I keep reading how the s2000 gearbox is the best production unit in the world. I wonder...

I sat in a 911 at the ATL car show and that gearbox was amazing to me. The shifter glides through gates like it's on ball bearings and snicks nicely into place. Almost effortless. In contrast my s2000 is a lot notchier and tempermental.

Granted, I like the tight, precision feel to it, and it does get much better when warmed up -- but that 911 changer just had such a nice tactile feel to it.

Tell me what I'm missing. I'm fairly new to manuals have only driven 3 MT cars -- an Accord which wasn't bad and a Golf which was a rubbery nightmare.

 

Robot, I agree with you. It always surprises me when I read how superior the s2k gearbox is. I know one thing it is...tempermental. You've really got to be a neat shifter to avoid crunches and grinds, no cutting corners on the shift patterns with stook. Was very surpised that honda got a 20 of 20 on the gearbox in the March '05 R&T sports car shoot out, it's only perfect score. I think its steering and handling is a better feature. I think you are correct. The gearbox is not one of the s2k's loftier attributes. Otherwise, how do you like your car?

 

What you're missing is motion. How a stick feels in a car on a podium is little to no indication of what it feels like on the road or track.

The S2k gearbox is pretty amazing. I wouldn't be surprised if the stick on a car costing three times as much was as good or better but that says more about the S2000 than it does about the Porsche.

BTW, the reason I feel enpassioned about this today is that yesterday I changed out my gearbox fluid and replaced it with a mix of Redline MTL and MT-90. Today I did 300Km of country roads and have to say there is no other stick I'd rather have my hand on!

 

[QUOTE=Tommy-S2K,Apr 10 2005, 03:56 AM]Robot, I agree with you.

 

Gearbox is great, but the clutch is a problem. Driving away from standstill always requires some slipping. If i don't, it produces that terrible rattle.

 

I agree. The clutch is my least favorite part about this car -- about to go change the fluid right now.

 

I agree. The S2000 transmission felt perfect in the showroom - at room temperature, with the engine not running.

The magazines might be missing something too, though - they usually test a brand new car, and I bet they don't do it in freezing weather.

 

I'm using MT-90,and the tranny,and shift fell is perfect;20 on 20.

 

I think what you're talking about is a matter of preference. If you get grinds and crunches because you think the box is temperamental, I hate to say it but it's the driver. I shift constantly without much careful effort, even sloppily, but never get grinds because of it. Driver error is what causes what you are referring to.

I have driven a 911, as well as several other "super" cars such as ferarris, porches, and even a bugatti. None of them feel like the S2000 shifter under load. There's a reason people rant and rave about the gear box and they are right.

How a gearbox feels while sitting in it vs how it feels under load is going to be different.

 

All cars require slipping the clutch to start from a dead stop..... am I missing something?