I have a first year S2000 and I love it. It's not the fastest car on the planet but it will do 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and the quarter in 13.9. I've owned it for 10 years and it hasn't given me a moment of grief. I wish Honda would get back to performance cars. Killing the S2000 and the Acura NSX is a mistake.
I remember when I first went to buy my first car. It was between a Honda S2000 and a Nissan 350z. I test drove both of them and the Honda S2000 takes the cake if you want that pure race feel to it. Sure it doesn't have that torque as the 350z but the high revving motor takes that away. Sadly, I traded in my S2000 for a Evolution IX SE.
The S2k was design to be a roadster. So the truck space is the same with the hard top. The 350Z has a bigger truck space as a coupe version, it's normal that the roadster version has a smaller trunk
i have a hr 350z my friend has a s2000... my car is faster his car handles better. ive driven both and they feel like completely different cars. S2000 is more like a track car while the 350z is go sideways and smile car. after i driven both i realised you cant put them in the same category. and covertable 350z just no
s2000 has 240hp... 350z hr has 308hp... thats 68hp more. ive raced him in a straight. your talking out your arse. i like both cars but they are completely different. as for rarity it depends were you come from...
thats like saying a 2.0 size engine with 240hp will beat a 4.0 with 400hp. i agree with weight. the zeds faster in straight line. and my friend is a better driver than me... ive driven both... i love s2ks awsome car but they handle completely different.
Good choice mate. I test drove both the S2000 and 350Z three years ago and went with the S2000. I totally agree with the reviews. The S2000 is livelier and makes me feel like im in a race car. Its been my daily driver since. Only once when I bought 5.1 surround speakers did I not have enough space in the boot. The 350Z was a great car to drive, but I felt it was more of a holigan's GT car.
SO. COOL. This is the S2000 CR Edition, made only in the later couple years. Notice that Euro S2000s retained the AP1 engine after 2004, even after the American market started importing AP2 S2000s in 2004. Whats interesting is that the Euro 2004+ versions have an AP1 engine ALONG WITH the AP2's nicer rear and front bumpers, sexier front and rear lights, and upgraded interior. I have an MY07 AP2, but I've always wanted an AP1 for that extra bit of rawness. And you have alot of AP1 folks modding their bumpers and lights for the AP2 aesthetic look. The Euro 2004+ are the best of both worlds!!!
I never knew this. Always assumed the UK/Euro spec AP2 used the 2.2L. I drive a 1999 AP1, imported from Japan. The JDM AP1 has higher compression than the export market AP1 and subsequently revs to 9000/9200rpm (depending on what you read). It also has the highest peak power output of any S2000 at 252bhp. I knew non of this when I bought it, I just knew it had no rust and all the UK cars I looked at did!
I was pretty disappointed with the 350Z when I drove it. Reading the specs it could have been great, but it's like they tried to compromise too much in making it comfortable. The power is *too* smooth, so it never feels very fast when you put your foot down. Also, the engine noise was disappointing. A 3.5 liter V6 can sound glorious, but the 350Z never gave me the loud intake/exhaust tone I was looking for. The traction control was also completely unnecessary. I wound up with an S2000 =D
+Slightlyevil so im going to hopefully be getting mine around summer, is it comfortable ? reliable, good on gas? just some facts im trying to learn about
+Professor Chaos Comfort level depends on weight. I'm a larger guy so the bolsters dig into my sides. I've heard even skinnier folk complain about it some. There's plenty of leg room though so no worries there. Reliability wise falls down to how well it was taken care of but these engines are among the top in that department though. I wouldn't worry much and also you don't have to worry about a timing belt because it's a chain on this engine. If you get a 2006 or newer they changed the engine but it's just as nice only thing to watch for is oil consumption. Not a massive deal if you keep up on maintenance. Gets probably 25/26 hwy and 20 or so city. Good for a 280/300hp sports car.
I like them both personally. Two more interesting cars in a decade of quite boring stuff. You can get both second hand from £5-8k which is great value. I think the 350 looks better as stock, but a little tinkering of the S2000 and I think it looks great. Anyway, mates just bought a 350 so I guess I'll have to go 2000!
