There seems to generally be a few camps of S2K'rs. Those that like their more refined tamed Ap2 and those who enjoy the rawer Ap1. Even within the Ap1 camp there's a split between more refined 02+ and the raw orignal 00-01. I started with an MY00 model and loved it but before I bought it I test drove an 02. I think I actually preferred the MY00 over the 02 but that could be due to condition etc. I recently sold my MY00 for a great deal on a super low mileage NFR MY01 (25K miles or 40K kms). The condition of the MY01 is what made me buy it even before i sold my MY00. As I knew this would be a car I kept for a long time, i opted to have the oil jet bolts updated as well as the a swap to AP2 retainers and added Ap2V1 rims as I felt those mitigated some of the issues of the AP1's. For myself, I don't think I would look for a newer S2K as I suppose I've gotten use to and come to really enjoy the way my current (and previous) drives. I think all S2K's are fantastic cars and the changes of each model etc. are what make the model as a whole special. Vive le Difference, I would say.

 

what he said. if you're 16 to 21, buying your first roadster, buy an AP2 with the VSA...or a miata. then don't touch that VSA button until you take the car to a slalom or track day and figure out what the hell you're doing.

good luck and please, don't crash another s2000.

darcy

 

08/09 for the best dash and cool little details that not all people notice
i have an 09 and i have dark red stiching in my seats, which i havnt seen on other ones, my cluster is a bit different, brand new errthang
stiffest suspension, excluding CR, super planted, VSA, chicane synchro metallic, only made 08-09, and etc etc.... see wat i mean?

 

02-03. Revised ecu, 9k all day! Glass window etc.. Followed by the 04-05 for the looks.

 

Stunning to me that people with AP2s would rather have the F20C. I'd gladly trade engines with someone with an 04/05, but I'd keep the '01 ECU of course. And lighter flywheel and closer ratio trans.

 

04-05 require a whole different ecu, so that wouldnt be possible, the heavier flywheel in AP2 has a purpose, lighter flywheel is way more prone to blowing your engine, building up higher revs gives you less time to fix it on a $$ shift... dont get caught up on all this 9k rpm... when the displacement was moved to a 2.2 the 8k rpm is equal to 9k on a 2.0
AP2 ftw 08-09

 

'00/'01 ECU runs a bit rich under WOT conditions, has been used with success with F22 swaps.

Never blown an engine due to lightness of flywheel... On the S or the Z (10 lb. tilton flywheel). Heavy flywheels are for people who don't know how to drive a manual transmission. I.e., 95% of the motoring public.

No, the 2.2 at 8000 loses a significant amount of rpm "headroom" above peak power. One reason the AP2 is no quicker than the AP1, despite making more power.

The 2.2's redline was set more conservatively than the 2.0's, even accounting for the increased stroke (just like the 2.2's flywheel is overly conservatively heavy).
A 2.2 spinning 8500rpm sees about the same peak piston acceleration as the 2.0 at 9000. And the 2.2 valvetrain is known good for 9000rpm.

Anyway, I wouldn't have qualms about running the AP2 on an '00/'01 ECU, but I'd probably keep it below 8500rpm except for time trial laps

 

^ You can't reliably spin a 2.2 to 9k for any appreciable amount of time before you encounter engine failure. 8600 is considered the highest you would want to run the F22 and still retain longevity/reliability. Believe me, I'd reflash to a 9000 rev limit in a heartbeat if it were capable.

 

I bought an '07 because it's FlashPro compatible, has a beefier rear end over the AP1, looks (what I think) a little better than an AP1, and as common sense dictates newer = better condition in most cases. I wouldn't trade my '07 AP2 for any other year. Flashpro can raise the redline 500 or so RPMs which is still not quite as high as an AP1 but with more torque out of the 2.2L it makes up for it.

Ultimately it comes down to what you can/want to spend. I spent $24k on my '07 but it only had 42k on it and it's Honda Certified so I have a warranty.

 

I drive a relatively low-mileage (38k when I bought it in Feb of last year) 2001, which is about as far back as you can get, in terms of updates. Because I daily-drive the car, I feel an AP2 would be nicer for the daily grind, because of the light improvement in amenities.

I have not driven any other S2000s, so I can't comment on the handling changes between all the updates; there were improvements made in between the (AP1-to-AP2) facelift.