Discounting tire wear/type and road condidtions, the car will bounce once, twice and then a full rotation if you shift gears before finishing the turn. I unfortunately know this first hand and that was from a dead-stop, wot into a left turn and shifting into 2nd prior to finishing the turn. 6 weeks in the body shop and 8,000.00 dollars later, I learned to respect this car as I should have from the beginning of ownership.

 

how did you correct it?

 

I think there needs to be a thread stickied on what NOT to do with this car.

1. No mid corner shifts up or down. You are better holding the car in the higher gear ie: 2nd instead of shifting to 3rd until you are through the corner. You can do it but at your own peril.
2. No abrupt on or off the gas mid corner. This really upsets the car. Smooth easing on and off the gas is okay but gently. Think of squeezing on and off the gas not stabbing it.
3. No old crappy tires on the car. Damn it keep good tires on the car. Yes they cost money but not as much as pulling your car out of the woods.
4. No VTEC in the rain. Again you can do it but at your peril.
5. No big inputs. Very small inputs are best. You are not driving a camaro(no offence)

I am sure there are a lot more. Learn this car first. It is an amazing car and can do things that most cars won't and can't do and that is part of the problem. Treat it with respect and you will not have any issue and also have a hell of a lot of fun.

Kevin

 

Having driven my AP1 for 4 years until trading in for my current AP2 I can say there is definitely some substance to the "Warning sticker" points.

I'll add that my AP1 with S-02s (they're still avail right?) was VERY sensitive to weather. My AP2 with stock RE050s seems almost more forgivable. The VSA is a plus also. I feel more "planted" with this car.

If anybody doesnt know what I'm talking about do a search.
I've driven an S for 7 years as a DD and I've only spun it once.

 

As a new owner (about two months) of a 2005. As others have said, the AP1 was given more of a bad rap on this than the AP2, and later models have VSA.

Coming to the car new, and having never owned a true "sports car" here's my impression. Other cars, even quick ones, that I have driven do a very good job of "complaining" before they break over --- at least that's my opinion. The body is leaning, the tires are screaming, and in a heavy passenger car you can almost feel the side walls folding over (well, not really, but you get the point). You know something isn't right.

So you get an S and you're like damn this car is on rails, etc. etc. etc. It does not complain about cornering. I think this leads to some of the spin outs, the limit is higher in this car and less telegraphing happens when you find it (based on my limited experience)

Now I've not yet been to a track to find the break over point dry, but I did figure 8s in a vacant wet parking lot in the rain to find out how it behaves in "stupid spin out weather." Once I get to cone-eating, I'll push it hard enough to find the dry, ideal weather limit. At least that's my plan. I don't drive aggressively on public roads.

I'll also mention I have a modified Jeep with lockers, tall ass gears and mud tires (no siping) that will flat out go wherever it wants on wet pavement with no warning. The S is no where near as bad in the wet, but it does require the person to respect it (like riding a motorcycle in the rain.)

I'm just sharing my new to an S thoughts. Good luck with your purchase. I've owned several cars/trucks/bikes and I'm a true convert to this here cult of S2K (lol)

 

[QUOTE=r6elmo,Mar 27 2009, 10:02 AM] The S2000 is a very good handling car.

 

Its mostly about traction and weight transfer. If you let up on the clutch/gas to shift during a turn, your weight reduces on your rear tires, resulting in less traction in the rear, resulting in the rear wanting to go straight while your front is continuing turn-in. Best to stay more neutral and hold the gear as you go through turn and then power as you come out, but gradually! Shift into the gear that you will exit in prior to entering into full turn to avoid having to shift while in the turn (disturb the weight balance and of course, traction). The S has most of its weight centralized for quick turn in and quick directional response. The tradeff for this nimbleness is that it is for an expert driver to drive at 8/10ths, not for the untrained. All this forum driving training cannot replace a driving school for performance cars, where instructors teach you first hand and through practical exercises on the track relating to driving dynamics. I myself have trained at the BMW Performance Center on a V-10 M-5. Respect the car and get training for performance driving, anything less is gambling with your safety.

 

I don't mean to be a jerk, but there are a lot of people that try to drive far beyond their skill level or simply are not very good at driving. This is why some in one condition can be perfectly fine while others in the exact same conditions can claim that this car is extremely dangerous.

This is why the world is dominated by FWD cars. They're safe for the un-talented or people that are simply not in tune with their drivetrain and it's connection to the road.

I'm not saying that you have to be some kind of racecar driver to drive the S2000, but... you just can't drive like 75+ percent of people out there on the roads.

 

Think of it like tech support. I used to work with guys who assumed that my company's products were horrible, because all they heard about were problems all day long. Those narrow-minded folks (who still work at that lowly job ) just couldn't fathom that people call far less often to praise, even if fully satisfied with a product or service. The ratio would easily be 20 or 50 to 1.

 

[QUOTE=ZDan,Mar 27 2009, 04:04 AM] The handling demeanor of the AP1 is thus a bit spooky to the uninitiated.