The Boxster was the clear natural enemy of the S2000 in 1999, as evidenced by the fact that Honda took a Boxster along when they were road testing production prototypes in Germany.

However, times have changed, and the sub-$50K roadster catagory has few entries. The Kappas may really be it in terms of direct competition.

 

The S2K IMO is more about handling than it is speed, thus I voted for the Boxster as the nearest competitor, regardless of price. The GM twins only wish they could match the S2K's handling, not even close. If you want brawny power as your main critirea, vote for the Mustang, a completly different animal than the S.

 

RX-8

BTW, "ridiculous" >>> "rediculous"

 

I agree that the S2000 is more about handling than speed. I think that the Miata is the closest competitor, particularly in its ever-increasing horsepower configurations. Think about it -- 4 banger, front engined, emphasis on handling over sheer brute power, more of a spartan sports car than a GT, and not priced in the stratosphere. Both of them seem based on a traditional sports car model. In fact, this morning I was looking at a vintage sports car magazine and thinking about how much I wanted a Sunbeam Tiger as a kid. Then I realized that by owning a Honda S2000, I really do own the modern equivalent of a Sunbeam Tiger, with the exception that there are fewer cylinders and more hp.

The Porsche, Mercedes and Bimmer are more in the luxury price bracket, the Nissan is more into brute power and is more of a GT, the Mustang is a muscle car and the Subaru and Mitsubishi are muscle car wannabees. The Solstice and Saturn are nostalgicars, which, although they are reminiscent of sportscars, have a design philosophy not that different from a PT Cruiser.

Zeiss

 

i went with the z. not the convertible but the coupe. japanese, affordable, simular handling and speed depending on which year you look at. the miata is a real close 2nd, just not up to the task of competitor yet, but soon most likely as that car has a very slow evolution. i do not count the gm twins, as they have no trunk, no power top you can use and use the trunk....a stupid manual top you gotta leave the car to use, and allot of quality issues...they need to evolve some as well. the boxser would be a close match if not for the cost.

 

If you think they can't handle, watch them on an autocross course - they handle great.

 

Because the power / performance /price (basically inflation) of the S2K has changed so little over it's 9 model years, it doesn't have a clear competitor today. The M roadster and Boxster were the original targets, with the S2K undercutting their prices with roughly equal performance. Those cars have shot up in price and increased performance through the years distancing themselves from the Honda. The Miata in spirit is closest. But it's still a rung down in fit/finish and overall power/speed, in line with the price difference. So you could see a hierarchy of pure sports cars going Miata < S2000 < Boxster.

The S2K has so little in common with the AWD sedans, yet people do seem to cross-shop, or sell one for the other with some regularity. I doubt there are many Mustang/S2000 cross-shoppers. And I'd argue that, both in spirit and real-world feel/performance, the Z is really more of a Japanese Mustang than a rival to the S2K ('muscle car' vs 'sports car').

-Phil

 

I'll say the 350Z, because that's the car that's always pulling up next to me and wanting to race. I never race on the street, but have noticed that they are very even with my car at track days.

 

I went with the 350. Quite a few of S2K vs 350Z threads out there.

No IS 300? Elise? How about a Caddi XLR even? Mini Cooper? Next gen MR2?


Mustang, (assuming GT 500, Roush, Boss, or Mach 1) a monster if anything and deffinatly not designed to compete with an S.
If you believe so, why not add the Charger, Comero, Z06, Viper R/T 10, GT-40?
Looking more into the muscle car competition.

Z4, I kinda like the body style, seems similar to the S.
Long engine bay area, small trunk, 2 dr. convt., just not interested in BMW's cost of maintenance.

Subi and mitsu ARE enemies lol.
Boxters are a tad high on the price, I feel like your paying for the name.
I feel the Miata is deffinatly competition.
Not sure of the TT
SLK 350, too upscale luxury like.

Overall i'd catagorize each as such:

1. 350, coup and/or conv.
2. Miata, newer hardtop conv. or softtop conv.
3. Z4
4. TT, coup or conv.
5. Boxter
6. GM

Some just lack the F1 inspiration that attracted me the most alongside the reliability and overall looks.
Reputation, track ready design, aftermarket, heritage, MPG, and raw feel.
I drove BahdakS2K's S back when he owned his. I was a little too young and what not to be in it... 18.
Year later roughly I bought mine.
Couple months shy of a year after owning, absolutely no regrets.

 

We need a better definition of "competitor". That could mean a thousand things to a thousand different people. Are you talking about price? Performance? Value? Looks? Competing for buyers? Handling? Power? Around a track or straight line? Street cred? Or any of a thousand combinations of those listed. Which gets higher credit?

For instance, I would never consider buying a Saturn ar Pontiac so I don't consider them a competitor to the S even though the raw HP numbers and general look of the car is the same. Likewise, I can't afford a Porsche so I wouldn't consider them one as well. The 350 is a completely different car than the S, but it is the only other car I considered when I was looking.

The whole thread is useless without parameters. Its like saying "Which is better, legs or arms?".