RE: Honda S2000: Spotted
Discussion
I currently run an MX5 NC with the BBR supercharger conversion and a fruity exhaust. It supposedly pushes out about 250bhp. I love it but am getting itchy feet and do fancy an S2000 having had a few decent drives back when they were new to the market. However I am worried that it will end up feeling like a bit of a steep backwards in terms of fun factor. Help, what's a man to do?!
RenOHH said:
That reputation isn't true of a post 2003 car. 04MY cars are not a problem at all unless you really are acting like a nob, or lift on a bend at 9000RPM in first gear. But that is also driving like a nob 
Once on the move does anyone snuck down to 1st just to get a smidgen extra acceleration (though it will be super short lived and the time to change down and change up you'd be far better off leaving it in second with wide open throttle) - I wonder do any racing drivers actually use 1st gear once off the grid or put stop?Welshbeef said:
Once on the move does anyone snuck down to 1st just to get a smidgen extra acceleration (though it will be super short lived and the time to change down and change up you'd be far better off leaving it in second with wide open throttle) - I wonder do any racing drivers actually use 1st gear once off the grid or put stop?
There are some best motoring videos on YouTube of the drivers using 1st in tight corners in S2000's.
Urban Sports said:
Welshbeef said:
Once on the move does anyone snuck down to 1st just to get a smidgen extra acceleration (though it will be super short lived and the time to change down and change up you'd be far better off leaving it in second with wide open throttle) - I wonder do any racing drivers actually use 1st gear once off the grid or put stop?
There are some best motoring videos on YouTube of the drivers using 1st in tight corners in S2000's.This is a tough one as there both nice cars.
A big + point for the MX5 is you can get one with a folding hardtop, and the car does look really nice with the roof up or down, throw in a 200hp engine and it looks a great little all round package
The S2000 however is more of a cult car and i reckon will likely hold it value better long term and Honda's hardcore old style cars with high revving N/A engines are not getting replaced with new models and where they are the engines are going FI, so it's going to add up to strong residuals on the older stuff IMO as while the cars have a like it or don't power delivery, there's no arguing they do have there devoted fans
Another point is you can always add a remap + manifold/Exhaust to the S2000 and that would likely push power and torque up a bit as well
Personally i prefer an engine with a bigger spread of torque, but saying that there is the option to S/C the S2000 which i would expect add a lot of extra power though out the rev range.
I guess both cars can be great and with so much aftermarket tuning available you can pretty much get it setup how you like
A big + point for the MX5 is you can get one with a folding hardtop, and the car does look really nice with the roof up or down, throw in a 200hp engine and it looks a great little all round package
The S2000 however is more of a cult car and i reckon will likely hold it value better long term and Honda's hardcore old style cars with high revving N/A engines are not getting replaced with new models and where they are the engines are going FI, so it's going to add up to strong residuals on the older stuff IMO as while the cars have a like it or don't power delivery, there's no arguing they do have there devoted fans
Another point is you can always add a remap + manifold/Exhaust to the S2000 and that would likely push power and torque up a bit as well
Personally i prefer an engine with a bigger spread of torque, but saying that there is the option to S/C the S2000 which i would expect add a lot of extra power though out the rev range.
I guess both cars can be great and with so much aftermarket tuning available you can pretty much get it setup how you like
RenOHH said:
A remap on an S2000 does nothing. The only way to get proper gains in horsepower and torque is forced induction. The spec of the NA engine is already incredibly high.
I have no specific knowledge but despite what one reads frequently on the forums, I've always thought the scope to obtain a lot more power from 'bolt on' modifications on this engine must be limited. After all, if you have a normally aspirated engine giving 120bhp per litre, just how much scope for improvement can there be left, at least if you want to maintain driveability, reasonable economy and longevity? gdaybruce said:
I have no specific knowledge but despite what one reads frequently on the forums, I've always thought the scope to obtain a lot more power from 'bolt on' modifications on this engine must be limited. After all, if you have a normally aspirated engine giving 120bhp per litre, just how much scope for improvement can there be left, at least if you want to maintain driveability, reasonable economy and longevity?
A turbo/supercharger is not really "bolt on", so you are right, there is limited scope to obtain power from bolt on mods. Forced induction is a fairly major conversion, for instance the position of the intercooler can get "creative" because the front of the car is so small, and most of the frontal area is for the radiator.I believe the turbo route is harder due to the monstrous heat the engine emits as a standard unit. There have been numerous incidences of fires on turbo S2000s, so if it were me and my cash I'd supercharge it. 400bhp is quite common for a supercharged one, but there are some 500bhp turbo/SC ones too.
Danstable said:
I currently run an MX5 NC with the BBR supercharger conversion and a fruity exhaust. It supposedly pushes out about 250bhp. I love it but am getting itchy feet and do fancy an S2000 having had a few decent drives back when they were new to the market. However I am worried that it will end up feeling like a bit of a steep backwards in terms of fun factor. Help, what's a man to do?!
