Which S2000?

[V8LM]

Don't quite know why, but am considering an S2000 as a bit of fun for driving to work and stuff. Which is best? What year? What to look out for?

Thanks.

[Heathwood]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Loads of info on this if you do a quick search. Try the above link for a start.

[Lostprophet]

Newer the better...!

[mikey k]

Nope - there is a know issue with a batch of late engines I know of two 09 owners who have had three engines
I've had 4 S's and driven a fair few different configurations.
If it was my money again as a stock car I but an 06/07 with VSA and forget a GT one

There is an excellent FAQ in the UK section of www.s2ki.com

[craig7584]

just rememeber models after 2006 are in the higher tax bracket (£425 p/a)

[bracken78]

For me I would say from 2004 to 2007 and anything in between. I have had 2 S2000, an 05, but presently have an 04 plate. I’m not sure I see the point in the GT but mostly due to having no storage for the hard top in the summer.

I don’t really think any year is bad it is a case of looking for the best you can afforded.

[david.mt]

I agree with the above as I am in the process of buying one. I wanted a 06/07 with VSA (and red/black interior). No hardtop - waste of space.

And then to supercharge

[mikey k]

bracken78 said:

I would say from 2004 to 2007 and anything in between.

That covers v3 & v4 and there are big difference between the two!

[andye30m3]

craig7584 said:

just rememeber models after 2006 are in the higher tax bracket (£425 p/a)

I think there's talk of scrapping the max rate of around £245 for cars pre 2006 after april, so all s2000's will move into the £425-450ish bracket

[bracken78]

mikey k said:

bracken78 said:

For me I would say from 2004 to 2007 and anything in between.

That covers v3 & v4 and there are big difference between the two!

Added to make the quote full.

[RossP]

andye30m3 said:

I think there's talk of scrapping the max rate of around £245 for cars pre 2006 after april, so all s2000's will move into the £425-450ish bracket

Really? Where have you heard that?

I have a 2004 S2000. They made a lot of changes in 2004 both cosmetically (lights, suspension settings etc). So I would get a 2004 or later. They added traction/stability control later but I am not interested in that.

I disagree with the comments on the hard top. Ours gets used all year round as it's the wife's main car. Having the hard top is a real bonus in the winter as it's effectively turns it into a coupe.

[havoc]

RossP said:

I have a 2004 S2000. They made a lot of changes in 2004 both cosmetically (lights, suspension settings etc). So I would get a 2004 or later. They added traction/stability control later but I am not interested in that.

I disagree with the comments on the hard top. Ours gets used all year round as it's the wife's main car. Having the hard top is a real bonus in the winter as it's effectively turns it into a coupe.

Pretty much agree with that.

I had an '03 GT - don't regret going for the earlier car (weekend toy, happy to have it a little more lairy), but the '04 is widely considered to be a little more user-friendly and exploitable, plus it has a slightly nicer interior.

...but even though it was a weekend car, the hard-top made a notable difference in winter - no ice worries, broader rear-viz, better insulation. And the car is IMHO more fun in wet/icy weather than in the dry...

[Don't Lift]

I would advise against the GT (hard top) due to the faffing around and storage issue.

I have an '09 which is suspended differently from the earlier cars and has gorgeous power understeer as long as you disable the VSA. Dropping 2 psi for the track and she's great fun.

In the wet, the VSA still lets you slip a bit

The standard OE tyres last a good 20 minutes at Bedford before overheating and you only need to upgrade the fluid and pads for reliable stopping.

Rears last 4-4.5k hooning around mid-Wales and a couple of trackdays; fronts 7k. Steadier driving with the restrictions of traffic and villages in England will easily double those wear rates.

[Heathwood]

Don't Lift said:

gorgeous power understeer

Is there such a thing?

[Don't Lift]

Heathwood said:

Don't Lift said:

gorgeous power understeer

Is there such a thing?

