Re: Re: Lol, I personally like both versions, but I'm too young and I don't earn my own money, yet.....
Re: 2004 S2000...? 2.2L engin Actually, in car and driver's 2004 "Ultimate Comparisons" issue, the S2000 beat out the Z4, Boxster, TT roadster, and the 350Z. The S2000 was found to be the best all around sports car. The car's only drawback is that it does better as the second car that you use on the weekends. We yanks have a torque fetish, so the S2000 won't appeal to those who cruise most of the time. But I'm not fond of cruising, which is why my first encounter with the S2000 resulted in one frightended public, not to mention the person sitting next to me. But speeding tickets aside, it's the car that wants you to make it run, and it gets bored when you treat it like an accord.
Wow, its been a long time since I have posted here. Just wanted to let you guys know that the 2.2 litre actually makes more horsepower than the older 2.0 in addition to the torque you have been talking about. Before I get flamed allow me to explain, this car really makes somewhere between 265-270 BHP now, the guys at s2ki.com who have had their 04's dynoed are putting down more than an additional 20 WHP than previous model years. Not only does the car make more torque as well, but it had shorter gearing than the older S-2000's as well, the car FEELS that much faster than the old ones. And realistically should run a couple of tenths faster. Furthermore as a guy who has driven both versions of the car I can say the 04' is much more enjoyable, I am not ecstatic at the drop in RPM's either but the changes more than make up for it. Realistically there will be modifications out there allowing you to bump the RPM's as well. A fairly common mod to the older S-2000's was the Toda stroker kit to bump displacement to 2.2 litres, and keep the same redline.
The S2000 has a ragtop. Engine noise is nothing comaired to cabin noise (at cruise). Besides, if you buy a ragtop, you shouldn't care about practicality concerns like noise. It's a toy. That said, the S2000 in our garage is used as a daily driver. The lack of torque only matters (against cars that the s2000 can beat) if you 1. can't drive or 2. [your machismo] can't handle someone accelerating faster than you. If EITHER are the case, you should immediately buy a 1000+ CC sport bike, not a car. Go for a 99x Ducati. They may not have 1000+, but I'm sure it doesn't matter too much. The cylinder velocity at 9000 RPM on the '03/prior is greater than that of the BAR Honda F1 engines at 19,000 RPM. When they bumped the stroke (for '04), the velocities got even greater, so a decrease in redline was required to keep the rods intact (so to speak). The '03 is plenty fun and fast, even out of VTEC, but my daily driver can hit 60 in 9.5 seconds (the one in my avatar), so whenever I drive the S2000, you get my point. I've never driven the '04, so I don't know how it compairs. More torque is great, but something makes me laugh uncontrollably when I hear the engine reving to 9k. It's truely cool to me. If you want more torque go with a 350Z Roadster. If you want REALLY more torque go with a Corvette. If you like the S2000, well, the choice is simple - isn't it? Honda shouldn't need to mass-market the S2000 (not talking about changes in '04). At one car per month to select dealers, it's not mass-produced.