I tell you where you should look when you buy an used 2000. 1. clutch (early model) rattling sounds. 2. LSD: subtle noise. 3. soft top. 4. seats: look for 4-point seat belt attachment. (racing use: not recommended.) 5. Head light: cloudy head light means that car has been kept outside. Overall it is not an good idea to buy a 2000 which is over 100,000miles.
I was really pissed off that they picked a 350Z without "proper" roof! :( They don't look as sweet that way, but maybe it's just me. Anyways, sweet rides. The Japanese are truly amazing. Honestly, the modelling done here is just superb.
I love the S2000 and think that next to the Honda NSX it is the best car that Honda has came out with. If I could afford them I would own one of them. The thing that confuses me a little is how a lot of people think the S2000 is a manlier and better car than the Mazda Miata. they bother are sport cars and are two seater roadsters. But on a happier note I would pick the S2K over the 350z any day. P.S. I'm not talking any disrespect I was just wondering why. I like both these cars.
S2000, 4 cylinder . with 236 HP if u call the 350 a beast what do u call the s2000? "Big Daddy". If u never drove an s2000 dont say a word till u drive one! its not an every day Honda. This Car will make u rethink about "Honda"
This 'bitch' is the only woman i enjoy watching giving car reviews. She's as passionate about cars as any guys out there. And a fucking great driver too
I don't understand people that can't receive good information if it comes from a woman or whomever. Many people would be surprised at who is actually behind the development of their prides and joys.
true, the 350z was designed as a coupe and not a convertible they jjust took a coupe and cut the top and threw the convertible shit in there. thats what the lead car designer for the 350z said. he even said for the 370z spyder was designed totally separate from the 370 coupe. nice observation dude. id take the s2000 over the 350 spyder but 350 coupe vs s2000 is a tough choice for me both are really sweet cars but id rather mess around with a Inline 4 vtec then a v6 i think
Thank you, I don't see why people get all butthurt when it's clear that the 350 Roadster was designed as an afterthought, and doesn't look good period. But as I said, the 370 is MUCH better ;)
They should compare to the 370Z. Big difference! The 350 and 370 is definitely the faster car so if you want fast then that's the way to go. With that being said I do love the S2000's. I currently drive a 2007 Sentra Spec V but have been thinking of getting an S2000. They look nice, ride nice and I love the small sport compact feel to it. It's all about high powered 4 bangers IMO. They may not be the fastest cars in the world but they are alot more fun to drive.
@streetpunk83 Awesome! thats good to know i haven't of anyone's opinion that actually had both. I will definitively take that in consideration. Thanks again
they should race them. i used to really want an s2000, but the 350z is faster, so i'd rather have one of those. the s2000 has a much better jump, but the 350 pulls a lot harder
Another point; the S2000 is a very attractive roadster while the 350Z in roadster form does NOT look good top up OR down. It looks as if it was done quickly to get the droptop on market. The 370 does look better top down. but this isn't the 370 ;)
@jongs2k What makes a good sports car? What does a racer expect form a race car? Response, feel, and spirit. Racing drivers are amazing because they can feel everything in a car. Tire wear, engine response, vibrations, G-Forces better than any of us. So good driving = feel. What honda makes are cars that is about throttle response, great steering input and feedback, and a engine that RAWRs and just doesn't give up. No laggy turbo overweight cars. Honda = Racing Spirit.
i know you didnt, but i find it hard to believe that they DIDNT test a GTO and you said that they said it was the fastest coupe for under 40k. The GTO is actually a really good car too. Ive driven all sorts of imports and domestics and yes the camaros and firebirds and such dont handle well, but they are fast in a line. The GTO however is great all around. It isnt even an American car, but an Australian Holden Commodore. they handle very well and are actually quite luxurious.
@AgileMJOLNIR I own both a 370z and a S2000. The 370z is faster easily, but the 350z and S2000 are about the same speed on a roll. As far as handling, the 350z is a truck compared to the other two. The 370z wins on grip, but the S2000 still handles far better and is much more fun to drive.
