car.

 

^ well said.