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Had a friend spin a Lotus in the same spot while I was sitting passenger. Not fun. In his case the tires were warm but you just cannot go into that turn on a trailing / lift throttle in a Lotus. Need some weight on the rear to plant it.
Buttonwillow is my favorite track in SoCal but I haven't tried chuckwalla yet.
Had a friend spin a Lotus in the same spot while I was sitting passenger. Not fun. In his case the tires were warm but you just cannot go into that turn on a trailing / lift throttle in a Lotus. Need some weight on the rear to plant it.
Buttonwillow is my favorite track in SoCal but I haven't tried chuckwalla yet.
Riverside... it gets the best of a lot of us.
I've never been to chuck myself... Buttonwillow is also my favorite track.
I think the S2000 makes a much better track car/mountain road car than a street/daily driver. The car is just too slow from a dead stop and you sound like you are racing if you need to overtake a camry. I'm excited about being able to drive the GT4 on the street since it will have the power and torque to overtake cars without making noise or changing gears. I don't push any cars hard on the street. It's just no fun and the risks are too high. The track is my playground.
I guess we will have to agree to disagree but I found the S2000 easy to rev out a couple of gears on the street (AP2). The GT4 low end ain't great either. Also needs to be revved out to get thrust but it has way taller gearing so it is even less usable on the street. I'm not sure how others do it, but since I day one of driving when I overtake/pass I grab the gear that will produce the quickest acceleration and making noise...that is the fun part.
I haven't driven either on the track (yet) so I can't comment on that aspect. I like both cars I just don't see how they are all that comparable other than having 2 seats and a great shift mechanism.
I'm excited about being able to drive the GT4 on the street since it will have the power and torque to overtake cars without making noise or changing gears.
Seriously, subtle, the GT4 is not. Any significant throttle opening makes a lot of (and the right kind of) noise. I love it, but I can't drive incognito anymore.
Sorry to bump a somewhat old thread, but I just wanted to chime in that I recently went from a fairly modded (yet still steet-able) E92 M3 to an S2000 and while down on power, the S2000 has been a huge upgrade for me in terms of driving enjoyment. On street tires, I was running 1:43 at Laguna Seca and 1:53 at Sonoma and in the S2K (also on street tires) I'm currently running 1:45 at LS and 1:55 at Sonoma. As someone mentioned earlier, with the right setup, the S2000 is a pretty quick if you know how to make use of the car in the corners. It's definitely good for a few more seconds off my lap times with more practice or a better driver.
Now imagine you need/want a convertible. The S2000 is one, the M3 adds 400 pounds.
Seriously, subtle, the GT4 is not. Any significant throttle opening makes a lot of (and the right kind of) noise. I love it, but I can't drive incognito anymore.
Well when I say noise, I mean 6000-8000rpm noise. I'm fine with low end grunt noise. I think the S2000 is slower than a corolla if you don't rev past 6000. There's a difference between a loud car and a loud car sounding like it's trying to race everyone.
Having had the GT4 for almost 2 months now, all I can say is just wow! It's the first and only car I can say is perfect from the factory and doesn't "need" extensive modding. Even the stock exhaust delivers a nice bark and rumble and the adjustability of the aero and suspension hasn't got me looking at the aftermarket yet.
Granted when I take it to the track I will certainly be looking for stickier tires, grippy brake pads, brake fluid, and safety equipment, this is the first car that is truly track ready in stock form.
What I will say is that there isn't enough credit given to the S2000's electric power steering. It was released way back in 1999 and it has as much tactile feel and feedback as the Porsche GT range but was never as celebrated as an accomplishment back in the day.
Here's to not regretting getting a GT4 and letting go of my S2000
I sold both my CR and track AP2 to put me in position to purchase the GT4. I did however keep my old AP1 because I absolutely love everything about the S2000. Cheap thrills and easy on the wallet when **** breaks.
Before the car landed, There were one or two very vocal people saying how hard the GT4 would be to live with every day. Just not the case. I can drive drive drive without much fatigue.
I totally agree. Having owned a 997.1 GT3, I think the GT4 can easily be a daily driver. Even the front splitter hasn't been too bad. The clutch is super smooth, easy to modulate and the pedal feel isn't too firm.
Also I find the ride to a lot more compliant than the s2000 I previously owned- especially over highway expansion joints in northern CA
I totally agree. Having owned a 997.1 GT3, I think the GT4 can easily be a daily driver. Even the front splitter hasn't been too bad. The clutch is super smooth, easy to modulate and the pedal feel isn't too firm.
Also I find the ride to a lot more compliant than the s2000 I previously owned- especially over highway expansion joints in northern CA
Oh man. I didn't expect so many people to have regrets! I have a GT4 on the way to replace my S2000.... That I love. :/
Having had the GT4 for almost 2 months now, all I can say is just wow! It's the first and only car I can say is perfect from the factory and doesn't "need" extensive modding. Even the stock exhaust delivers a nice bark and rumble and the adjustability of the aero and suspension hasn't got me looking at the aftermarket yet.
Granted when I take it to the track I will certainly be looking for stickier tires, grippy brake pads, brake fluid, and safety equipment, this is the first car that is truly track ready in stock form.
What I will say is that there isn't enough credit given to the S2000's electric power steering. It was released way back in 1999 and it has as much tactile feel and feedback as the Porsche GT range but was never as celebrated as an accomplishment back in the day.
Here's to not regretting getting a GT4 and letting go of my S2000
The steering in the S2K is garbage IMO. So numb. But you feel so much from the chassis itself that it totally makes up for the crappy steering feel. But I'm used to it now and have no complaints.
I drove my friend's 991 GT3 for a few days and it didn't make me love my S2000 any less so I'm not worried that the GT4 will make the S2000 feel like any less of a car. It will feel extremely slow in a straight line, but it already does now. I think being smaller and 400lbs lighter than my soon to arrive GT4 keeps things interesting, especially on track.
The steering in the S2K is garbage IMO. So numb. But you feel so much from the chassis itself that it totally makes up for the crappy steering feel. But I'm used to it now and have no complaints.
Agree with that. The steering feel in the s2k was pretty nonexistent.
I think I have a different experience with steering feel due to my steering wheel, suspension and tire setup. I run a Mugen coilover setup with Advan AD08's in a 255 width all around.
I found that the wide sticky tires and the thinly padded buckskin clad Mugen steering wheel contribute greatly to the steering feel that I experience... as I write this I realize that I'm not comparing stock to stock. LOL
It's been literally over a decade since I've driven a stock S2000.
A Square setup (255 all around) and full bolt on S2000 (Coilovers, Intake, Header, Exhaust) really wake the S2000 up. Once you dial in suspension/alignment and get some track time thats where you truly appreciate what the S2000 is all about. It's not much fun on the street but when you take her out to the track and drive it to it's limits is where you truly appreciate what the S2000 is all about. A high revving 4 banger, an awesome 6 speed transmission and a light weight roadster all makes for quite a purist experience.
01-12-2016 | 12:30 AM
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