Give me the S2000 over the 350 even though there is a hp deficit. That can be fixed if needed. Still, it's the more pure sports car of the two, the handlng feel is better, the steering and gearbox more precise.
@hippievogelei 2002 WINNERS 1-litre to 1.4-litre: Honda 1.3-litre IMA 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre: Toyota 1.8-litre VVTL-i 190 1.8-litre to 2-litre: Honda 2-litre (S2000) 2-litre to 2.5-litre: PSA Peugeot-Citroën 2.2-litre HDi 2.5-litre to 3-litre: BMW 3-litre 3-litre to 4-litre: BMW 3.2-litre
An AP2 S2000 revs to a little over 8300, and an HR 350Z revs to 7600. That's not really that much different. Even the oldest Z revs to 6600 versus 9000 of the AP1, 2400rpm difference.
I would recommend u look around and buy an "02 or '03. I seen a couple of these things selling for less than 15k and the mileage aren't that bad either. Something like 60k -90k . Make sure u buy it from someone who takes care of it though if it's got high mileage. I have an 2002 with 89k and no problem at all. I'm bought it brand new. U can't go wrong with Honda. It's worth about 13k-15k kbb.
@barbarshater A factory NSX-R destroys a factory R34 on the 1/4 mile and on track. The NSX was 1st car to have aluminium chassis. NSX was 1st car to have throttle by wire. NSX used Variable Valve Timing which was 1st used by Honda. Nissan Toyota BMW and a lot of other super car companies use these technologies. Honda made the most powerful F1 engines whether turbo or N/A. Dominated F1 in the 80s and 90s. Nissan can't even make a engine on F1 cause Nissan relies on turbos to make power.
The the roadster models are much heavier due to extra bracing which makes a huge difference on the 0-60 time, but it's more like 5.7 (Which is what she says the base model does it in, in a different video which is also wrong)
@c312eal Honda wasn't first with VVT. Alfa Romeo were the first to use it in mass produce it, then came Nissan (oh snap!), then Honda came with it. HOWEVER, Honda were the first to use two separate cam profiles and actively change between them (thereby the VTEC and the VTI-series of cars like the civic).
such a shame that honda dropped the s2000. :( i'm thinking of buying a 2001 s2000 for $9,500, is that a good idea? it's got over 100,000 miles though, but my experience with hondas tells me that it probably hasn't even broken a sweat yet and can last easily another 100,000 miles. what do you think?
That's because the Z driver was laughing at you the whole time and feathering the throttle. There is a 0 percent chance of a shitbox 3.4 camaro beating a high 13's car stock like a Z. The 306hp ones are only a little slower than a 6-speed LS1 camaro...
Honda used to be great, but in the past few years, they've grown too conservative, and honestly, they're cars are rubbish! I loved the old Honda's like the NSX, S2000, Prelude, Integra, Legend, old Civic Si's. The new Si looks like crap, no improvement on power, and only revs to 7,000 RPM. They're models look boring, and they're focusing more on their minivans and SUV's rather than their sports cars or coupes.
with a good driver, a (manual) 2007 GTO will run low 13s (13.24) and people have rumored even high 12s. No way is a 350 faster, and the GTO begins at 31k.
@SK8MG01 the S is ready to be compared against the, z3, boxter, mx-5, 350z, solstice/sky (not the GXP or Redline versions though lol)...point is, now-a-days all of those cars are around the same price range....i love my s2000, it is not a dragster lol...everyone wants to redlight race me, but my car, like the other cars, are meant for twisties and canyon runs...good point with your comment though...the 350 is just not the same..
