Ah, the aggressive ignorance continues apace....

I don't care whether one prefers one or the other; I prefer driving my S2000 to any Miata, on the street.

But to trot out tripe like or takes aggressive ignorance to a new level.

Not that that surprises me any more around here.

 

Are you the one with the B16B CRX on CRXCommunity.com? If so, I've seen your race videos and they're sick!

 

Renault has a great racing heritage. That doesn't say anything at all about how good their street cars are...

Keeping it to the cars we're actually talking about, the Miata has way way way more "race heritage" than the S2000.

AND because they're great-handling, lightweight, nimble, rwd/irs sports cars.

??? I can only assume that you've never read a review of a Miata. Ever. Its transmission has always received raves.

My AP1 doesn't have carbon synchros, and anyway, if they can get the same job done with brass, carbon, balsa wood, or cardboard, if it works it works.

I have an '01 S2000, which is about the "raciest" iteration other than the CR model. IMO it's suspension is a very good compromise between acceptable daily-driver ride quality and trackability. But the car is not what I'd call "race oriented". The thing pitches and rolls like a boat at the track compared to my other car, a lightly modded 240Z that I also track (not a full track setup, no coilovers, just springs/struts/sways). The Miata is softer-sprung than the S, but both are WOEFULLY soft for track duty, so the "race oriented" question is simply one of degree.

As for "easy", the Miata's handling is more linear, and that's not a bad thing at all. The AP1's rear toe monkeymotion was a dumb idea from day one... That it's "harder" for the uninitiated to drive does not in itself mean it's better or racier.

Yes, they are different. But they are also comparable in many ways.

 

I could have afforded a much more expensive car when I bought my S used in '01. But I *liked* the S2000 better and wanted it more.
Also, I LIKE the Cayman better than the 911.


By your reasoning, you could say that the only reason any of us bought an S2000 was because we couldn't afford a Corvette convertible.

I could've spent a lot more, but there simply weren't any sports cars I wanted more.

The same is true for MANY Miata owners.

 

I respect Miatas but I could never own one myself. The S2000 is even borderline too slow for my tastes. For me, no amount of handling can make up for the lack of straight-line power of the Miata.

 

Just look at the two cars
That enough will give you the answer as too which car is better.....

 

Are you disputing my higher cost of entry statement?

Or, are you disputing the higher risk of financial loss in the event of a crash?


Last I checked, you don't own a race prepped s2k. Why isn't it? Oh wait, you drive a spec miata.

 

Gawd, you're clever. You can read my signature, to see that I race a Spec Miata. Amazing!! Of course, evidently you're not clever enough to realize that that means that I own both a Miata and an S2000, and that I autocross the S2000, so that I have a large amount of real world experience with both cars.

Your absurdly simplistic statement was both factually wrong, and incomplete. Par for the course in the fanboi world, unfortunately.

A jalopy of a Spec Miata will cost you $7000 even in this economy; my son sold his rolled-over wreck for $6500. A decent Spec Miata will cost $10,000. A front-runner can cost as much as $25,000. Your figures for buying a Spec Miata were utterly silly; you would have a difficult time buying a decent donor car (the basic Miata, without any race prep) for $2000, and that would only be the very earliest ones. It would be good to check your "facts" before spouting them.

But the real reason Spec Miata is the most popular SCCA class is because it's some of the best racing SCCA has to offer. The cars are quite equal, so it very much comes down to driving and setup skill. And, regardless of where you are in the grid, because the grids tend to be very large, you likely will have one or more cars to play with for the entire race. Don't expect to spend 30 minutes playing tag with another car when you race your S2000. If you ever race your S2000.

As much as I love my S2000, as much as I like autocrossing it, and as much as I loved tracking it, the first time I drove a Spec Miata on the track, I was hooked; it was so much more fun than the S2000,

 

I love my s2k. I don't want to track it hard because its expensive LOL. I don't wanna break it.

I could easily see myself buying and tracking a miata in the future. I really like the car, and like others said...The racing/track community is huge for them. Consumables are way cheaper. 15 inch wheel vs 17 inch wheel, ect

 

This thread is getting stupid.