I know this is not exactly the same category or car and platform but I’m looking for a car that I’ll drive 50% on track.

Purely from a performance, drivability, and reliability perspective - which would you choose?

If I go with the 3 Eleven - the car is staying bone stock (maybe suspension)

if I go with S2000, I’m going full JDM experience and will do most of the upgrades either Spoon or Js racing offer (excluding engine for reliability).

 

odd comparison. go test drive both and see which one you like. no one here is probably going to have experienced both of these cars to give you a good answer.
in regards to your question of reliability, we know one of those brands is synonymous with the term.

 

I don't know much about the latest stuff, but I raced a Lotus Formula 2 back in the day. I spent an average of 3 nights a week working in it to race it about 15 times a year.

We had a saying back then, LOTUS means, Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious.

 

My buddy has a pretty extensively modified exige S which is about as close to a lotus 3 eleven that's road legal. For the most part, the Lotus is way more hardcore and is a MUCH smaller car. I'm talking 13 inches smaller than an S and like 5 inches narrower.

If you're looking for a full on track car, and money isn't an issue (and you also have a specialty shop near you), then lotus will be fine to use a platform. Just know that you should still know how to wrench on your own car because shit happens on track all the time and with lotus's aren't known to be reliable when tracked regularly.

But both of these platforms as a pure track car aren't the best cars if you're just starting out... I would probably suggest a miata or FRS/BRZ/GR86 over an S2K as a first time track car.