Thanks Tsxtx. Although our summer days seldom get over 90, the humidity is brutal. I appreciate hearing how your hardtop helps with the a/c. Mine can't keep up with the softtop up on a lot of summer days so the car doesn't get driven as much as I'd like. Food for thought.

 

Thanks zeroptzero. Although I was a fan of the soft top for the first 6-7 years I've owned the car, the novelty has worn off. Also, there just don't seem to be as many nice top down days weather wise, as there used to be. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

^ As I got older the concern about skin cancer made top down driving less and less. I liked driving top down in early evening hours most, sitting in car during city driving in the dead heat of summer was never my favourite.

 

I know exactly what you mean. Bought my OEM hardtop first thing after the 6 hour drive home from purchasing the s2K. The noise while passing the semi's with the soft top up was terrible I personally find reduction in noise significant on the highways with the HT so of course, YMMV.

Hardtop for me is used for interstate driving, to/from track. Soft top is for around town / weekend errand situations (rain, sun, temp changes)

Advice is if you do get one, get a hoist so you can add/remove the top on your own. You'll be cursing it otherwise.

 

one interesting fact is that the sound decibel level driving top down on the highway is very close to the level that causes hearing damage, the S2000 just squeaked by that design parameter

 

Adding a hardtop completely changed the car for me. Once I got it dialed in it was a night and day difference compared to having the soft top up. You hear the engine much more instead of outside noises and the car just feels more solid, almost like a coupe. It's more than just looks in my opinion.

Very true, I find top down driving only pleasurable at slower speeds around town. But I mostly drive the car out in the country so I hardly ever take the top off.

 

I hate driving with the windows up with the hardtop on so for me the car is quieter top down. Having options is always nice