@barbarshater History is what makes today. The history of the NSX is what inspired the super car industry today. No one used aluminium until the NSX. Now cars like the R8 use aluminum chassis. No one used Variable Valve timing now everyone uses it. Drive by wire is used by most luxury cars. If you want to see a new Honda super car, look up the HSV-010. Honda was to release it by because of the recession it didn't seem favourable. And they were right, they were doing the best during the recession
@oneshotkill324 i know full well that a 351 didnt make 500 from the factory, didnt even make 200. thats the point im making. comparing a heavily modified motor to a standard factory one is more than a little bias. its true that a larger engine will generate more power than a small one, thats a fact im not going to dispute. going for a few laps in a V8 super car was one of the best times i have had. but saying that the 2000 is lame compared to a highly tuned v8 is overly bias
@mushaddiv yea.. If they put the roof in the trunk (if they could bend it lol) And then try to load the weekend luggage bag. I think the Nissan has more room. They didn't street race the cars all they did was go by feel..
personaly i go for performance, and my 2003 Z (im stock) eat any S2000 stock as well. and its true the V6 engine have a lot of power at low revs that make it easier to drive. i can shift gears at 2000rpms no problem for fuel economy.
S2000 is a much funner and better car. Performance and torque are not up to par with the 350z.. but its a proper sports car. The minute you sit in it.. you feel like your in a race car. S2000 is much more reliable to. I have 2 friends with them.. and they constantly abuse the fuck out of them, driving them so hard everywhere they go.. and no problems at all. S2000 will get you in alot of trouble. They feel faster than they actually are though.. so dont try racing v8s and such.
Ive owned both, have to say i prefer the S2000. The Z has a crappy gearbox, feels awkward to drive and too many niggles. Honda build quality is much better.
@barbarshater NSX's destroy supras and GT-R on track. Heavy restrictions were placed on the NSX in SuperGT(Pinnacle of Japanese Factory Car tuning) because of its chassis, layout and cornering abilities. Honda is 1st and foremost not a car company but a engine company. They had a era or domination in Formula 1 (the pinnacle of automotive engineering and racing). Nissan tried to be a engine supplier and failed. They can't make powerful N/A engines and rely on turbos. While Honda can make both.
Its not about where the car was made, its about how a country says a letter. I was trying to justify their accent. Im not telling telling you how to say Z, because zee is right in the states but its different the Britain and other places.
@barbarshater If you want to talk shit about the S2000 and Honda it's got more heart than nissan and its 350z. The F20C engine in the S2000 has a 125hp/1L output for a N/A. This technology comes straight outta Formula 1. The 350Z only makes 87hp/1L for a N/A. Nissan tried to enter Formula 1 as a engine supplier and they failed miserably. They realized they can't make power without turbos. And even then Honda dominated the Formula 1 Turbo era. Make engines with over 1000hp.
the Honda is cheaper, more practical, has a 2 liter engine, (so when your not racing you wont be at the pump) and it revs to 9 thousand rpm. so you buy it, throw a turbo on it and it'll eat mustangs
oh thanks a lot man. lol, right now i'm still in the phase of gawking at it on autotrader XD, but when i actually go test-driving and looking at them, i'll definitely keep your advice in mind.
Um, a stock 300ZX TT is NOT faster than a stock 07-08 350Z with 265whp. Nor is it more agile. Did you drive an auto 2003 model or something? Clarkson only drove the old Z as well.
@shayan130 my dad has a boxter s and he complains about how he misses his s2000 all the time. he chose the s2000 twice over the boxter s as he has owned 2. now 5 years later he got the boxter s. although he does love the boxter. he always says nothing drives like an s2000. and i must say im glad to own one myself. both great cars.
unfortunately my dream is shattered :(. i'm 6'5'' and at the new york auto show, i attempted to sit inside the s2000. attempted... unsuccessfully. maybe if i was 4 or 5 inches shorter, but the car is not tall friendly.
@cookieee compare bikes with bikes and compare cars with cars. a normal car would have probably 6500-7000 rpm while the s2000 has 9000 rpm. so in car terms, that's comparable to "your" superbike rpm against a normal bike's rpm. i wish some people would use their common sense first.
An 07-08 Z isn't running anything less than mid 13's. Even Insideline, which always has slow numbers for all their cars, got a 13.6 out of one: watch?v=QOP-r810Uco. Says it's the fastest rear drive coupe under 40K they've ever tested. I assume that include a 3.4 camaro. Lol.
