RE: Honda S2000: Spotted
Discussion
trails said:
DoubleD said:
These are great looking cars, apart from the "futuristic" dash!
Dash is perfectly judged for the car; make it nice and easy to use all 9k rpm...also an optional display on contemporary manufacturers like Mclaren and Lotus 
Had mine for almost 4 years; it's not the fastest thing in the world but but it's a joy to drive (other than the leccy power steering) and the gearbox is fab.
trails said:
havoc said:
No, the power delivery was just fine (albeit the throttle-response was rather more immediate than most cars of its type). What made it spiky in the wet was the original S02 rubber, which was *very* dry-weather optimised. That and some very sporting suspension geometry which left very little understeer in the safety net.
...and it was this latter which was tweaked (along with spring/damper rates) over the course of the life of the car.
17" wheels make a significant difference too; I have pre-facelift 16's for track\fun and the car is less stable and far easier to provoke....and it was this latter which was tweaked (along with spring/damper rates) over the course of the life of the car.
But even with the 16" cars, a set of chassis braces transforms the sensation of impending breakaway and seems to improve the steering feel. It makes them a lot less unpredictable.
With those and 17"s, it's more akin to a GT86 with rather more power.
These have a true Jekyll and Hyde character and they’re all the better for it. I ran a 2004 model for a few years and really loved it. It was used for commuting, trackdays, trips away and simply taking out with the roof down for a drive. The engine and gearbox are great but the whole car felt utterly solid and properly screwed together. Engineered, not made...if you follow? Once you got the engine going it was quite frenzied and really took off. I didn’t really mind the lack low down urge at all, it isn’t what the cars about. Mine was the later version so had the revised (less edgy) set up but it was still a spiky sod, had me doing a 180 off a roundabout and up a motorway sliproad on a damp Monday morning with no provocation and had a proper clencher out of The Old Hairpin at Donnington (...slightly provoked) but overall once you decided to open the taps being focused on the job is a good thing. If my circumstances were different I’d have another in a heart beat.
Ps...the heater in winter was the best ever, toasty in no time.
Ps...the heater in winter was the best ever, toasty in no time.
Black S2K said:
Yup.
But even with the 16" cars, a set of chassis braces transforms the sensation of impending breakaway and seems to improve the steering feel. It makes them a lot less unpredictable.
With those and 17"s, it's more akin to a GT86 with rather more power.
I know about the lower cross brace...any others that make as much difference?But even with the 16" cars, a set of chassis braces transforms the sensation of impending breakaway and seems to improve the steering feel. It makes them a lot less unpredictable.
With those and 17"s, it's more akin to a GT86 with rather more power.
I'm on my 4th. All black with red seats. There's something about them - the rawness, the looks, the rarity.
I should never have sold my last one, but I did, so I am not selling this one. Ever. I've fitted heated seats, rustproofed the rear arches, changed the audio and lots of other little mods which make it mine. OEM+ is the plan. Only driven in the wet twice by me, comes out on dry weekends and occasional drives to work as a treat.
Mine's a late 2009 car, 52k miles. Any weakness of the 09 engines would have shown itself by now.
These are the last of their kind - screaming N/A engines, fantastic manual gearbox, few driver aids or assist systems. We won't see their like again.
When petrol is rationed and ICE cars are no longer sold, this will put a smile on my face every time I have enough fuel to take it out.
I should never have sold my last one, but I did, so I am not selling this one. Ever. I've fitted heated seats, rustproofed the rear arches, changed the audio and lots of other little mods which make it mine. OEM+ is the plan. Only driven in the wet twice by me, comes out on dry weekends and occasional drives to work as a treat.
Mine's a late 2009 car, 52k miles. Any weakness of the 09 engines would have shown itself by now.
These are the last of their kind - screaming N/A engines, fantastic manual gearbox, few driver aids or assist systems. We won't see their like again.
When petrol is rationed and ICE cars are no longer sold, this will put a smile on my face every time I have enough fuel to take it out.
Tuvra said:
DoubleD said:
Fastchas said:
Is it me or does a purchase new price of £26k seem rather cheap albeit 11-12 years ago...?
I dont know. How much were other 2 seaters at the time?I seen a yellow S2000 with its roof down the other day and it looked fabulous. I can see these becoming desirable in the very near future with the prices reflecting the same:-
Not cheap but I expected more really. Well, looking back anyway.
I am loving my 34k 2005 GT as weekend and summer point to point toy - after a couple of years.
Light blue. Middle of production. Low tax, hardtop (in a bag in the shed), some in life improvements, yet predates the VSA stability control and extra electronic bits.
Delivers fun at license retaining road speed. A bit more power would be lovely for sure. I don't want to live with a supercharger for weekend road use so I accept it for what it is. It makes an enormous and entertaining fuss and bother over "normal" acceleration at road speeds putting a grin on your face. The Buck Rogers digital tacho is surprisingly usable and like many S2k owners - "it was the future - once".
