SPelham

After selling my scooby a couple of months ago I have been on the lookout for something different, and since I have a friend who works at a Honda garage I thought it would be ideal to take an S2000 out for a couple of hours
What more could you want 237Bhp, 2 seater RWD convertible on a sunny day in Surrey (Ok maybe not everyones ideal situation!!)
First of all I have to say I really like the look of these cars and they are definetly not as common as the Z3.So off I went not initialy very impressed with the performance, seemed to be a bit slugish and I could'nt see where they got the 237bhp from, that was until I started reving the baby to 9,000 rpm at which point you are sort of overwhelmed by the engine sound which is bloody awesome and Oh sh*t I better change gear ! Handling was also brilliant seemed very responsive and had a good feel. I still think my Subaru *felt* quicker, but in real world driving I don't think there would be a lot of difference.
Overall they are great cars which are backed up by Hondas reliability and I will now definetly be considering this as my scooby replacment.

Simon

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Great cars I loved the engine and handling too the interior and equipment seemed all there and very civilised (sp) too.

Paul

Rob16v

Good car. More use than a Boxster.


Rob

Paulo P

iTrader: (42)

Rob

A bucket with a hole in it is more use than a boxster

[Edited by paulpalmer - 04/08/2003 16:47:24]

Gastro

..more use than a Boxster ?

How do you make that one out - the Boxster can carry twice as much if not more than an S2000.

It was always the practicality of the Boxster that attracted me - the S2000 is lovely - don't get me wrong - but with a tiny boot - its impractical.

Gastro

Gastro

-- double post

[Edited by Gastro - 04/08/2003 17:20:07]

Scotsman

iTrader: (3)

Had a test drive in one a couple years ago before I got my scooby. Loved the gearchange - so short and snicky

It did feel pretty tame low down the rev range - but sounded sweet when you opened it up.

PPPMAT

Great car, but needs commitment to get the best out of it. I'm lazy so I ordered a 3 litre z4, which is surprisingly quick.

Matt

Dapster

I'm with Gastro on this - how can you say that it's more use than a Boxster? I too think the S2000 is a lovely car, but bought a Boxster because of many other reasons - principally because it has so much torque it feels very quick at 8 tenths. I will accept an S2000 will be faster if you run it to the red line in every gear, but for the kind of driving most of us do most of the time, the torque of the flat 6 and the sublime balance makes the Boxster the more satisfying car.

It's down to lifestyle - if you need the space, get a Fiat Multipla. I have never had any issues in terms of space in the Boxster and that includes holiday suitcases to the airport, trips to LeMans, girlfriends' luggage on weekends away etc etc

The S2000 does have a better image I think with Jo Public - a car bought by people who know about cars rather than the Porsche which most people assume is bought by vacuous posers and hairdressers. Those in the know will know it is the most satisfying sports car you can buy for less than £60k (ie a 911).

p.deruyter

thinking 2k, think Mazdas zany Rx8, which ofers a whole heap of sportscar for 22K.

corradoboy

I recently had a test in an S2000 and I agree, it's a lovely well sorted motor. I just don't know if I'd want to live with thrashing the engine so harshly every time I wanted some performance. It felt great for an hour or so, but a whole day at 6-9000 rpm could be tiresome. Before I parted with £25k I'd have to test a 350Z, RX8 and of course a Boxster.

Pie_n_Chips

Don't be shy it won't blow up

MarkWRX

I had one for a "test drive weeekend" a few weeks ago and loved it

The gearchange and handling were excellent, and the engine noise at high revs kept me grinning all the time. Felt bl00dy fast to me!! Went in one with a HKS exhaust as well, even better

Almost bought it there and then, but decided to wait for my RX-8 I have on order for October. If for some reason I dont like the RX8 (which I think is unlikely), I will almost certainly chop the STi for an S2000 next year.

SPelham

For 22K do you get the top of the range RX8 ???

dsmith

People fall into 2 camps - they either "get" the vtec and love it - or hate all the high revvy nonsense and slate it, then go and buy a diesel which they can drive lazily

I had a Civic VTi before my first scoob and loved the Vtec. Loved the fact it was completely un showy, (ths was a '92 3Dr VTi) , loved the fact most Golf GTi Drivers thought you were a granny on a day out unitl you put your foot down and left them behind, loved the way when you didnt want to be going fast it was a smooth, comfortable, quiet as a sewing machine Honda. But adored the sound as you went past 5.5K revs. adored the looks on passengers faces when you kept going past 7K revs. Every passenger I had who had an engineering background wanted to know more about the VTec.

