I live in Toronto and do a number of lapping days per year. I started about 4 years ago and each year I tend to do 2 or 3 more events per year than the previous. So now I am doing about 10 per year some being two day events. It is always the same tracks Mosport big track, Mid Ohio, Watkins Glen & Mt Tremblant and I do it in my S4 wagon.

The car I take to the track is fine but it's heavy and I feel I've reached a sensible limit with the car and I am looking at lighter more capable cars purely for lapping days.

So I am considering the s2000 and I have been trying to research pricing and basic info on the model. Price-wise the 2000-2003 MY cars look to be quite attractive and I am thinking that this should be the car to get.

Questions.
Are there advantages to getting the newer model (AP2?). I understand there is a different engine and suspension/geometry enhancements.

In the Toronto area (downtown/midtown) are there good mechanics that can maintain and make modifications to the car for lapping.

I typically drive the car to the track so at this point I am not considering a pure track car, but you never know. What experiences do others have and what kind of support is there in the GTA.

Any advice from people that have gone this route?
Suggestions for other cars that might suit?
I have been using autotrader to check pricing, what should I expect to pay for MY 2000-2003?
Are there any cars in the GTA for sale that are known by people on this forum?

 

Advantages - AP1/AP2 - I would not say any, but I do prefer the AP1 engine.

Mechanics - Speedstar

Full race car - again you can speak with Speedstar as they have one as well as some members in this forum (c3, nabs)

 

The 1st thing you need to look into pertains to the fact that it is a convertible. Check out all the rules and regs for the groups you drive with. Be aware lots of groups do not allow drop tops, and other allow them only if the have an SCCA approved rollbar, which is not the simplest thing to get.

These issues are your 1st priority because regardless of how great the S is, if ya can't run it, it is worthless...

 

On paper I prefer the engine from the AP1, thanks for your input.

Thanks for the warning about the softop. One of the groups I run with is anal about convertibles but there was an S2000 with this group at Mt Tremblant last week (I have just checked their rules and have listed them below). The car had a hardtop and so I assumed that this would suffice but I did not look inside the car to see if it had a four-point roll-cage.

I have now found the website for speedstar and see that they can get a four-point roll cage, does anyone know if the hard top fits over this?




The Rules
Anyone with an Open Car (M3 Convertble, TT Roadster, S2000, Miata, Boxster, 65 Mustang, etc)

No convertibles will be allowed to participate that takes place at a "race track"- This includes TT's, Boxster's, BMW's etc. Vehicles with factory roll hoops and / or deployable roll over protection will not be allowed. Targa and T-Top roofs are not considered convertibles and are allowed.

For the above excluded vehicles to be allowed to participate at a "race track

 

They have mechanics there?

 

I have some experience with an S2000 track car you might say

If you are into taking your car to the track and lapping but aren't yet ready to graduate to the real deal of racing wheel to wheel have you looked into Solo Sprint events? http://www.casc.on.ca/solo1.php

The S2000 is a lot of fun on the track. It's well balanced and nimble. Unless you are competing then there is no practical difference between the AP1 and the AP2. Suspension geometry changes are minor and can be replicated with a set of rear toe links (aka bump steer kit) on an AP1 but they are also recommended for an AP2. The main advantage of an AP1 is price. You can buy one for about $10K in the US. A used low milage F22C engine runs about $4000 USD.

The S2000 is a VERY simple car. Compared to your S4 it's like working on a bicycle. For about $300 in tools you can do 90% of all maintenance in your garage and most of that maintenance takes less than an hour. There are no complex electronics, no electronic do-dads, no complex computer reprogramming. Change the fluids, change the brakes. Nothing a circus monkey can't do, all you need to know is how to turn a wrench (of which you need only a few: 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm to do virtually everything). For everything else there are plenty of Honda shops around including Speedstar to help you. This is a huge plus for a track car. You can spend that money on tires and entry fees.

You will probably need a rollbar installed. There are a few options out there but not many. The ones that do exist are geared towards maintaining the interior. Since this is a track car I suggest you gut the interior and install a hardtop. Have a custom rollbar fabricated which can be converted to a full cage (not hard) in the future. You can have it built to specification and even have the seatbelts remounted to the bar so you can keep the passenger seat but replace the driver seat with a racing shell and 6pt harness. This will run you about $1500 for the custom bar and you can get a nice bucket and harness for about $700 more. Gutting the interior will save you about 400 pounds which doesn't sound like much but it's 2 full sized adult males and will have a significant impact on speed and handling.

A track car have be somewhat unreliable. I suggest you also invest in a pickup truck and an open-deck trailer. You can get a 97-01 F150 pickup for a couple thousand dollars and a used trailer for about a grand more. $3000ish will give you the piece of mind of knowing that you'll always get home regardless of the condition of the car. It doesn't take much to make you trip home problematic, a coil pack, a blown engine, a cracked rotor, it could be nothing more than a $50 part which leaves you stranded. With a trailer you can end the day the same way every time. You take the car home and put it away. It's piece of mind knowing that you don't have to scramble or be stressed at a bad time. You can deal with whatever problem you've got either at home or some days later.

So, you've got $10K for the car (in the US), gut it, $1500 for the rollbar, $2000 for the hardtop, $1000 for the seat, harness, tools and bits and $4000 for a pickup truck and trailer; figure $20K complete.

HTH

 

I had not realised that the maintenance would be that straightforward...another reason for not using the S4. That along with a figure of $20K (I had been thinking around $25) and I don't see a reason for considering other types of cars.

Thank you all for the helpful information.

 

It's a blast of a car on track, no question about it...

 

There's quite a few members of the TO forum that have tracked (lapping days) and still track their S2K.

It's an absolute blast!

One word of advise wihich cthree alluded to, don't buy an S in Canada. MUCH cheaper to buy in the US.

 

If you have any concern building a S2000 for the track, or if you have any parts inquiries. Please feel free to sent us an email at info@speedstar.ca or even try to to call us directly at 905 415-3442. Do not hesitate to call!~