Highly entertaining for B road blasts down through the peak district on a summer day or night. Less so on concrete sections of the motorway - noisy doesn't begin to describe it - mostly tires + wind but also the 4k+. Stock stereo can't keep up and your ears likely wouldn't if you fitted one that could. So not really suitable for intercontinental gt work on the autoroutes unless you are taking your time point to point - lower daily mileage on back roads etc.
I do look occasionally at the idea of a Boxster S "for a change". A bit more refined, faster, but more toy money deployed ongoing. And will it actually be "more fun" at road speed than the S2000. Based on the one example Cayman I drove not a given - but the extra costs are. People like different things and that's OK.
People generally don't hate on you in the Honda either. Don't notice or thumbs up. Only got C-bombed once in Guildford of all places (everybody else around me had a seriously more expensive <3 year old car - but whatever).
Based on a test drive of a slightly too slow stock one a BBR fettled MX5 ND would likely be a fabulous thing for a newer "in production" alternative assuming you are cool with FI, modified and any insurance renewal entertainments as may arise.
With this cult emerging classic (will want to sell it one day !!!)- you either love revving it out at road legal speeds or you just don't.
I also tried an orange 3 year old BMW Z4 35is before I got in it - felt a lot faster, heavier, felt pretty solid - yet less luggage practical (amazing but true) and boring to drive by comparison - heavy + point and squirt - to me at least. YMMV
Light blue. Middle of production. Low tax, hardtop (in a bag in the shed), some in life improvements, yet predates the VSA stability control and extra electronic bits.
Delivers fun at license retaining road speed. A bit more power would be lovely for sure. I don't want to live with a supercharger for weekend road use so I accept it for what it is. It makes an enormous and entertaining fuss and bother over "normal" acceleration at road speeds putting a grin on your face. The Buck Rogers digital tacho is surprisingly usable and like many S2k owners - "it was the future - once".
Highly entertaining for B road blasts down through the peak district on a summer day or night. Less so on concrete sections of the motorway - noisy doesn't begin to describe it - mostly tires + wind but also the 4k+. Stock stereo can't keep up and your ears likely wouldn't if you fitted one that could. So not really suitable for intercontinental gt work on the autoroutes unless you are taking your time point to point - lower daily mileage on back roads etc.
I do look occasionally at the idea of a Boxster S "for a change". A bit more refined, faster, but more toy money deployed ongoing. And will it actually be "more fun" at road speed than the S2000. Based on the one example Cayman I drove not a given - but the extra costs are. People like different things and that's OK.
People generally don't hate on you in the Honda either. Don't notice or thumbs up. Only got C-bombed once in Guildford of all places (everybody else around me had a seriously more expensive <3 year old car - but whatever).
Based on a test drive of a slightly too slow stock one a BBR fettled MX5 ND would likely be a fabulous thing for a newer "in production" alternative assuming you are cool with FI, modified and any insurance renewal entertainments as may arise.
With this cult emerging classic (will want to sell it one day !!!)- you either love revving it out at road legal speeds or you just don't.
I also tried an orange 3 year old BMW Z4 35is before I got in it - felt a lot faster, heavier, felt pretty solid - yet less luggage practical (amazing but true) and boring to drive by comparison - heavy + point and squirt - to me at least. YMMV
Titan2 said:
How would they compare to something like a 986/7 Boxster S?
I know there is an obvious difference in how their respective power is delivered etc.
Has anyone owned both the Porsche and Honda over the years?
I was going to buy a Cayman, drove both and (despite the steering) there was something a bit more special about the Honda.I know there is an obvious difference in how their respective power is delivered etc.
Has anyone owned both the Porsche and Honda over the years?
That said, I think I’m going to replace it with a 987.2 Spyder next year...but I said that last year too and have kept the Honda.
DoubleD said:
trails said:
DoubleD said:
It looks fugly and very dated to me
I’m getting the distinct impression you aren’t a fan 
Not everyone will appreciate its majesty.
Ergonomically though, these cars are great.
Everything is logical and where it should be.
Gearbox is a cracker provided you don't mind a lot of mechanical noise.
Refined they are not - but as a drivers' car they are hard to beat ( in a raw, old skool way ).
tim-jxv5n said:
RocketRabbit said:
Total nonsense. So you bought the cheaper tax bracket to save £250 a year. The car above had new compliance bushes and a decent set of dampers. Whereas you bought your car on wishful thinking and to save a couple of hundred pounds. I know when buying a car from you, you'll have skimped on maintenance.
Haha, calm down son!!I bought my car on viewing it, like I viewed this one. Trust me, this one had seen a hard life.
I'm not sure how likely it is that you'll ever be in a position to buy a car from me so no need to worry on that front!!
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