I think you mean 6-9k, when VTEC changes over, which is still a wide band. If you look at the numerous dyno sheets, pre to post engagement sees like a 50 hp quick increase in the F20, which is where all those "VTEC just kicked in, yo" statements come from. As Honda continued to work with the technology, the transition got smoother, and the F22 has more power below VTEC so the bump is not as pronounced.

 

Huh? I think the tranny and engine feel like a single piece of engineering from the gods. They're literally as connected as connected can be. That's one reason the car has become a modern classic.

 

It is telling that we are comparing a new Mazda to a 18 year old Honda design. The S2000 was way out ahead and people didn't appreciate fully what it was. Honestly, the only flaw I see in the original s2000 was the insistence on a power top.

 

Indeed, I've made comments to this effect as well. I always find it entertaining when I still see the S2000 being referenced in the media as a point of comparison/reference for currently produced vehicles.

 

One of my favorite features. Its so easy to put top down even if I'm drivimg a short distance, and so easy to 'secure' the vehicle when I run into a store, etc.

If it were a manual top there would be many, many times when putting top down would just be more hassle and time than I can spare.

It seems so worth the slight increase in complexity and weight. Its certainly proven to be a very reliable system.

 

Miata gets brought up a lot because there are no other Japanese roadster on the market right now. It's the closest competitor to the S2000.

 

I agree whole heartedly. I can put the top up or down in 6 seconds at a light or stop sign. Top down driving is what makes this car so much fun to drive. Perhaps a small feature but big on value to me.

 

Some people feel an emotional reaction with the 'purity' of purpose of a car with sporting intentions. They want the car to be extremely mission focused, to the point that adding features outside that perceived mission, even if they don't have much of a drawback, can be seen as a big negative.

Another example is traction control. Even though it can be disabled at the touch of a button, its mere existence can cause a visceral reaction.

If we're honest with ourselves, we all have some of this reaction when Its our dream car, or at least a very special car. We just need to keep things in perspective.

 

My friends Miata top is manual but it goes up and down very quickly and easily.

 

I've driven both back to back multiple times. Still prefer the the F22. The missing 1k rpm doesn't keep it from singing a beautiful song and the extra hp/tq across the board is nice.