S2000 vs Chimaera
Discussion
I own a Chimaera and have test driven an S2000.
It isn't as grunty.
But its hardly slow, revs like a bastard, handles sweetly, has an amazingly fast electric roof, looks damn fine and is made by Honda.
All very much in its favour - but if what you wanted was a TVR it won't do it for you.
Try both and see. I loved the S2000 personally...but then again I love our Chimaera, too.
It isn't as grunty.
But its hardly slow, revs like a bastard, handles sweetly, has an amazingly fast electric roof, looks damn fine and is made by Honda.
All very much in its favour - but if what you wanted was a TVR it won't do it for you.
Try both and see. I loved the S2000 personally...but then again I love our Chimaera, too.
VTECs are nice ( just sold a Type R Civic ) but bloody hell they're tiring to drive all that revvy nonsense, you can't help yourself rev the boll*cks off it and end up driving like a loon all the time - mentally knackering... much prefer the low -down grunt of the Chim...saw the new S2000 tho yesterday with the new wheels and front-end - much nicer IMHO.
Don't feed the Troll! It really depends on what you're looking to get out of the cars.
I have (had) a 4.0 Chim and love it's torque and lack of needed gear changes, even when going a fair pace.
I've also owned a Type R and loved that in it's own right - you could also go at a fair pace without always racing through the gears.
Recently i was out for a sunny Sunday afternoon and went past a 02 S2000 with 2 people in on a dual carriageway - i was making progress to say the least! The dual carriageway let into a series of roundabouts and then off onto fairly fast and some tight 'A' roads. The S2000 was glued to my backend round all the bends, under braking, but lost out on exiting corner speed - but made up for it when it got going! As soon as the roads tightened and the surface was of less quality the S2000 was past and gone, well i let him past with a wave so i could foolow for a while. The difference in watching a very good handling rear wheel drive car on roads like that was amazing. I've followed a Chim making progress down the same strecth and it looked on the edge all the time - the S2000 looked very stable and unpushed.
On paper the TVR is quicker in all areas - and proberbly would be in the hands of a racing driver on a smooth circuit. In the real world with real drivers on the crappy roads which the UK offers the S2000 wins.
You also would know that everytime you wanted to start it, it would, you would never ever watch the temp. gauge whilst sat in traffic, you could stop for petrol after a hot blast and not then have to wait for the starter to cool before working........but it's no V8 and never will be.
Lee
I have (had) a 4.0 Chim and love it's torque and lack of needed gear changes, even when going a fair pace.
I've also owned a Type R and loved that in it's own right - you could also go at a fair pace without always racing through the gears.
Recently i was out for a sunny Sunday afternoon and went past a 02 S2000 with 2 people in on a dual carriageway - i was making progress to say the least! The dual carriageway let into a series of roundabouts and then off onto fairly fast and some tight 'A' roads. The S2000 was glued to my backend round all the bends, under braking, but lost out on exiting corner speed - but made up for it when it got going! As soon as the roads tightened and the surface was of less quality the S2000 was past and gone, well i let him past with a wave so i could foolow for a while. The difference in watching a very good handling rear wheel drive car on roads like that was amazing. I've followed a Chim making progress down the same strecth and it looked on the edge all the time - the S2000 looked very stable and unpushed.
On paper the TVR is quicker in all areas - and proberbly would be in the hands of a racing driver on a smooth circuit. In the real world with real drivers on the crappy roads which the UK offers the S2000 wins.
You also would know that everytime you wanted to start it, it would, you would never ever watch the temp. gauge whilst sat in traffic, you could stop for petrol after a hot blast and not then have to wait for the starter to cool before working........but it's no V8 and never will be.
Lee
Simple answer to the question
Yes, around a track the Honda will probabyl win
But it starts getting complicated when you look at the grins on the drivers faces
and if that was all that was important to you you could buy, XTR2 R400 etc for the same price and they're much faster in all areas
Yes, around a track the Honda will probabyl win
But it starts getting complicated when you look at the grins on the drivers faces
and if that was all that was important to you you could buy, XTR2 R400 etc for the same price and they're much faster in all areas
Inc,
I think i'm going to have to disagree - having driven an S2000 around Castle Combe i was almost moritifed with how ordinary it felt.
It wasn't particularly quick, it handled very sublimely though was prone to sudden lift off oversteer (not good for a novice which thankfully i am not), and it was painfully apparent that it only "worked" above 7k rpm.
As has already been said, on bumpy and tight back roads the Chim is a little overbearing and hence the S2000 is an easier drive for "Average Joe" but on a smooth track the S2000 loses its appeal very quickly.
IMHO of course.
VS
I think i'm going to have to disagree - having driven an S2000 around Castle Combe i was almost moritifed with how ordinary it felt.
It wasn't particularly quick, it handled very sublimely though was prone to sudden lift off oversteer (not good for a novice which thankfully i am not), and it was painfully apparent that it only "worked" above 7k rpm.
As has already been said, on bumpy and tight back roads the Chim is a little overbearing and hence the S2000 is an easier drive for "Average Joe" but on a smooth track the S2000 loses its appeal very quickly.
IMHO of course.
VS
Inc,
Yeah, i guess it was easy to keep it spinning up there, but it got very annoying very quickly.
It's not the most characterful of engines (i'm used to a long line of straight sixes, flat sixes, and V8's) and so the tune it played induced pain rather than pleasure.
It kept on bloody understeering too, then when you lift off (gently) to tuck the nose in it flicks straight to oversteer and loses loads of speed in the process.
VS
Yeah, i guess it was easy to keep it spinning up there, but it got very annoying very quickly.
It's not the most characterful of engines (i'm used to a long line of straight sixes, flat sixes, and V8's) and so the tune it played induced pain rather than pleasure.
It kept on bloody understeering too, then when you lift off (gently) to tuck the nose in it flicks straight to oversteer and loses loads of speed in the process.
VS
verysideways said:
It kept on bloody understeering too, then when you lift off (gently) to tuck the nose in it flicks straight to oversteer and loses loads of speed in the process.
VS
this could be the reason why I heard a rumour that a silly % of the first S2000's to hit the UK ended up as totalled.
At the time, people had progressed from MGF's/MX-5's etc to an S2000 thinking it was just a more prestigious cabrio, rather than a serious performance machine. And got caught out.
Was it the Mk1, if you don't pitch them in right, you have to drive round the corner at just-fast-enough-not-to-induce-understeer speed and wait till the exit before planting it. You'd be suprised at how much faster this (very dull) corner speed is compared to the Tiv I think (especially in the wet)
If you sling them in just right (bit of lift at turn in then balance it on the throttle) you can get yery spetacular 4 wheel drifts
Chim is easier and more fun though
If you sling them in just right (bit of lift at turn in then balance it on the throttle) you can get yery spetacular 4 wheel drifts
Chim is easier and more fun though
Shnozz said:
this could be the reason why I heard a rumour that a silly % of the first S2000's to hit the UK ended up as totalled.
Remember seeing one when they 1st came out bounce off the wall at Donington at a trackday, made a bit of a mess
The thing for me is I see a 3 or 4 on my drive to work, the only TVR, nevermind Chimaera I see is the one I'm looking out of
For the price of an S2000 I'd look for a slightly older NSX
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