SRTBoost24

I am going to be recieving up to $25,000 in the next year... I do not have to take all $25,000 of it. It is a personal loan I am eligable for at 2% and I do not have to pay it until I am out of school. I am going to buy myself a new car with it however lately I find myself frustrated. I used to own an SRT-4, I loved the power... it was a good car but it just did not have that *you see it in a parking lot and say "ooo thats sweet"* kind of appeal to it. This is not the only thing I want in my next car but I do not want to make the wrong decision... I have driven all of the following cars I have considered but the test drive alone does not speak of how you may feel about the car down the road. I was looking for some input.

I have a 1998 Honda Accord that I can use as a daily driver. I go to Penn State University and some of the roads there are awesome. I found myself on one of the sunny days there this fall wishing I was in an s2000.

I have considered an EVO, E46 M3, C5 Corvette and a Toyota Supra TT...

Do any of you guys wish you where in a faster car? or did any of you guys come from a faster car? The torqueless thing really worries me but it'd be nice to spend $15000 on an s2000 than $20-25,000 on something else. I think I could actually enjoy the car more knowing I have a ton less tied into a car.

EBinVA

If all you want to do is go fast in a straight line then an S2k is not for you. If you value raw sportscar feel and the ability to roll through twisties/road courses quickly then the S2000 is a good choice.

Its no secret that the s2k is not quick in a straight line, however there is a reason why it beats up on E46 M3s in autocross all the time.

I recently bought my S2000 and I drove a 350z (my previous dream car... I've simply loved them since the first time Isaw one, then when I drove it I wasn't impressed at all) and an RX-8 (meh) before I purchased the s2k. The only reason I got the s2k at all was because I randomly saw one used (03 with 19k miles and got it for a steal) and decided to test drive it since it falls within the same category of the others cars I was looking at/type of car I wanted. Needless to say, the car is a complete blast to drive every single time I get in it.

Really what you need to do is drive all of the cars you are looking at, thats the only way YOU get to decide which one you like more. I mean face it, you're on an S2000 forum, what kind of answers are you expecting to get? Most of them are going to favor the S2k simply because of the nature of the ofumr you're on.

Ks320

The S2000 has gotten slower on a relative basis because new cars are just putting larger and larger engines with more and more power. So ya, power-wise, you will not be quaite satisfied if that's one of the main factors you look for.

The S is more of a fun sportscar with very good handling and driving experience.

rnye

But don't forget - a blower is only a few more grand away making the S2000 the perfect sports car.. IMO of course.

SRTBoost24

See the thing is, I want something with a nice feel to it... build wise and in regards to the performance. I would love to have a C5 Corvette if it FELT like the S2000 did in terms of fit and finish. The S2000 in stock form is indeed too slow for me. I value handling, braking and straight line power but I feel that if I boosted one, or bought one S/C or Turbo that I would no long have that Honda reliability and I have heard about expensive things that go bump on these car... I can only imagine boost making it worse...

I also fear that this car with a turbo kit or S/C kit will lose the natural feel, and become either tail happy or a tire ripper and just not how it's supposed to be otherwise I would definately entertain the idea.

RED MX5

This is the kind of decision you'll have to make for yourself, but I will answer your original question to the extent that it was about us, rather than what you should buy. I've owned motorcycles that ran in the 10's, including one turbocharged bike. I'm partners with a group of guys in a business called "CCR" ("Cool Cat Racing") and that has put me in a position of being able to drive VERY quick cars from time to time. Plus, I'm an old fart and started driving at the height of the "Muscle Car" era, so if any of that counts for anything I guess I've had some experience with quick vehicles. Do the bikes count?

The S2000 falls into a class of sports car that people use to refer to as "inertia cars." The best (ie: most fun) inertia cars are light in weight (the lighter the better), and reward drivers/owners with their handling. A competent driver in an inertia car can often sucker other, faster cars/drivers/owners into playing his game, and kick butt. S2000's so dominated SCCA Solo 2 in B Stock that they booted it to A Stock, where the cars remain competative. For an inertia car, the S2000 actually has gobs of power and stellar performance, but the driver has to work at extracting the performance, and to get the most out of the car you have to drive it like any other inertia car. They're not for everyone, but if you like to row the gearbox to find power, you *might* like the S2000. If you want a car that jumps when you goose the throttle (without downshifting to get to the cars powerband) then the S2000 isn't a very good choice.

