Firstly I just like to say this is an awesome site with a huge amount of information for newbies!!

I was hoping for some advice from some of you more experienced with the S2k.

I have never owned a RWD car, but have test driven the S2k a number of times and have decided it's the car for me, spectacular power and awesome looks. If all goes well tomorrow I should be buying an 02 GT model.

I've just spent a couple of hours going through many of the posts and am now a little concerned. I have known that the S2k is a little tail happy but reading about some of the "incidents" people have made me anxious.

My main worry is it will be my only car and so I will have to use it in all weather conditions (not every day tho), but includes some motorway driving. I understand that the 02 model had some modifications done to it and that has helped with the stability, does anyone have experience of before and after? I've read here that some people have had big slides whilst just driving straight down a motorway at 70mph in wet conditions so concerned about how safe it is in those conditions.

I want to go ahead but a little bit of doubt is creeping in, any wise words?

one last thing, the car I have looked at does have a rattle in the hard top on the left side, however the salesman says it is easily fixed and will have it done if I buy. I know others seemed to have had this problem, is it something to be worried about and will it recur? Thanks

 

I have only had my S2000 for a few month, and it's most enjoyable.

Yes the tail is a bit happy, but the trick seems to be not the get into V-tec in the wet.

Also talking to others, replace the tyres with F1's, which I am going to go in the next few weeks.

Lastly dump the hard top, it's really not necessary, most people seems to have the top down as long as its not raining hard or below about 5C

But most of all enjoy

 

Welcome to the world of proper driving with RWD and you have selected a delightful car with good manners and happiness to drive in all conditions. FWD is different and you will have been brought up organically to cope with understeer tendencies as your front driven wheels occasionally try and go off to do something else whilst you are turning one way or the other. RWD creates oversteer tendencies and once you have got the hang of it, you will find an additional method of steering and controlling, by using the tail end power.
If you look at all the real quality cars in the world, you will not find a single one with FWD. Manufacturers essentially offer FWD because it's cheaper to produce in volumes, simply that.
Talk to the members and go on one of the organised events to compliment your learning skills as you go ahead now. And good luck!

 

drrem,

you have indeed chosen a good car. Not the greatest ever but alot of fun and very usable with it.

As for all the horror stories, I can see how people can get into these situations but I can't see how anyone could hold the car responsible.

My car (an 02 like yours will be) is currently on standard SO2 rubber with the very minimun of tread that could be considered legal. It has been like this all winter and I have had not a single bit of trouble with it. In fact, in Friday I ended up driving up the motorway in torential rain with plenty of standing water and strong winds and still no bother at all.

Perhaps the fact that I was truley terified of the car when I bought it (in winter) has helped to make sure I leant about the car before using it's power and hence am able to use it wisely.

Please don't be put off, it's such a pussy cat of a car below 6000rpm. You really do have ham fisted to get it to misbehave when you aren't expecting it.

Oh, as for cars spinning in straight lines on the motorway. I'll bet they had one tyre low on air and booted it with uneven grip below the rear wheels.

 

I had exactly the same concerns when buying my first one. I needn't have worried. Get some driver training of turn up at a meet and and see how others drive if you want to get some ideas what not to do. There are a lot of guys on this board who know exactly how to handle a RWD car and will willingly give you the best of their advice.

 

welcome to a real babe of a car as Ade says the more you drive this car the more you will understand how good it is!
I read a lot of the things said how bad the rear is etc etc but its all very unfair on the car.(Bad workmen blame there tools)
I went on a track day and learnt how good the car is,what i would say is as soon as you can feel that rear go! be very ready to turn in,if your brave keep the power on and steer the wheel as much as it takes to keep it the way you wish to go it works great!!!!!!!!!!becarefull with vtec as this can catch you out you just have to be very quick! Find a empty area and try and get the rear out its great fun .
Be safe

 

Hi Drrem

I've owned my 02 for just under two years.

I've never had a spin or come near to having one and I do not hang about. My car is on the original SO2s which you will also find are often criticised for their wet weather grip. No problems here and I will replace my tyres with SO2s when the time comes.

I don't consider myself an expert driver and have no desire to reach that leveL. I put my record with the S down to:

Letting tyres warm up before any 'enthusiastic' driving - 5 miles minimum
Watching pressures weekly - 32 psi is the generally recognised ideal for SO2s
Cutting my speed and acceleration in wet and icy conditions
Avoiding VTEC in anything other than a straight line in the same conditions
Remembering at all times that I have 240bhp going through the back wheels and not getting carried away with flooring the accelerator in every gear. IME maintaining speed and staying smooth are the key factors in maintaining progress, not maximum welly at every opportunity.

IMO anyone who continues to drive at the same speed in the wet as the dry is just an accident waiting to happen. Been there, done that. I've heard all the stories about how much fun it is.............I've also read the threads when it all ends in tears.

Anyone who loses an S2000 in the dry has to be doing something pretty mad IMHO.

Remember that people don't like owning up to driving errors and this board is no different. So you will read lots of threads where cars inexplicably spun through 360 degrees whilst travelling in a straight line etc.

This is a fast, light car. Take liberties and it will bite you. Without wishing to patronise, have you ever driven anything with similar performance?

This is not the car for you if you are paranoid about squeaks and rattles. It's just a characteristic of the car and with its firm suspension I suspect the cars will get noiser as they grow older. I tend to drive top down 90% of the time and so rarely hear any rattles. Top up is a different story but there is nothing I regard as serious or indicative of poor build quality.

Hope you take the plunge.

 

Hi Drrem
I hope you do buy one - I really don't think you need have any worries as long as you're sensible and don't push it too hard when it's wet or icy - common sense really. If you want to you could drive the car all day as if it was Nissan Micra and it wouldn't complain, but when you want some fun it's all there in bucketloads. Treat it with respect - if the conditions are crap just take it easy.
I've had more powerful RWD sports cars before the S2000 but I can honestly say that the S2000 is the best of the lot. Go on

 

drrem - I had an incident in my S before Christmas due to it being RWD. However it was crap on the road that did it.

f I had been in the Clio, my beater car, I would have done the same amount of damage just on the other side of the car (gravel left on road made it like driving in marbles) so there is nothing to fear from RWD above FWD.

Just pay the car some respect in the wet and make sure u control the VTEC when its bad.

I can tell u one thing from experience.




The smile on your face on a summer's day, roof down doing 8.9k revs and the stereo pumping out da tunes - the smile will be HHHHHUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEEE.

Enjoy

 

Hi Drrem

I have had my MY00 since March 03 and its my only car. I travel 120 mile a day round trip for work. Mine is the older setup, the 02 has slightly softer suspension which copes better with the generally appauling UK roads. I do have a very heavy right foot and the car has never stepped out unless seriously provoked. It handles very well in the dry and only slides in the wet when any other car would slide or if you push it where you shouldnt.

Its fabulous, and once you get it and drive it for a while youll know that all the stuff about being tail happy is written by people who dont know how to drive without the aid of traction control. Youll find that it sticks better in the wet with Eagle F1's than Bridgestones. I have Strut braces top and bottom at the front and they improve the handling as well (not that it needs a great deal of improving).

Remember its a proper sports car so if you hoof it mid corner it will bite you. Go to an academy day and they will help you find the limits of the car if you are concerned. Youll discover that you have to push the car very hard to get it out of shape.

Otherwise a very big welcome to S ownership