Hey guys! Completely new here so I guess I'll start off with a little background. I'm 24, turning 25 and have been into cars since I can remember. Currently own a 2007 Mazdaspeed3 (the non-smiley version), it's fully bolted and tuned on the stock turbo, making about 330 fwhp and 350 fwtq. It's my 10th car, the others ranged from civics, a porsche 944, fc rx7, multiple 300zx's (tt and na), and a couple suv's. I've been in the market for a light, rwd with lsd, two door roadster to track and generally improve my driving in order to eventually acquire an amateur race license (driving is my passion). Since getting a work truck, I can now afford to have a weekend second car and thus the Speed will be sold soon.

On to the car! The vehicle I tested was a 2005 Silverstone AP2 with just over 60k (km). The carproof came back immaculate and it's being sold from the same dealership that sold it 7 years ago. Not just that, but it has been serviced there regularly, all paperwork was shown to prove the same. Essentially, I had the chance to drive a car that felt like it was brand new on all accounts.

Where do I start with this amazing machine? I walk up to it and my jaw just drops; no words can really explain visual aptitude this car has when seen in real life. It was like looking at a work of art. The body lines moving from the front bumper, over the wheel wells and across the side panels in the classic wedge shape that Ferrari made so popular with the Testarossa and F355. Getting into it I found myself deep in the vehicle, inches from the ground and transmission/drive shaft tunnel. It was like the S was hugging me, just welcoming me to take it for a drive.

Driving it was a sensory experience compared to my MS3; the shifter has the most amazing feel of an OEM assembly I have ever felt. Every shift was notchy, positive, and precise; never did I feel like I was guessing which gate I was in. In comparison, I had to spend almost $500 on an aftermarket shifter assembly (not a shift kit) and bushings to make my speed feel about 4/10's as good. Steering; what can I say? It made my Mazda feel like an 18 wheeler; the response, the sensitivity, the accuracy just out of this world. I can't wait to get my own and track the vehicle. Lastly, the rev limit being so high, it was a dream to drive on twisty back roads.

Don't get me wrong, the car is not perfect; coming from the world of turboed 4's and 6's, I personally feel like VTEC is far too over exaggerated by Honda fans. Sure I get a little bit more noise and pull, but the car doesn't seem to move anyfaster. This is where the MS3 (and most other torquey turboed cars) was in a world of its own. 3rd gear, 3000 rpm I step on it, my head snaps back into the seat, and I'm gone. That being said, I think its a worthy sacrifice for the sheer driving experience of the S2000. Also, not to give the wrong impression, but the Speed is a proper handler in its own right. Sure it understeers on the limit, but what fwd doesn't? On twisty mountain roads it is very fun, and definitely faster than the S2000. That being said, just on the short test drive I had, I had more fun in the S2000 than I ever did in my speed. The odd thing is, Honda built the car so well that I will never thinking of modifying it like I did all my other cars. Coil overs and wheels, that's it; until I can learn the limits of this vehicle.

I hope to own one of these cars within the year, but really looking to pick up a 2006/2007. Being in Canada, I'm debating bringing one in from the states, but from the research I've done it doesn't seem to be all that worth it for such a late year model. Sorry for the long rant guys, just figured I'd post my 2 cents in case any one else was in my boat. IE, if you already own a fast sporty car, but are considering a slower, more fun, SPORTS car. DO IT! The S is definitely worth the torque sacrifice (you could turbo it anyway! haha).

 

Nice write up, except one little issue, the S is driven briskly inbetween 5k-8k. People that are not used to the S always give it the 3k punch slight. 3000 rpms on the S is almost idle, lol.

Glad you are hooked

 

I took it up to just before redline in the first 3 gears; it's just that the power boost really does nothing for me. This might just be due to the fact that I'm used to a more powerful vehicle though.

I can still drive an S2K while not worshiping at the altar of VTEC can't I? lol

 

haha nice write up mate! The mps is sure a fairly quick car in a straight line! But up against an s2k around twisties i'd beg to differ that a mps would be faster. Anyhow, welcome aboard. All the best!!

 

my last car was also a MS3 which i tracked for about a year and a half. it took about 3K in mods to make it feel more like a sports car. and make no mistake, it held its own at the track for what it was. but the S2000 is definitely more of a sports car right out of the box. i've done the basics on mine, coilovers/wheels/tires/brakes and i feel faster than i was in the MS3. despite the lower power of the S2000 i'm actually slightly faster at the end of the front straightaway because i'm taking the corner leading into the straight at a much higher speed. the handling and corner exit speeds far trump the MS3 on a road course which counts for a lot. anyway, they are both fun cars but i opted for the S2000 because i wanted a cheaper(AP1) RWD sports car that i could make into a more dedicated track car. that being said, i'm completely happy with the switch and look forward to working with the S2000 more.

 

You're probably right. The MS3 probably felt faster because I'm used to driving it at the limit and used to how the car reacts. I only had a single test drive in the S, and it was no where near the cars or my limits.

One thing I noticed is the brakes on the MS3 are much stronger than OEM S brakes. That being said, I have aftermarket rotors and pads. The speed is known for having strong brakes though.

Do you regret going AP1? This is what I initially wanted to do since the car would be predominantly for the the track (but daily driven). I'm just afraid of "old car issues", no matter how reliable a vehicle, 10 years has to take a toll...

Still have to make up my mind about cheap AP1 vs 06/07 AP2...

 

I own both cars and I have about the same Hp on my ms3(2008.5 in white with black/red interior) and I love both cars for what they are good for. They both have their pros...and cons...but the S gives you a bigger smile when driving and a funner drive. Dont get me wrong the ms3 is an amazing vehicle but sometimes you forget youre driving a sporty vehicle at times. The s is just a funner well rounded performance(minus straight line speed) vehicle than the ms3...which is more of a DD.

 

The S will likely be much faster in the canyons once you learn to drive it well. That being said, be careful. This car is ruthless and relentless, and extremely unforgiving.

Enjoy it

 

One thing thats good to know is if your going to try to track these cars, you may have said you only wanted to do coilovers and wheels, but the extra midrange you can get out of an 06+ is way too easy to pass up. 06+ has the re-programmable ECUs unlike the pre-06 models.

With a flashpro (06+ only) and a test pipe, you can lower VTEC to ~4k and get a TON of midrange. Flashpro is a lot cheaper than a standalone and has a reflash available which keeps that extra power on the cheap side.

If I was in the market, I'd seriously consider an 06+ strictly for this reason

 

No surprise that the S is the most funnest or is it the most funner?