[Gixer]

I'm honestly not that fussy about me cars, i'd really drive owt if it gets me about.
I've driven a few S2000's the later ones chassis is noticeably better, no idea why or what Honda did. (by better i mean it's like your getting slapped in the face now rather than punched, so the worst of 2 evils).

If someone GAVE me a S2000 today, FOC then 100% honestly it would be in the paper by tonight fer sale.
I absolutely love Honda's, i would not buy any other bike for day to day use except a Honda.
Everything from the nuts and bolts they use to their reliability and quality control is just a fair margin better than their competitors.

The older Civic Type R is a great car, the Integra Type R an outstanding car, both a bit rev happy fer me and my style, but still great cars.

BUT with the S2000 they missed the boat by a fair margin, the MX5 is a infinitely better car, even the MKI Audi TT makes the S2000 feel like a Cortina estate in the handling department.

If you like the looks of the S2000 fair enough.
If you have driven one though and you believe it handles well, you are either wrong or you've never driven a half decent car.

 

[Miss 5]

My bro was looking at a Nissan 350z, BMW Z4 3litre and an S2000. He went Z4. He's now getting rid of the Z4 but he seemed to think the S2K at the time was no good unless you live out in the sticks as under normal city driving conditions it didn't show off its capabilities. He said you had to really push it to feel the fun. Or something like that. I can't remember his words exactly cos this was a few years back. I've driven the Z4 and I liked it. Still think it's bulky and not a true roadster and I don't like chunky cars. I would love to drive an S2K cos they've always appealed to me.

 

[GreddyMX5]

I have owned an mx5 turbo and have just bought an S2000

and i have never heard such bloocks in my life ... its your opinion on the car but the s2000 is yes a tricky car to handle but much more of a drivers cars that the rather gutless 1.6/1.8 mx5s, to get the mx5 anywhere near what it was suppose to be a turbo or supercharger is required even then it still feels a bit limp wristed.

no offence intend to anyone the mx5 is a cracking car but in comparison to the s2000 its way behind

 

[Gixer]

I have owned an mx5 turbo and have just bought an S2000

and i have never heard such bloocks in my life ... its your opinion on the car but the s2000 is yes a tricky car to handle but much more of a drivers cars that the rather gutless 1.6/1.8 mx5s, to get the mx5 anywhere near what it was suppose to be a turbo or supercharger is required even then it still feels a bit limp wristed.

no offence intend to anyone the mx5 is a cracking car but in comparison to the s2000 its way behind

No offence taken here, i 100% agree that the stock 5 feels gutless compared to other hot hatches, sports cars.

It does seem to take on another character after 200bhp, i'd be more than happy to meet you at donny Mallory etc the next time i'm over in the UK.
I should be bringing my car over for JAE, i'm very confident over 15 laps i'll beat a stock S2000 and fairly confident i'd give a mildly modded S2 a run for it's money.

It is my opinion that the S2000 handles like shite yes, but it's not only my opinion, my friend also agrees that's why he's selling it, as does EVERY person that's so far driven his car or any person i know that opinion i trust that has driven a S2000.

It was also slated by a fair few of the trusted mags, Evo in particular were pretty scathing in their reviews, i'll have to check but i think the old model was marked a 3 out of 5 and the new only a 4 out of 5.
The stock MKII MX5 was rated higher.

Cheers
Mark

Again the later cars were better than the earlier versions, but even then the reviews were not good compared to say the Boxster.

I think it's aloso a fair indication of the cars bad handling by how many have been crashed, we were talking about this last time i was in the UK, my mate works for a body repairers, he commented on how it's odd that near on every single S2000 he see's has damage to the rear sector.
He thought it was very similar to the 205Gti as that was another car he noticed the majority of damage was also to the rear half.

 

[GreddyMX5]

Granted the handling in a s2000 isnt as easy as an mx5 but they did alter the suspension setup on the AP2 S2000 to allow for a more easy to control approach to driving ...

reason why many are spun is the v-tec and people not showing the car the respect it deserves the S2000 can not be driven with a heavy foot or it will snap back ....

let me know the next time your in the UK (dont mean this to sound arrogant) i would love to see the mx5 / s2000 round a track its something i would be interested in

 

[Gixer]

Granted the handling in a s2000 isnt as easy as an mx5 but they did alter the suspension setup on the AP2 S2000 to allow for a more easy to control approach to driving ...

reason why many are spun is the v-tec and people not showing the car the respect it deserves the S2000 can not be driven with a heavy foot or it will snap back ....

let me know the next time your in the UK (dont mean this to sound arrogant) i would love to see the mx5 / s2000 round a track its something i would be interested in

Aye the S2 is a hell of a lot more difficult to catch when the limit of grip is exceeded, if your near this limit and the Vtech kicks in unless your ready it's probably gonna bite ya in the ass

Your in Nottm right?
Me family is in Nottm so that's where i stay when i'm over, i'm sure we can sort summet out at Donny, Mallory etc.

Next time i'm over i'm gonna give trackrat a call and see if his mx5 is available, it's gonna be a bit difficult as it's a manual, but i'm sure we could sort summet out.
On the National donny track i think the S2 will have the legs on a stock 5, but at Mallory i think a stock 5 and a S2 would be bloody close with similar experianced drivers.
I would love to go against a S2 in my car on Donny.
I honestly believe i'd have it, but i have bin wrong before and i am biased

I've only ever come across 1 S2 here during the race nights, we comfortably beat that but to be 100% honest the driver was a complete twat and had no idea, so i don't think that's a fair representation.

We had planned to race with me mates S2, but he's only had it on the road fer 1 week without problems/running it in, now he's had problems again it looks like it's gonna be gone afore it's run in.

