I am currently looking to buy a second car as I have wanted a fun car for a very long time now. I have a budget of around 25k and have currently been looking at an AP1 s2000, AP2 S2000, and an e85 Z4M roadster. They all have similar mileage and I enjoy the driving experience of all of them. My biggest complaint with the S2000 is the lack of steering feel (please let me know how easy this is to remedy) and I likely wouldn’t do many mods to the cars other than maybe wheels, tires, and coilovers and potentially a non-m thinner wheel for the bimmer. Please let me know what you would recommend to me as someone who’s biggest concern is driving dynamics; practicality is not a concern since my other car is an odyssey. I also really like a car that I can get to rotate on throttle and have some fun in the canyons, and I didn't get much of a chance to really push these on test drives and was wondering if you had some input on which one you think would be more fun on the street. The auction on the BMW I was looking at ends in 2 hours though so I was really hoping for a quick response.

 

What you call the lack of steering feel is, IMO, more related to tires. Yes the electric assist is there but as the speed goes up you get a pretty good feel of steering with the S. The overall suspension is exceptional, you can really feel the road. The Z4 has a little more torque and you may think it is more comfortable but I have no issues at all with the S2000, mine is an AP2, 2009. I have a 2025 M2 and the steering feel is not there at all despite fantastic handling.

You said your priority is handling dynamics so I would say the S2000 has the Z4 beat there. It really comes down to AP1 or AP2. You get a little more low end torque and slightly lower high end rev but I like the other changes over time.
You really don't need to mod the S2000 at all, it is really good out of the box. All I have done is change out the head unit for better sound and streaming.

 

As for on throttle rotation, do you get to experience that in the S at semi legal speeds, that was my other big concern as I never got to really push it on a test drive and is there a difference in that between AP1 and AP2? The bimmer definetly has more than enough power to break the back loose on an on ramp.

 

You can break loose the back end on an S in a variety of ways and a lot of inexperienced drivers have found that out. The newer AP2s have a VSA system, which you can turn off by simply hitting the dash switch, if you feel like taking an adventure. Especially on damp roads, despite summer extreme tires only, I have had the rear break loose a number of times, not that I want to. I really don't want to wrap around a power pole on my way back from church.

If you let off the power in a turn or shift gears under power in a turn, all kinds of excitement can occur. This car can be a benign street cruiser with the top down and suddenly become a psycho killer on a path to murder the judge and prosecutor in a trial gone bad.

Be aware this car is not a drag racer and the differential is not built for that kind of racing. This car holds its own in the turns and will embarrass many a Corvette, BMW and other cars around a track.,

I love the handling in this car and I suspect, my wife confirms, I will probably never let this car go. It is so much fun to drive.

 

Tire choice matters a lot. If you get high grip tires it will be like on rails on the street. Medium grip tires, it will be plenty lively.

 

The biggest sensible gain is usually a proper alignment, especially caster and front toe. The front lower compliance bushes are also a major contributor to steering precision.Tyres as mentioned make a huge difference.

Ultimately, the S2000 uses electric power steering, so it will never have the same natural hydraulic steering feel as an Integra Type R, Elise or older MX-5. You can improve precision, response and consistency, but you cannot fully remove the slightly filtered EPS character without more extreme changes...

 

Do you personally prefer the AP1 or AP2 and why?

 

This has been discussed before. You can convert the S2000 to a manual rack, but you will get zero assistance if you do. The quickest way is to pull the power steering fuse. If you like manual steering, it's wonderful. If you want assistance, it's not the way to go. With stock wheels, it's very manageable--you can easily drive with one hand. With wider wheels/tires, aero, or both, it will be heavier. I prefer driving with a manual rack but I grew up driving '90s shitboxes with manual racks.

If you want more feedback as to what the tires are doing, you can add Spoon rigid collars which will stiffen up the rack. Paired with the Spoon subframe collars, it'll be even more pronounced. It will simply make the steering wheel shake more in your hands but you won't necessarily feel undulations as the power steering motor will still mask what the tires are doing. It's tuned like a one-way valve hydraulic steering unit so there really isn't much feedback there. Tires help but you'll still be kind of blind going into turns as to whether the front is pushing or not. In a manual rack, if the steering is light, the front is pushing or the rear is sliding. It's the first form of communication before your other senses. If you have EPS, you're relying on your vestibular senses and your butt to tell you what the car is doing.