I expect an S2000 will feel slow after your superhcarged MX5. I test drove one years ago after owning a fettled MR2 Turbo and it felt totally gutless by comparison. When the Vtec came in I just felt 'is that it?!'.Hmmm... In the real world I am thinking the modified MX5 (BBR200) will be much easier to live with than an S2000, although both are likely to very costly to insure in the UK. There's no doubt that the S2000 is a classic, but the handling can be tricky on the limit (I know two people who owned S2000s and they both loved them, but have similar experiences of scary moments and spins). The MX5/Miata seems to be a much more user friendly proposition that yearns for a bit of extra grunt. But for what it's worth everybody who rides in it tells me that my FR-S (GT86) is a much nicer place to be both as a driver and as a passenger.
Edited by MadDog1962 on Wednesday 13th August 09:47
This has really got me scratching my head.
I quite want one of these now. Got an insurance quote - £650 (25, 8ncd with the 23 year old GF on the policy). Im sure these used to be bat s
t expensive to insure.
Remember seeing an Edition 100 in the stealers when they were new and thought it was stunning.
I quite want one of these now. Got an insurance quote - £650 (25, 8ncd with the 23 year old GF on the policy). Im sure these used to be bat s
t expensive to insure. Remember seeing an Edition 100 in the stealers when they were new and thought it was stunning.
I was tempted by the MX-5 with the BBR kit on it until I read about the issue with rust on the front sub frames which effects series 1,2 and 3...because of this I'm now contemplating the S2000. I had a face lift EP3 from new and the engine was lovely, I never thought "this needs more torque"...I'd just drop it down a cog or two and make the engine scream
£10k for a second hand roadster also brings the Porsche Boxster to the party. A quick search of PH ads returned 92 sub 10k Boxsters.
Certainly 2.7 territory and some 3.2s with high miles or questionable provenance. The 2.7 will give virtually identical performance figures to the S2000 (6.4sec 0-60, 156mph top whack for the Porsche 6.0 and 150 for the Honda). I think the extra badge snobbery would swing it for a Porsche for me.
Certainly 2.7 territory and some 3.2s with high miles or questionable provenance. The 2.7 will give virtually identical performance figures to the S2000 (6.4sec 0-60, 156mph top whack for the Porsche 6.0 and 150 for the Honda). I think the extra badge snobbery would swing it for a Porsche for me.
I looked at a few S2000s but boy oh boy have most of them have a hard life, interiors worn, wheels kerbed, brakes spongy, so was put off tbh. Particularly as a newish one will still cost you around £14k!!
Shame because it was top of my list to begin with, but think the mx5 was just meant to be??!!
Shame because it was top of my list to begin with, but think the mx5 was just meant to be??!!
Rumblestripe said:
£10k for a second hand roadster also brings the Porsche Boxster to the party. A quick search of PH ads returned 92 sub 10k Boxsters.
Certainly 2.7 territory and some 3.2s with high miles or questionable provenance. The 2.7 will give virtually identical performance figures to the S2000 (6.4sec 0-60, 156mph top whack for the Porsche 6.0 and 150 for the Honda). I think the extra badge snobbery would swing it for a Porsche for me.
I'm with you, second gen Boxster. Certainly 2.7 territory and some 3.2s with high miles or questionable provenance. The 2.7 will give virtually identical performance figures to the S2000 (6.4sec 0-60, 156mph top whack for the Porsche 6.0 and 150 for the Honda). I think the extra badge snobbery would swing it for a Porsche for me.
Boxster S or a Z4M Roadster depending on which I preferred driving. I'd only opt for either the Mazda or Honda if my budget was considerably less. At £10k it would be a toss up between the two Germans. The Z4M with old school steering, M3 diff and CSL brakes does sound tasty. If you really must fiddle with the thing then add a CF airbox and fruity exhaust system for M roadster nirvana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNMCCpBX9lM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOv29FxyBA
Compared to those two, the Honda and the Mazda look ever so slightly silly.
Edited by Hellbound on Thursday 14th August 02:48
Rumblestripe said:
£10k for a second hand roadster also brings the Porsche Boxster to the party. A quick search of PH ads returned 92 sub 10k Boxsters.
Certainly 2.7 territory and some 3.2s with high miles or questionable provenance. The 2.7 will give virtually identical performance figures to the S2000 (6.4sec 0-60, 156mph top whack for the Porsche 6.0 and 150 for the Honda). I think the extra badge snobbery would swing it for a Porsche for me.
The problem I have with the Porsche is the lack of storage space. The other choices mentioned have big enough boots that I could easily justify them as an only car, but I play golf which completely rules out the Boxster as an only car.Certainly 2.7 territory and some 3.2s with high miles or questionable provenance. The 2.7 will give virtually identical performance figures to the S2000 (6.4sec 0-60, 156mph top whack for the Porsche 6.0 and 150 for the Honda). I think the extra badge snobbery would swing it for a Porsche for me.
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