what happens to the soft top when exposed to snow all winter? why is a hard top more useful for cold winters? is it just for heat insulation?

 

Location: Santa Monica-SoCal

You'll be okay ....i'd like to know as well!

 

i know ill be ok, i never put the top up. but i want to understand what's the purpose of the hardtop.

 

Hardtop = less wind noise, more heat / cold insulation (I guess).
Also more weight (logic)

And... with a hardtop and an unexpected nice afternoon = no top down

 

does the softop get damaged with prolonged exposure to cold/snow?

 

Manual states (IIRC) not to operate softtop below 5C.
So as long as you keep it closed I would think => no problem.
Snow itself would be an insulator
Keep the rubber seals well "greased up" with that sillicone grease and you'll be sure it opens when the sun comes out again.

For a real winter opinion others should chime in.

 

No. There are lots of people in my area who use their S2000 daily all winter and they have no hardtop. It's plastic, so as long as you don't operate it when it's cold, no harm will come of it. Of course, it is up to the owner to be responsible for maintenance like any other part of the car - washing, treatment with protectant.

 

The only time I wish I had a hardtop is when sheets of ice and frozen snow fly off the tractor trailers doing 70mph on the highway. I have visions of my top (and maybe me, too) being sliced in half by that stuff. Hasn't happened yet, though

 

I would imagine that you should not let too much snow accumulate on the soft top (i.e. more than 9 inches or so?). Snow does weigh a lot!

 

The top is tougher than you think. You can't always control how much snow accummulates on your car. I've come out after a night shift to find the car completely covered with over a foot of snow. It may have been closer to 18" of snow. Not a big deal. My first winter with the car, the hardtop was backordered, so I went the whole winter with soft top AND plastic rear window. It's a tough little car if you take care of it.