[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bieg
[B]For those who insist on the "NO TORQUE" bull, get a clue;

Torque is directly related to displacement in a naturally aspirated engine.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by steve c
[B]I don't think those are really myths that can be debunked.

 

Thank you. Your words describe my feelings about the car exactly. Not once have I ever felt that my S is underpowered...even without cracking 6000 rpm. And I stand by my original statement....no V6 for this car!! And no higher displacement 4, either.

And I'm no longer afraid to turn the steering wheel in my S... I realize that it's capabilities far exceed any other car I've ever driven. It does inspire confidence. Someday I hope to take it to a performance driving school so that I may really learn where the car's limits are. I'm obviously staying well within them right now, but I'd still like to know where they are. That way I can find out just how crazy some of you really are.

 

Torque -- The S2000 has plenty, for everyday use. The only time I've ever wanted more is at the track; sure be nice not to loose the advantage I gained on a turbo-mustage in the turns once we get to a straightaway

Handling -- Any RWD vehicle with a performance suspension can be spun around fast. I've spun my 68RWHp Bertone twice, and nearly spun it three times. Every time was my fault due to driving hard on wet roads, and I'm lucky to have not crashed in one of the spins. (The other I recovered, out of luck, after the first 360). I've "lost" the rear twice in the S2000, each time because, at low speed, I reved to hard on slick/cold surfaces (but did not reach VTEC). Both were my fault.

As with every other vehicle on the road, the S2000 is not perfect and needs to be driven with this in mind

 

I disagree that S2000 has "insanely low curb weight"... it could be lighter, IMO.
S2000 weighs ~2800lb.. while Boxster (non-S) is 10 in. longer 2in wider but weighs
2778lb with a 6-cylinder engine...
Other roadsters like Miata weighs ~2400lb.. and Toyota ~2200lb... both weigh alot
less than S2000 (though they are both smaller).

 

Well, any car can be spun, that is true. But some cars spin more readily than others and are more difficult to recover once a spin begins. And certainly the mid-engine Fiat Bertone is one that spins pretty easily and does is not easy to pull back once the rear starts coming around. But that is true of any mid-engine car. The S2k is one that I class with the 911SC as to how readily it will spin...up to 9/10ths and you are fine...cross the edge and you are on a tea-cup ride at Disney.

 

Torque? Na, its about 6k to 9k and horsepower!

I joined the S2K spin club Sunday. Cold tires and a 35mph 90 to the right. Went in a bit hot and stepped on it hard. Felt it give out and got off it. Skidded about 50 to 60 degrees off axis.

Just a bit of an eye opener. Ya have to keep the car balanced if you are going to push hard.

 

Show me another 240 HP engine that weighs in at less or even the same as the F20. That is the whole point of the exercise, using less to get more. All things being equal the engine with less displacement will weigh less because it is smaller.

What the American manufacturers have historically done is build large displacement engines that they can run understressed at low HP/Liter efficiency so they can use cheaper parts and materials and still maintain reliability. There is no art in that.

 

- No Torque? Get real! Certainly, it is lower than a big displacement V8. But if you know how to drive, know to actually use that beautiful transmission, it's really quite adequate. Yes, it's peaky -- what would you expect from a 2 liter engine that's tuned for maximum HP?

- Unsafe Handling? No, I'm sorry, learn how to drive. Please, before you hurt yourself and maybe others. I was raised on rear wheel drive cars and learned how to handle them at the limit. You're right, they don't fail by plowing ahead in a straight line -- thank goodness! If I'd wanted a plow, I'd have bought one. What I wanted, and what I got, is a sports car. Not a muscle car, not a mustang, not even a corvette -- but a real, "old fashioned", fun to drive sports car that rewards good drivers and good driving. If you don't know how to handle a rear wheel drive car at the limit, go buy some time on a skid pad. Or, if you live in snow country as I did back when I first got a car, take your S2000 out to an empty parking lot on a snowy day and you've got a nice, FREE, skid pad. Spin it. Recover. get to know how it feels just before it breaks loose. This car won't yell at you that it's going to break loose, but it certainly gives you more than ample warning, if you know how to listen.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bieg
[B]

Show me another 240 HP engine that weighs in at less or even the same as the F20.