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My last 4 cars included 2 S2000's:
00' S2000 (AP1) - Great when it came out....
99' Miata (NB)- Better on the edge than the S2000.. loved to be wide open throttle
04' S2000 (AP1)- Disappointed going back to the S2000. Track times only a few seconds faster than Miata with twice the HP!! 1-2 mph slower corner speed that miata
16' GT4 - I am totally impressed with the handling on the track. street driving - meh..
In all 4 of these cars:
-I usually held top lap records at the tracks I attended.
-Didn't change setup much at all (drove with good tires/alignment the way it came from factory)
Only the GT4 & Miata LOVED to be wide open throttle(WOT) out of the corners. The car feels more in control WOT than not. This matches my driving style.
But the factory S2000 had the rear inside wheel lift that made WOT less comfortable.
To me, after only a few laps on the track with the GT4 - I was reminded of the Miata right away!
It has the magical handling ingredients I felt in the NB Miata. And the slight imperfections I felt in the S2000 were resolved.
Although very slightly, to me, the GT4 got it just a bit more right than the S2000.
For the price difference the S2K cannot be beat it's every bit of 80% the thrill of the GT4 on the street for an 1/7 of the price. Entirely the reason I got rid of mine, couldn't justify having both at the same time. Went with something a bit different feeling. Now I mention thrill not capabilities of course the cayman has way higher limits and capabilities. You can't go wrong with either one I just don't recommend having both.
It's funny, I can think back to many vehicles I owned in the past and wish I still had.
Some that come to mind...
'83 911 SC
2003 996 Turbo
'69 Ford Bronco Sport
'76 Ford Bronco Ranger
'69 Camaro SS/RS
2004 Touareg V8
...but for some reason, my memory of the S2000 was less wildly enthusiastic than some others here. It was like owning a really, really nice cordless drill. It did a great job at (drilling holes) and spins really really fast, but I don't regret not owning it anymore, not even a little. Sure, I'd like to drive one for a nice long fall weekend, but I'd take any of the other vehicles I pine over before it any day.
I moved from an 2000 s2000 to a 2002 NSX (new). Don’t really miss either but that’s because the 996 Turbo I moved to and my current GT4 are better cars.
But they were both good cars. Don’t feel that the NSX was as good as they’re priced at now.
I don't have a GT4 but I have a Spyder. I never tracked it until last month, and I love it for the track! So.......... easy to drive! I have a well sorted track s2k. And the experience with the Spyder makes me want to get a GT4. It's probably because I am older and I like the comfort more. My S2k is not comfortable, and is purpose built. I will go another season and see if I am still in love with my Honda. But I do think a quieter exhaust is going to happen soon!
Bumping my old thread which I now realize is more of my GT4 journal than simply a discussion about S2000's vs the GT4 (wish there was a way to change the title). Reading through some of the older posts is still entertaining. Just realized that I haven't posted any updates much since the winter of 2019/2020 when COVID hit us. Looking forward to putting on some new wheels that I've always wanted on my past cars and that is pretty hard to come by in GT4 sizing. VOLK TE37 Ultras in @Pr3z spec. Still can't completely get rid of my JDM roots I guess.
09-14-2016, 12:51 AM
