Drove a S2000 today

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radnulb

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Drove a colleague's dad's S2000 today.
Didn't really beat on it that hard because I didn't want to lose the rear end of a car that wasn't mine driving back to work from the restaurant.

Wasn't impressed with performance. Handling was pretty damn nice - not only did it corner amazingly responsively and predictably, but it also wasn't obnoxious to drive on crappy city streets. Lost the rear end a little once, and it was so easy to correct it. Very nice weight balance.

I was expecting a lot more low-midrange from a car with that high compression. The only time the thing remotely pulled was way up top ... 7000+ What the fuck? Granted, this was a *s*t*o*c*k* S2000, but what gives? Am I just spoiled by the turbo CRX? The 2L F20C had nothing on the 1.8L built GSR (in a heavy ass EK too, I might add) I just got done tuning either...

Nice summer ride. I like it much better than the Del Sol, which is my next favorite summer honda.
 
Yeah, even the new 2.2L S2K's are still lackluster under about 5500-6000 rpms. But, they aren't a straight line car. Keep the engine boiling between 6-9k revs and hit the twisties. You'll crap your pants at how wonderfully the car behaves.
 
Originally posted by radnulb@Jul 12 2004, 01:34 PM
Drove a colleague's dad's S2000 today.
Didn't really beat on it that hard because I didn't want to lose the rear end of a car that wasn't mine driving back to work from the restaurant.

Wasn't impressed with performance. Handling was pretty damn nice - not only did it corner amazingly responsively and predictably, but it also wasn't obnoxious to drive on crappy city streets. Lost the rear end a little once, and it was so easy to correct it. Very nice weight balance.

I was expecting a lot more low-midrange from a car with that high compression. The only time the thing remotely pulled was way up top ... 7000+ What the fuck? Granted, this was a *s*t*o*c*k* S2000, but what gives? Am I just spoiled by the turbo CRX? The 2L F20C had nothing on the 1.8L built GSR (in a heavy ass EK too, I might add) I just got done tuning either...

Nice summer ride. I like it much better than the Del Sol, which is my next favorite summer honda.
Click to expand...

The S2000 head flows way too well for that motor to create a strong bottom end/midrange/large amounts of torque. The car is also not a turbo'd CRX, the S2000 does exactly what you said it did well, it handles, in an easy predictable manner. I have driven two now, one bone stock and one with suspension mods and I/H/E. Not much difference in speed on the streets between the two, but what the car does so well is maintain speed through the turns, and handle the twisties like no other. In a straight line the thing is slow, and it is not what the car was designed to do.
 
Is this Swap related? Yea didnt think so... I drove an S2K as well...
 
ONE YEAR AGO:

ME: 1996 honda civic coupe. Stock 1.6L enginge. Greddy 15g kit installed. Blow off valve. NO INTERCOOLER. STOCK EXHAUST.

OTHER GUY: stock (looking) s2000.

THE SCENE:

Marine blvd. in redondo beach. A solid mile of straight wide road with no stoplights, no cross traffic (semi inustrial area).

I seen douchebag coming up, and he was leaning to the side engine blaring off the rev limiter. Thought to myself, lets see how I can hang with one of those. Two weeks ago, I raced my buddies z3 and beat him by a fender.

I inch forward in hopes that he would do the same. Didnt even look over at him (this is cali we are talking about. you dont look at the other guy cuz you might get shot)

Light turns green, I launch, he does whatever and im off and running.

Bottom of first gear: Im 1/2 car length ahead
Bottom of second gear: (I hear his shitbox screaming bloody murder) I'm up a car length

Bottom of third gear: Look in my rearview mirror and he was keeping pace at one car length behind me

Bottom of fourth gear (1/4 mile had passed im sure) He starts to gain.

Bottom of fifth gear: He had a car length on me.



So you see, if a shitty 1.6L, heavy ass EK coupe, with only a greaddy kit, no exhaust and no intercooler can hang with an s2000 in a straightaway.....

dont expect much.

but im sure if I had met the guy on the hills of Palos Verdes Estates, he woulda handed me my ass a hundred-fold.
 
radnulb... the ecu is the bottle neck of the entire car... you should do some work on that. People have seen more low end power just from simple fuel and timing adjustments via AEM EMS...
 
yeah I imagine that honda has that thing MASSIVELY detuned due to the high compression.
 
not only the ecu but the final drive on the 2liter versions is shitty, lots of S2k guys upgrade to either 4.55, 4.7 finals, in that range
 
ever driven one on the expressway? for a track only car yea upgrade the final drive.. but 6th gear at 80 mph was a solid 4600 rpm or so
 
I have a friend with an 03 s2k. I have done a Comptech s/c, ecu fuel and timing piggyback, fpr, header, cat-back, and many other suspension and interior mods. Anyways, it still is a turd on low end until v-tec and s/c kick in at 6500 rpm's. Then you better hold on. It runs 13 flat 1/4's spinning through the 8th. Also has centerforce dfx clutch. I am about to do 4.55 final drives and see how that picks it up. The cars are designed for smooth power while still giving economy. They are built to handle and many guys prefer it for the autocross circuits. I enjoy driving his, even though I have to leave the line at 8500 rpm's.
 
the motor is designed for high end power. If you want it to go fast, you have to drive it there. People would also be complaining if the thing got 17 mpg on the highway.
 
Originally posted by Tonyd0821@Jul 12 2004, 04:16 PM
I raced my buddies z3 and beat him by a fender.
[post=362042]Quoted post[/post]​
Click to expand...

You beat him by a Z3 Fender..... :bo: Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! :bo: ........... Ricer.
 
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