LZeitgeist

Greetings, fellow Vintage Owners...

Purchased a stock '05 AP2 a few months ago and love, love, LOVE the car...

One of my reasons for purchasing an S2000 was so that my lovely wife and I could take trips in it - not long-hauling it, but 3-5 hours to the mountains or beach.

I need to begin lining up what brand/model of tires you ladies and gentlemen have found that provide more of a touring car ride (rather than autocross performance - while I know the car is capable, I'll never autocross this thing).

I've been a loyal BF Goodrich customer for years, but I know there are plenty of other brands out there. I also don't make a mint, so I'd like to keep the tire price reasonable - say $150/tire (mayyyyybe $175 for something *exactly* right for the application)...

Also, as far as I can tell, the suspension is still stock - is there a recommended combination of OEM or aftermarket springs/shocks/struts that provides a smoother, touring car ride without making the car feel like a marshmallow and completely negating the possibility of 'spirited' driving? I do enjoy tight corners and fast highway on-ramps, but I realize that 'high performance' and 'touring car smoothness' are rather towards opposite ends of the scale.

What, in your experience, have you found that works along these parameters?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Legal Bill

Welcome to vintage. Interesting questions. I have no experience in this area. I think the car rides well enough and I love the handling. However, if I were in your shoes I would just buy tires with a higher aspect ratio number first. In other words, ditch the low profile tires for higher profile tires and see how you like the ride. Stock, your tires are 45 aspect ratio in the front and 40 in the rear. I'd call The Tire Rack and ask them where they think the line should be drawn, but I'm guessing somewhere around a 55 to 60 aspect ratio.

If that isn't soft enough for you, look into the Koni yellows (Sport Dampers). Last time I looked into them, the people who owned them said you had to adjust them to full stiffness to make them stiffer than stock. The lowest setting was said to be softer than stock. If that is still the case, the Koni yellows could give you the soft ride you are looking for, while giving you the ability to dial in a ride as stiff or stiffer than stock which will help when you try to sell it in the future.

Emil St-Hilaire

Conti Extreme Contact DW;softer sidewall,should give you a more confortable ride,and decent handling.

zdave87

Why not go ahead and take that 3-5 hour drive before you think you need to make suspension changes? Stock may be perfect for you and your wife.
As far as the tires go, I have Bridgestone RE-11s and love them.. Not too harsh or loud. I will have to replace them in the next couple months and most likely will go with the RE-71s.
Best long drive improvements I made was gettin a hardtop and upgrading the radio (speakers will be next).

Emil St-Hilaire

^^^
Dave,if you get RE-71s,be prepared to change the rears,every 10,000 miles.

Lainey

We've had our S since 2004. We have taken many long road trips in it. It's no Mercedes when it comes to comfort. . The passenger area is small and cramped, and even at 5' tall, I don't have a lot of room to move around. However, I REALLY ENJOY the vehicle. The S has become our mode of transportation for vacations.

As to your tire question, along the way +1 has focused on tires that have a better rating in the wet. Bad things can happen in the rain, even if you think you are driving conservatively. Ask me how I know.

PS Don't use cruise control in the rain.

PokS2k

5 feet? In heels?

Lainey

Sad to say, but the original 5' is diminishing...I may need heels to get to 5'

Legal Bill

FWIW, I would not expect very much additional "comfort" from a tire of the same dimensions. The height of the sidewall is the height of the sidewall. Differences in construction between two tires of the same size will offer only a slight difference in comfort or harshness. The biggest bang for your buck will be a higher aspect ratio. This allows the tire to do more shock absorbing, all be it at the expense of outright handling and stability.

zdave87

At my going rate of ~5k miles a year, I'll be good for 2 years, if not more.