Is it just me, but I have driving my new S2k for a couple of days
now (at under 6k revs btw) I am pretty impressed with the low-end
pick up of the engine. After reading many reviews of the car and
also some of the opinions on this board, I was rather expecting the
car to feel a little dead below VTEC. This just doesn't seem to be
the case!

I'm pretty impressed for a car with "only" 2 litres and normal
aspiration frankly. I can't wait to rev the thing into oblivion
though.

Opinions?

 

Yes, the car has ample power below VTEC. I guess it depends on what you're used to. Compared to my old '89 Civic Si the low end torque in the S2000 is pretty impressive, but compared to cars like my wife's '96 Mustang GT it isn't. Of course the S2000 can run circles around the GT (stock), and will pull away once VTEC engages, but it doesn't have the push-you-in-the-seat-of-the-pants low end grunt of a 4.6 liter V8.

 

I couldn't agree more. I just picked my car up last night and I am really amazed at how much power there is below Vtec -- if I would have believed everything I read, I would have thought that the car would barely move under 6K rpms.

That being said, I can't wait for 601 miles...

 

I found the the S2000s performance below 5,500 better than expected. My comparison car is a '93 Prelude VTEC with about the same weight, about the same torque and about the same hp up to the Prelude's red line of 7400. The S2000 ride is much more impressive. Maybe it is the six speed vs the five speed, or the rear wheel drive, or the small polar moment, or the 50-50 weight distribution.

There is no consensus on this board about the importance of the 1000 km (600 mile) break-in rule. Note that our metric brethrin are admonished to avoid rpms above 5,500 until 621 miles, not 600 miles. 1000 km = 621 miles.

My '93 Prelude's manual also said to drive conservatively for the first 1000 km (600 miles). VTEC engages at 4,800 to 5,200 on the Prelude and no rpm limit was mentioned.

I followed the advice of Scott and King Motorsport for the break-in of my second engine. (My first engine got the #4 cylinder liner scoring at 650 miles.) As I remember, Scott said to stay below 5,000 rpm for 500 miles, below 5,500 rpm until you reach 600 miles, below 7,000 rpm until 700 miles, below 8,000 rpm until 800 miles, below 9,000 rpm until 900 miles.

Some owners rev to the red from mile one. There is no association between following proper break-in and very premature engine failure among members of this community. What will happen in several years is unknown.

[Edited by Barry WY Silver/Black '01 on 04-26-2001 at 05:54 AM]

 

Barry,

I know what you mean. My salesman has told me on many occasions that
Honda engines react favourably to being revved freely from day one. He said you
can drive pretty much as you wish straight away. I have a mind to believe
him as he has been selling Vtec engines for 10 years now, and has been giving
this advice for about 5 of them.

Knowingly revving the hell out of your brand new car seems a bit mad to me, but
it is reassuring to hear that the car is not going to explode because you
accidentally rev it about 5500 rpm while running in.

Something else he said was "Do you think that a company such as Honda, with
a vision to staying solvent, would offer 3 year 90k mile warranties (UK) on cars
with engines that may well blow up/give out/cause serious warranty costs if not
run in properly?"

Also how many past demonstrators are now in public circulation? Which have been
blasted from mile 1. Somebody has bought them and have they exploded? Not
that I have heard in the UK.

Who knows!

Anyway, I made an excuse to go for a drive this lunch time and the car just gets better
and better! Feels really lively, without a Vtec in sight!

 

Those who deride the S2000 as having little torque base their opinions only on reported specs that are not that closely related to the actual driving experience. What manufacturers report is torque at the flywheel, but what you feel is flywheel torque multiplied by gearing.

The S2000 is geared far lower than any car I've ever had, much closer to my last motorcycle (a BMW K100RS). I don't have actual gear ratios in front of me, but I'm guessing that the S2000 may be geared 30% lower than, say, Barry's old Prelude (which is of equal weight). Therefore, if driven in the same gear at the same speed, the S2000 will have 30% more force available to accelerate the car. (Or it would if the two engines were the same, which they aren't. In reality, the S2000 would be that much quicker.) This is why S2000s can accelerate as hard as Boxster S's and other cars with much higher reported torque figures.

Using the S2000's performance in the real world is simply a matter of not short-shifting. I'm not suggesting constantly shifting at redline, just using the same gears at the same speeds that you would with any performance car and not worrying about the numbers on the tach.

[Edited by Tox on 04-26-2001 at 10:40 AM]

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by GT2000
[B] pick up of the engine. After reading many reviews of the car and
also some of the opinions on this board, I was rather expecting the
car to feel a little dead below VTEC. This just doesn't seem to be
the case!

 

I could not disagree with you guys any more. Sorry .....Most all of you are coming from other hondas and other cars with no torque!

 

Well Zsr31, what kind of car are you driving? Have you driven an S2000? The S2000 has ample torque below 6k RPM for daily spirited driving. And, as Tox stated, 153 lb-ft of flywheel torque geared down will FEEL the same as much higher flywheel torque with less reduction. Do you need more torque? Then a Viper, Corvette or Cobra will float your boat better.

Interestingly, the perception of acceleration with the ol' butt-meter is deceptive. The S2000 does not FEEL as fast as a '96 Mustang GT, but it is in fact quicker down the quarter mile. However, compared to many domestic V8 powered vehicles, turbocharged Supras, and Porsches with 3.0, 3.2, or 3.6 liter engines, no it isn't as quick in a straight line ... but it's close!

 

You've actually driven an S2000, I assume? Or are you just quoting numbers?