Mild boost, like I have (CTSC/AC and 4.30:1 gears), is very easy to manage in the car (no tire shredding or any thing like that), and the car is quick enough for my purposes. I suck at drag racing, but can just boil the tires during my launch and granny shift, and I'll still turn mid 13's, with a trap speed of around 105 MPH. On the street the car is peppey enough for normal driving, but I have virtually no boost below 4,000 RPM and don't really start feeling the boost until about 4,500 RPM. To go fast I have to get above 6k and stay above 6k, and frankly, the car is pretty exciting when that's done, especially if you're on a track or twisty mountain road. For getting a hard launch from a red light, to show up your buddies with a short race, the centrifitual blowers won't help. You can make any car quick out of the hole, but it is more expensive to do with some cars than with others. Making the S2000 leap out of the hole is not easy, or cheap, and there are much better cars to start with if this is what you're after.

You could no doubt get a much better feel for what it would be like to live with an S2000 for a while, if you could drive one for a while. Have you ever ridden in an S2000 that was being driven hard? Have you ever ridden in a boosted S2000? Just riding in the cars and seeing what they can, and cannot do, might go a long way to help you make a decision that will be right for you.

SRTBoost24

I really like the look of these cars, the cock pit... and the overall fit and finish. I have always been intrigued by cars that are "different" and when I mean different I mean FD RX-7... (I drove in and as a passenger in a white 1994 TT and holy crap) to me that is the perfect car if it where only reliable. I feel content with the car not having the jump off the line ability, or the neck snapping torque as long as it had a good chunk of power some where... high way pulls can be fun, passing power even better and a nimble car when you are not doing 1,000 mph is also good fun but the following concerns me...

1. I hear the rear dif is like glass... I would fear breaking something with the aggressive driving this car demands, especially under boost...

2. the money shift, I am not an idiot, or uncapable driver but for a car that has to be downshifted a lot to really "find the power" as you say... it scares me that one bad shift could have me hunting for a new motor

3. Comptech S/C kit is like $6,000 dollars. To buy a decent mileage not thrashed s2k would cost me abouttt $15,000... and that would mean I would have a LOT of money piled into a car that will only be making meh... 270whp and that does not count installation or supporting mods.

4. I would probably look to find an s2000 that was well treated and already under boost. S/C that is... a clean one from a good owner could save me a good chunk of money. Now I hate "stealing projects" and it's not that I wouldn't do it on my own but money is a concern, and whos to say I cant trade of sell certain goodies on the car for others for MY own touch.

My biggest fear, is going boost and breaking things. What are the "SAFE BET" mods for these cars? As in, what to do... to the car so you don't cost yourself tons later on?

neuronbob

OK, I had to make a similar decision to you, and just in the last few weeks. The difference is that I am about to turn 40 (aka, "old") and wanted a midlife crisis sports car. My original choice was a C5 Corvette. I love the look, the torque, and nothing beats that classic American V8 burble. Yum. I may still buy one in the future. C6 sucks, though....

Then I was turned on to the S2K by my buddies on another board. It's not as fast as a Corvette. However, make no mistake, when you are driving an S2K, you are in a sports car. The first time I test-drove one, I KNEW the Corvette was going to be in second place. I test-drove a dealer-sold Spa Yellow 2001 with a single Magnaflow exhaust. The shifter was slick, the handling in curves was telepathic, it was loud, and it looked hot. I don't notice a lack of low-end torque, mainly because if you keep the engine speed above 3k rpm, it's not a big issue.

Test drove another C5 Corvette afterward. Effortless low-end torque, but fit and finish were not up to Honda standard and handling in the curves, while good, was not telepathic.

The final straw came when I found an S2K in my favorite color scheme with low miles. I immediately bought. I am not sorry. I will eventually own a Corvette, but am so happy I have the S2K in my garage. My RL is not happy because she has to stay out in the rain now.

Cliff's:
Old guy wanted sports car
S2K, while not the fastest, offers the best handling and overall driving experience.
I knew S2K was for me and I pounced on a good deal.

HTH!

MitsukillinS2K

I came from a boosted civic that was pretty quick but i like the FR setup myself and this car drove a million times better than the C5 corvette that I drove

SRTBoost24

Good post, see it also helps that I can find a good one for $15,000 or so... where as a Corvette... $20,000 gets me a 70-90,000 mile one. Not that it wont last but it gets more rickity with every mile.