Yup. Turning in early and 4 wheel drifting to and clipping the apex on the power is great fun

Oversteers on demand too of course;)

[havoc]

Don't Lift said:

Yup. Turning in early and 4 wheel drifting to and clipping the apex on the power is great fun

How do you clip the apex when understeering or 4w-drifting 'out'???

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I suspect you're 'overdriving' the car to achieve anything near what you describe - the only way I could get my S2000 to understeer was to enter a corner way too quickly off the power, or to 'yank at' the steering wheel on entry.


OP - a well set-up S2000 will feel pointy at the front AND 'up for it' at the rear - it'll turn-in near-telepathically, then as you open the throttle through a corner the rear will 'take an attitude' - not oversteer, but load-up and make you feel that the car is willing to steer from the rear if you get too frisky.

Bad geo though will make the car feel more 'leaden' - the upside there though is that unless you've got seized adjuster bolts it's very easy to fix that so it drives however you want it to.

[hondafanatic]

havoc said:

How do you clip the apex when understeering or 4w-drifting 'out'???

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I suspect you're 'overdriving' the car to achieve anything near what you describe - the only way I could get my S2000 to understeer was to enter a corner way too quickly off the power, or to 'yank at' the steering wheel on entry.


OP - a well set-up S2000 will feel pointy at the front AND 'up for it' at the rear - it'll turn-in near-telepathically, then as you open the throttle through a corner the rear will 'take an attitude' - not oversteer, but load-up and make you feel that the car is willing to steer from the rear if you get too frisky.

Bad geo though will make the car feel more 'leaden' - the upside there though is that unless you've got seized adjuster bolts it's very easy to fix that so it drives however you want it to.

Five days to reply to a thread about a Honda!! You been ill?

[Don't Lift]

havoc said:

Don't Lift said:

Yup. Turning in early and 4 wheel drifting to and clipping the apex on the power is great fun

How do you clip the apex when understeering or 4w-drifting 'out'???

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I suspect you're 'overdriving' the car to achieve anything near what you describe - the only way I could get my S2000 to understeer was to enter a corner way too quickly off the power, or to 'yank at' the steering wheel on entry.


OP - a well set-up S2000 will feel pointy at the front AND 'up for it' at the rear - it'll turn-in near-telepathically, then as you open the throttle through a corner the rear will 'take an attitude' - not oversteer, but load-up and make you feel that the car is willing to steer from the rear if you get too frisky.

Bad geo though will make the car feel more 'leaden' - the upside there though is that unless you've got seized adjuster bolts it's very easy to fix that so it drives however you want it to.

That's fking funny :-)

I love the way you can analyse my driving from a few lines of text, compare it to your own and then pass on your rhetoric as education.

I know you mean well, that's obvious and I thank you for your interest and I look forward to meeting one day on a track day and we can exchange information but right now, neither of us have enough information to be getting into detailed discussions about stuff

[Lewtyper]

Don't Lift said:

That's fking funny :-)

I love the way you can analyse my driving from a few lines of text, compare it to your own and then pass on your rhetoric as education.

I know you mean well, that's obvious and I thank you for your interest and I look forward to meeting one day on a track day and we can exchange information but right now, neither of us have enough information to be getting into detailed discussions about stuff

WTF?

[Honsta]

V8LM said:

Don't quite know why, but am considering an S2000 as a bit of fun for driving to work and stuff. Which is best? What year? What to look out for?

Thanks.

Back to topic. As most people have said, get the best car you can afford. Looking at your current fleet in your garage, it looks like you could probably afford it

In hindsight, I would have bought a '04-05 MY, due mainly to the difference in road tax. Saying that, I still love my '06 and wouldn't think about changing it anytime soon. The GT hardtop is a debate though. It's a proper PITA to remove and store, but it does improve the look of the car when the top is on.

Head on over to S2Ki, it's an incredible resource for anything regarding this fantastic machine.

– Hon