well, my take on this is that the S should not be offered in a manual. Honda can afford to brush off the losses as the S is not thier bread and butter car. I instead would like to see the car endure and evolve.....that, to me, is where most of the pleasure of being loyal to a car lies.....

 

Londoner,

I think your response to my description of my experience with my Integra LS was a bit flawed. I never even mentioned speed. The issue I described was one of enjoyment. 1.8L 140HP bone stock doesn't get you very fast, sure but I didn't even talk about the engine. What I was talking about was the automatic transmission. 4 forward gears that you have little control of (save for locking gears with the selector lever and even that doersn't work all the time) is just no fun. That's the point I'm trying to get across here. I can't heel-toe and five years of driving an automatic has probably turned my left leg into rubber but I want to learn. I want that enjoyment. I may be able to turn a much quicker lap around Pacific Raceways with a paddle-shifted SMG type S2000 that could pull off consistent lightning quick upshifts and seamlessly smooth downshifts that "heel-toe" for you but I'd much rather learn and be able to yank down a 5-4-3 downshift into turn two with my own heel and toe. That to me is much more fun. I'm not a professional race-car driver and that probably won't change. I'm not out racing, period. It's about having fun. The only thing to learn about pulling that lever or pushing that button to shift is proper timing. I want more. Speed isn't everything and it certainly wasn't what I was talking about at all.

MindLess

P.S. Russ mentioned that we'd all enjoy a Ferrari any day, even with a paddle-shifter and I absolutely agree. I submit, however, that I would have an even better time with a 360MT and it would take a lot of learning to be able to drive it fast AND smooth. But hey, that's part of the fun. Something you don't get with the paddles.

 

I just like shifting gears and wind in my hair. You can buy whatever you like, why would I care, just let me have my S with a 6 speed and a rag top. I don't race, and I'm not so concerned about the one gazillionth of a second difference in speed. I just like the way it feels. I bet lots of people feel that way too.

I still maintain that if you change those things, you change the character of the car.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by londoner2001
[B]S9000 clearly you don't know much about investment banking and institutional sales and trading. For traders cars are a legendary factor of the job, yes people take the underground in when they are an analyst and aren't earning enough to drive their M3 or whatever in. If you are any good ina

 

londoner2001

My wife and I spent 20 years living in a Manhattan loft. I ran my own highly successful business and my wife was a Physical Therapist associated with the Hospital for Joint Diseases. We spent much time with the people you are talking about. If you truly believe your above quote you are misinformed. Most anybody with any sense left their car in the garage/parking lot and got around using public transportation. If for no other reason but the time and effort involved in driving in Manhattan. Your quote reminds me of the mindset of the wannabes coming in from the suburbs.

I don't mean this as a flame, but you ought to not believe all the hype.

 

Londoner,

After reading, and participating, in all this banter about a tiptronic S2000 I'm getting the impression that the car you seek is not an S2000. I don't think you'd be very happy with it. Instead, consider a Porsche Boxster S or a 911 Turbo. There's a guy around my neighborhood (I still haven't figured out where exactly, but I keep seeing him drive around my block and down at this nice beach-front restaurant called the Alki Cafe) with a 911 Turbo with some 19" Fikse Profil 5 wheels. I have to stop myself from drooling every time I see him. I'm not too sure if the 911 Turbo is available with the Tiptronic transmission, though. It's worth checking out.

MindLess

 

S9000, you are again lost, where do telecoms bankers come into things, that is a corporate finance role and certainly corporate financiers don't ever drive in because they live in the office, 100 hour weeks in your first 4 years as a corporate financier are not at all uncommon and they don't earn a lot of money for the first 6 years generally so no they don't drive in not part of the culture. As I stated above obody on my desk and I live in London, UK takes public transport, either car or taxis, please note that I said the culture is legendary for trades, a telecoms m and a banker is not a trader. Obviously if someone lives central new york they will take taxis or subway but anyone earning serious bonuses lives outside the city, Hampton is one of the places II have heard mentioned a lot here in London.

I am going to have a look at the 911 Turbo, looks a little overdone, but has serious performance and is very reliable. Many thanks everyone for your help, I will keep an eye out for a tiptronic S2000!

 

Quite frankly, you don't know what you are talking about.

Some of the people earning serious bonuses live in the city, some in the suburbs. I don't know about London, but you don't have a clue about New York and how people live here.