He had a 357cc 5.7Chevy V8 (I think).
The sound of the engine was enough to die for let alone to drive around.
I truly truly love that car and one day I will take the plunge, as I am a qualified engineer it is something I must do one day. The car had a rain top also so maybe I can convince myself it is a practical car to own
I was surprised how comprehensive the SVA test was, but I feel the presenter must have had some help in the background to get him through it so easily.
The sense of achievement in building your own car must be awesome.
My one scary thought was, if you had a dint in one of the wings, do you have to re shell the car or can it be repaired easily

 

You cna repair these bodies. Paint finish is generally a bigger problem. Say thing with TVR/Loti, though those bodies are in smaller sections rather than the Cobra clone body which was one big moulding if I remember.

It's one downside to Elise ownership - it doesn't take too big a ding to require a new front or rear clamshell.

-Brian.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bmarshall
[B]

I'm kind of on a bit of a downer - I can't drive until tomorrow at the earliest (weather permitting). Looking back I still enjoy a lot about the S2000, but I might have been better keeping the ITR as a 'sensible, pratical' car, and spending the S2000 cash on a Caterham, plus training, racing etc.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by UKjasonm
[B]

I'm having a similar dilema myself, at the moment there are 3 of us and hence we can use our CR-V when we go out as a family, and when the wifes at work me and my daughter can use the S2000. However with number 4 arriving in Feb its looking inevitable the somethings got to give, I'm fighting hard to retain the S2000 but it looks like an uphill battle. The way I see it I have 3 possible solutions

A) The S2000 goes and I upgrade to a 911 (two seats in the back for the midgets), preferably 993 C4
B) The S2000 goes and I get a sensible car (Mondeo,Accord,Passatt ) and something for the weekend i.e. Caterham/Westfield
C) as option B but keep the S2000 for the weekend

The problems with options B and C are that I dont do that much driving at the weekend and only a few track days each year so the car would be under used.

 

I like the look of the new RX8 as its very similar to the S2000 and 300BHP from a 1.3!!!!! but I expect risiduals will be terrible in keeping with past Mazda sports cars.

I have a thing about BMWs which I dont think I could ever get over, I did look at a M3EVO before buying the S2000 but they're common as muck and I tend to stereotype BMW drivers as yuppies (my problem I know), 'I drive a BMW' doesnt sit well with me.

The only car that fits with my requirements of having 4 seats, looks good, has presence, performance and reliability (there goes the Cerbera) is the 911.

The downer on the 911 are the servicing costs, what I really need is Honda to come to the rescue with a 4 seat NSX/S2000, I believe the Dual Note has 4 seats but thats not going to happen within the next year so it looks likely to be the porker.

 

Don't believe the hype about Porsche servicing! Sure it isn't cheap, especially on 911s but if you go to a 3rd party expert (Hartec isn't far from you and I) you can pay very sensible money. A colleague of mine ran a 944 Turbo and paid less for a major service than I did for an intermediate at a Fiat dealer)...

Its worth buying from someone either in the know or a dealer I reckon as some 2nd / 3rd owner cars can tend to be neglected a bit (964s are notorious for only ever having half the plugs changed as you need to drop the manifold to get at the second set )

Clean, Porsche approved 993s are starting to get very affordable, especially at some of the far flung dealers like in Belfast or Scotland, you can pay 5k less for the same car compared to London or even Cheshire...

I've had a hard time persuading Bernie that a used porker was a wise buy but every magazine and motor program is trotting out the same story - buy them, they are worth every penny! One other advantage is the almost geological slowness they depreciate after about 4 years!

I've got to say I share your point of view of BMW owner mentality... Audi seems better, I looked pretty hard at an S3 until Bernie pointed out it was (to her eyes anyway) a

 

Just a cautionary note for you would-be porker owners. I know a guy with a late model 911 turbo. He's extremely well heeled. His 2nd car is a Ferrari Testerossa(sp) and his dad drives a new Modena. He has his Porsche serviced at some 3rd. party place and like me he always uses Mobil One which is now well over

 

I can well believe that, one of the reasons I love the S2000 is that it responds to your every input, it makes you feel like your driving rather than taking over with electronic gizmos and the like, I like feeling every bump in the road, I like sliding the rear.

Ive heard the M3 (not the original) often described as being 'uninvolving', yes its a damn fast car but does it thrill you when you drive it, does the sound of the engine make your spine tingle, do you grin when you pick your keys up in the morning .

These are the virtues of the S2000 for me and if and (more like when ) the time comes they will be sadly missed.

I expect the roar from the porkers flat 6 has its own special sound but the tune from the S2000 9000 piece orchestra will be hard to live without.

 

Jason, I could get depressed even thinking about it!

 

Just re-read all of Brian's comments on the ITR and it seems that we may be "peas from the same pod".

My ITR was exceptionally practical, fun and exciting with great value for money. So much so that when I replaced it for an Evo VI, the Evo was underwhelming in comparison.

The S2000 will hopefully give me the same feeling as the ITR did (manic sound, smell of warm rubber, water sizzling off the exhaust pipe etc...), but I understand Brian's comments about RWD and learning to get the best from it.

How many times did the ITR and its brakes / handling / LSD get me out trouble? Twice - which saved me from "ditch city".

Can't see myself attacking bends in the S2000 as I did with the ITR, but who knows?