Cheers
Mark

 

[GreddyMX5]

yeah nottingham .. donny would be good but not a handling curcuit more high speed corners that anything...

Will be interesting to see

 

[Gixer]

Pheunos, your mates in NI i guess?

Be even better to see what a FI'd S2 could do.

Do you think a FI'd S2 i'd make it to Donny though?

 

[GreddyMX5]

that would be an wesome comparrison NA S2 Na MX5 and FId S2 and FId MX5 round track .. hummmm im up for this now ...

 

[slowpoke]

Seems a fair enough example of an S2K - I reckon yer dreamin if you think with equal drivers a stock '5 could keep up with an S2K meself matey

 

[GreddyMX5]

i dunno mate asking on the old s2000 forums they are pretty much undecided too .. could be in for a bit of a battle

 

[Pheunos]

Pheunos, your mates in NI i guess?

Be even better to see what a FI'd S2 could do.

Do you think a FI'd S2 i'd make it to Donny though?

Yeah, he's in Holywood, just down the road from me. I'd be amazed if a 5 in any state tune would keep up with him tbh. I did a few track days with him before he was FI'd and his car just walked away from mine. No debate whatsoever, and I was 100% committed.

Not sure how reliable it'll prove to be, I guess time will tell. I'll point him this way and see if he's up for 'The Donny Challenge', however he might not take too kindly to some of the comments about his baby....

He's already suggesting your mates car is a cut 'n' shut

 

[Gixer]

Slowpoke it'll really depend on the track, on a open track like ya vid they'd be no contest a stock S2 would annihilate a stock 5, even if the driver in the 5 was schuuy and the driver in the S2 was average.

I think 2 equal drivers in a 240bhp 5 and a S2 would be bloody close though on that track.

The way i see it though is you've got 2 levels here, you've got.

1/ Great drivers.
These will bring anything from a golf cart to the ragged edge, even if you went go-carting these guys/gals seem to find speed and traction from out there bloody sleeves.

2/ Average drivers.
Done track days and have a fair bit of experience and confidence.
Some of these maybe 1% would if given enough seat time and dedication make it up a level but even if they were racing 40 hours a week 99% would always stay average.

3/ Normal drivers.
People who've had no real experience on tracks but are fairly confident on the road.

Go on a bit i know, but please stay with me

So a great driver would use every 1bhp extra and 1kg lighter to get every fraction of the performance out of the car.
After say 5 laps they'd get to within 1 sec of their fastest lap, they'd then continue to lap within 1/2sec of each and every other lap consistently.

A average driver would probably do 1 faster lap in the S2, but after a "moment" the other laps would slow until another fast lap and another "moment".

In the 5 the average driver would quickly find the limit of the car (for them) and i'd be happy to stay pretty damn close to that limit without many major "moments"

So to conclude, in my opinion i think the vast majority of drivers here we are talking Average Joes/Janes, so out of say 15 laps, the fastest lap time would be the S2k.
BUT the fastest time over 15 laps i recon would be the FI'd 5.

Purely because it's friendlier up to and slightly over the limit.

Might well be absolute bollox but that's my opinion right now.

Pheunos,
Be nice if it was, at least they'd be some logic to that, thing is though he's got the full history and knows the 1 previous owner.
It'd also make sense if it was say me, cause i'm known fer being hard on cars and bikes, but me mate really looks after his cars and very rarely thrashes em.

Thing is is English is not too good and he's using Greek words i don't know, but i think:
The a piston broke it's rings, these were replaced and during the run in summet went with the cam springs.

As i say i'm filling in some big gaps there, when i see him again i'll get a translator

 

[slowpoke]

I think 2 equal drivers in a 240bhp 5 and a S2 would be bloody close though on that track.

I agree fella, it's s2k vs stock '5 that I think'd be the walk over.

Here's the vid I was looking for origionally -

Bye Bye '5, Tsukuba's a twisty track too

 

[Combover]

If you have driven one though and you believe it handles well, you are either wrong or you've never driven a half decent car.

I normally respect your opinion, but that's just plain bullshit.

Look up 'PJL S2000' on Youtube and explain how he manages to get past almost everything he comes up against. Yes, he's a good driver but come on....

 

[Tybo]

I hear so many conflicting tales of S2000's

I really am going to have to drive one myself

 

[slowpoke]

I hear so many conflicting tales of S2000's

I really am going to have to drive one myself

Mmmm ditto

 

[Daddy Cool]

Look up 'PJL S2000' on Youtube and explain how he manages to get past almost everything he comes up against. Yes, he's a good driver but come on....

Doesnt look too clever at 3.20

Anyway, i take these trackday videos with a pinch of salt - people always use them to claim a particular car is the best around because it overtakes another car - but we dont know the whole story. Were the other cars novices on their first trackday? Were they seasoned trackdayers, but just didnt want some loony in an S2000 stuffing into their backside, so pulled over as soon as he got close? I saw him overtake a Citroen Saxo and a merc/audi hatchback, not exactly kills! As for the Caterhams, its hard to say which type they are - obviously not a bonkers R400 or something...

Ive never driven one, so i tend to go by reviews that i respect - usually EVO, who dont think its as bad as Gixer makes out - in fact they give it 4/5 (For reference, the Mk3 MX5 gets 3/5)
Plus, its not fair comparing a factory S2000 against a highly modded MX5 is it?

 

[Combover]

Plus, its not fair comparing a factory S2000 against a highly modded MX5 is it?

A very good point.

I was using the PJL videos to demonstrate that the S2000 isn't a poor handling car in general, and nothing like the car that Gixer is making it out to be.

 

[Gixer]

Plus, its not fair comparing a factory S2000 against a highly modded MX5 is it?

Dunno so much, my 5 stand me abouyt 9k, what's a half decent S2k go fer?