And for something that revs so hard, so often, so freely, you never get a problem with a VTec engine !

Deano

Pie_n_Chips

Not much for the RX8

I broke the one they had on topgear within 5 minutes of sitting in it.

Suicide door are great tho'

MarkWRX

SPelham,

£22k buys you the 231ps RX8, £20k for the 192ps.

Extras are

Leather/Electric/Heated Seats £1200
Metallic £300
Sat Nav £1500
Sunroof £500

There are also loads of rather expensive Styling accessories just been released as I have a copy if the brochure.

See this months Evo for a comparison with the Golf R32, the RX8 does rather well

MarkWRX

Pie and Chips,

What did you manage to break? Im interested as I have one on order.

Mark

corradoboy

I've read a review of the RX8 in TopGear and they recommend the lower spec model. It's supposed to have more midrange torque and be a better drivers car than the faster accelerating top spec, which is a bit gutless by comparison on the move.

TG Review
Sitting in the late afternoon sun, Mazda's new RX-8 looks fantastic. It doesn't have the same air of sophistication as, say, an Audi TT, but with bold curves, wide wheelarches and glitzy details it makes for a brash alternative from a country proud to be different with its sports cars.
At the heart of it all is an equally unique rotary engine, developed from the ideas of Dr Felix Wankel. Mazda was one of the first mainstream manufacturers to realise the benefits of a good Wankel. It introduced the rotary engined Cosmo Sport 110S in 1967 and has been developing the technology ever since.
The latest generation RENESIS engine is a twin rotary unit with a combined displacement of 1.3 litres. Unlike its RX-7 predecessor, it doesn't rely on turbo-charging, yet manages to produce 189bhp or 228bhp depending on the state of tune.
Climbing aboard for the first time is quite an event. Behind each of the front doors is another mini door with no exterior handle. When the front doors are open, these open rearwards and leave a large pillarless hole to allow rear-seat passengers easy access. This makes the RX-8 surprisingly practical for up to four adults.
The interior is suitably performance-oriented, with a high transmission tunnel running between the front and rear sports seats. The dashboard is a bit plasticky, but it's nicely laid out and has a quality feel.
One of the main benefits of that RENESIS engine is its incredibly compact size. It has allowed Mazda's engineers to position it very close to the centre of the car, giving the RX-8 a mid-engined layout and perfect 50/50 weight distribution.
What this means in practice is well-balanced handling with little understeer. The RX-8 attacks corners with relish; feeling taut and controlled, and giving you the confidence to make the most of that rev-happy engine. Even in the less powerful 189bhp version, the pace builds swiftly and the snappy five-speed 'box and sharp steering don't say 'slow down'.
On the downside, a serious lack of low-end torque means you really need to work the gearbox, even when you're not in a playful mood. The more powerful 228bhp version actually has less torque, with 156lb ft at 5,500rpm instead of 162lb ft at 5,000. But you do get a six-speed gearbox to compensate.
In an attempt to woo fleet buyers, Mazda has offset the RX-8's high carbon dioxide figure and resulting tax percentage by keeping the list price of both models as low as possible. So what's good news for fleet managers is absolutely fantastic news for private buyers. Consequently, it makes a very serious case for itself on all fronts. It's so much more attention-grabbing than a BMW 3-Series coupe and costing from £20,000 to £22,000 it's a good deal cheaper and more practical than any of the latest crop of coupes.
If it were my money, I'd go for the visually identical and two grand cheaper 189bhp model. You only notice the power deficit when you're pushing it really hard and the extra torque comes in handy around town.


[Edited by corradoboy - 8/5/2003 6:17:03 PM]

Pie_n_Chips

Mark it was various bit of trim falling off in my hands that put me off the RX8, the rear ski flap and cd changer cover for one!

Now they did say that the car shown on Topgear had been specialy flown in for the event, so would expect it to be an abused press demo car. But still bits dropping off, reminds me of my ford owning days ) (Don't Ford own Mazda!!!)