Had to share this . . .
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Watford
Had to share this . . .
My homepage on my computer is Demon. When I saw this I had to share, this is a man who knows his cars. I especially like the last paragraph.
Under a page called:
Drop Your Top: Top Convertibles for Spring 2002
3rd on the list is (of course)
Honda S2000:
Here's an upgrade for anyone who likes the basic Miata concept, but likes the idea of another 100 horsepower to play with even better. This rear-wheel-drive two-seater combines the nimble handling characteristics of the perfectly balanced but much less powerful Mazda Miata with the pocket-battleship performance of the Porsche Boxster S, for thousands less than a BMW Z3 3.0i roadster or Mercedes SLK320.
It's also stylistically much more aggressive than the otherwise similar Miata -- which has been accused of being a "chick car" by some. No one will ever say that about the S2000. When this car runs up on you from behind, the front end looks like a puff-adder just itching to sink its two-inch fangs into your trunk.
Honda's experience in Formula 1 open-wheel racing is evident from the moment you slide inside the body-glove interior and notice that the digital-readout tachometer's redline is pegged at almost 9,000 rpm -- superbike territory.
Your average passenger-car street engine will spit pistons through the crankcase at anything much beyond 6,500 rpm, should you be Homer-headed enough to miss a shift and not have a rev-limiter to save you. But this lofty realm is where the 2.0-liter VTEC (that's Honda lingo for "variable valve timing and lift") four-cylinder engine hits its stride, punching holes in the atmosphere via its twin exhaust pipes and presenting you, the lucky driver, with an absolutely astounding 240 horsepower to play with. That's almost exactly 100 horsepower more than the Miata's 142 horsepower 1.8-liter engine.
And that's 120 horsepower from each liter of displacement: more specific output per liter than any non-supercharged, regular production engine in the world. Some perspective: If the Honda four-cylinder engine were a V-8 with around 5.7 liters' displacement (as in the current Corvette) it would be putting out close to 600 horsepower.
The numbers? Zero-to-sixty in less than six seconds, a quarter-mile capability of 14.5 seconds, and a top speed electronically limited to 150 mph. These figures mean the S2000 can smoke the Mazda Miata, fillet the Mercedes SLK320, and is quite competitive with the Porsche Boxster S (a ride that carries a base price that's about $20,000 above what Honda is asking for its machine: just $32,400).
Cost considerations aside, none of the Honda's competitors delivers the awesome surge of motive force that slams you in the seat when the tach swings past 6,000 and the VTEC variable valve-timing system begins dialing in more aggressive cam timing and lift. At 6,000 rpm, those others are at or near their limit, but the S2000 is just starting to stretch its legs. It bullets forward like you've hit the nitrous bottle, wailing like a 1000cc sport bike as it passes 8,000 rpm.
Electric-assist power steering is another of the high-tech features found on this car; it reduces parasitic drag on the engine, leaving more go-power available for you.
The S2000 is a slot-car handler, too, with a near-perfect 50-50 weight split thanks, in part, to the expedient of locating the engine just behind the front-axle centerline. It also boasts a chassis that's as rigid as 3-year-old beef jerky. In short, it goes anywhere you point it, at almost any speed. If the rear end starts to slide, it's no problem to tuck it in; the car is exceptionally controllable under all conditions -- except snow!
The standard, close-ratio six-speed manual transmission (no automatic is offered), topped with a brushed-aluminum shift knob, has near-perfect action, featuring extremely short, precise throws. And the nubby little thing feels as good in your hand as the pistol-grip stick Dodge used to put in the 440 Six Pak Charger and Hemi 'Cuda back in the good old days.
If there are flaws, I couldn't find any. Driving this thing is like being on a fast bike, except that you get fewer bugs in your teeth at speeds of greater than 100 mph.
COPYRIGHT 2002 ERIC PETERS.
Under a page called:
Drop Your Top: Top Convertibles for Spring 2002
3rd on the list is (of course)
Honda S2000:
Here's an upgrade for anyone who likes the basic Miata concept, but likes the idea of another 100 horsepower to play with even better. This rear-wheel-drive two-seater combines the nimble handling characteristics of the perfectly balanced but much less powerful Mazda Miata with the pocket-battleship performance of the Porsche Boxster S, for thousands less than a BMW Z3 3.0i roadster or Mercedes SLK320.
It's also stylistically much more aggressive than the otherwise similar Miata -- which has been accused of being a "chick car" by some. No one will ever say that about the S2000. When this car runs up on you from behind, the front end looks like a puff-adder just itching to sink its two-inch fangs into your trunk.
Honda's experience in Formula 1 open-wheel racing is evident from the moment you slide inside the body-glove interior and notice that the digital-readout tachometer's redline is pegged at almost 9,000 rpm -- superbike territory.
Your average passenger-car street engine will spit pistons through the crankcase at anything much beyond 6,500 rpm, should you be Homer-headed enough to miss a shift and not have a rev-limiter to save you. But this lofty realm is where the 2.0-liter VTEC (that's Honda lingo for "variable valve timing and lift") four-cylinder engine hits its stride, punching holes in the atmosphere via its twin exhaust pipes and presenting you, the lucky driver, with an absolutely astounding 240 horsepower to play with. That's almost exactly 100 horsepower more than the Miata's 142 horsepower 1.8-liter engine.
And that's 120 horsepower from each liter of displacement: more specific output per liter than any non-supercharged, regular production engine in the world. Some perspective: If the Honda four-cylinder engine were a V-8 with around 5.7 liters' displacement (as in the current Corvette) it would be putting out close to 600 horsepower.
The numbers? Zero-to-sixty in less than six seconds, a quarter-mile capability of 14.5 seconds, and a top speed electronically limited to 150 mph. These figures mean the S2000 can smoke the Mazda Miata, fillet the Mercedes SLK320, and is quite competitive with the Porsche Boxster S (a ride that carries a base price that's about $20,000 above what Honda is asking for its machine: just $32,400).
Cost considerations aside, none of the Honda's competitors delivers the awesome surge of motive force that slams you in the seat when the tach swings past 6,000 and the VTEC variable valve-timing system begins dialing in more aggressive cam timing and lift. At 6,000 rpm, those others are at or near their limit, but the S2000 is just starting to stretch its legs. It bullets forward like you've hit the nitrous bottle, wailing like a 1000cc sport bike as it passes 8,000 rpm.
Electric-assist power steering is another of the high-tech features found on this car; it reduces parasitic drag on the engine, leaving more go-power available for you.
The S2000 is a slot-car handler, too, with a near-perfect 50-50 weight split thanks, in part, to the expedient of locating the engine just behind the front-axle centerline. It also boasts a chassis that's as rigid as 3-year-old beef jerky. In short, it goes anywhere you point it, at almost any speed. If the rear end starts to slide, it's no problem to tuck it in; the car is exceptionally controllable under all conditions -- except snow!
The standard, close-ratio six-speed manual transmission (no automatic is offered), topped with a brushed-aluminum shift knob, has near-perfect action, featuring extremely short, precise throws. And the nubby little thing feels as good in your hand as the pistol-grip stick Dodge used to put in the 440 Six Pak Charger and Hemi 'Cuda back in the good old days.
If there are flaws, I couldn't find any. Driving this thing is like being on a fast bike, except that you get fewer bugs in your teeth at speeds of greater than 100 mph.
COPYRIGHT 2002 ERIC PETERS.
