I just put down money on the rx-8 2 weeks ago and can't wait till it comes out. My friend told me it looks cool but its just a s2000 with 4 d00rs. It got me thingking the rx-8 is like the s2000 without the vtec. I am excited with the rx-8, and I would like to hear some comparo comments on s2000/ rx-8.

The RX-8 will beat the S2000 in EVERY performance category except perhaps slalom, but I don't know about that one yet.

Braking, accelleration, handling, price, fun to drive... willl all beat the S2000.

"Braking, accelleration, handling, price, fun to drive... willl all beat the S2000."

I don't think so.... Where are you getting this information from? C&D? :eek: I have seen S2000 doing 0-60 mid to low 5 seconds on a consistent basis. Handling and fun to drive? Have you driven the S2000 or got a ride in one? How about a RX-8? So I wouldn't state these as 'facts' not even 'personal opinions' just yet. The S2000 is a great fun to drive sport car. If you have ever been to an AutoX event or see one in action, you'd know. Praise the RX-8 all you want, but why put down other cars? Especially when you don't even have any facts or experience to back up your claims. However, since all you seem to care about is statistics printed on car magazines, I suppose you can say whatever you want, Mr. Moderator. On any other forum though, that might get you labeled as a magazine racer or worse yet - a troll.

:roll eyes:

Hercules,
Since both cars are not out yet, the best we can do is magazine race. Please see my thread linked below where I compare the two cars. My analysis may be wrong, but that's how I see it so far.


http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3349

Hmm... acceleration. I've seen low 5's for the stook, so I'm not so sure about that.

I'll just correct one thing, in that the RX-8 has thrown a higher skidpad number than the S2000 in C&D (.91g) and got a .90 from SCC.

Acceleration is right now the only thing the S2000 will beat the RX-8 in. And if it's true that the RX-8 had a port opening problem as seen by SCC, then the 5.9 seconds that's been gotten by C&D and R&T will go down a bit more, perhaps to the mid 5s.

As per the handling and fun to drive.... I just base it off the magazines but I'll admit it -- I'm biased :)

And I *have* driven an S2000... a friend of mine got one and it's a gorgeous car. I am not putting it down in the slightest.

I think right now... we will have to wait and see but at least per the dimensions of the RX-8, it does a damn good job. Let's leave it at that.

And my apologies about the accelleration.. I did a cursory look at Edmunds to grab a time so I wasn't aware of what was actually gotten out there.

I drove my friend's and I don't think he'd appreciate if I revved it up past 6k and dropped it :p

Call it a hunch :)

Have you ever seen "body roll softness" and undesteer used in a description of the S2000's handling? The RX8 has broader goals than the S2000 and has to make some compromises. From a PURE PERFORMANCE/Fun Factor, I think the RX8 will come short based on what I have seen so far, but test drives will need to be done to say for sure.

Steady there Herc - I doubt the RX-8 will be faster in acceleration (0-60 and 1/4 mile) as a lot of people have got around 5.5 and 13.8 secs respectively with the S2000 (with 7-8k rpm clutch-drops). But the RX-8 should be more drivable under normal conditions than the stook thanks to more torque and smoothness throughout the rev range.

I am getting an RX-8 because I am HOPING it's like a 4-seat hardtop S2000 (driving one was the most fun I've ever had alone in a car ;)). The S2000 is usually compared to the Porche Boxster and wins 95% of the time - I 've tested both several times and I would choose the $32k S2000 even if the Boxster I drove was $30k instead of $50k. So if the RX-8 is favourably compared to these hard-core sports cars that is high praise indeed IMO.

Whoops - looks like everyone beat me to the acceleration correction, sorry.

I think the smoothness of the rotary makes the RX-8 more of an everyday driver than the S2000. I can't stand that lawnmower shake :P

Here's a simple way to see if a car is faster straight line. Weight of the car devided by the horsepower:
RX-8 = 12.16
S2000 = 11.6

S2000 is faster.

As for handling. I think we need to wait for a comparison of both the RX-8 and S2000 at the same time, in the same conditions. On a hunch I'd say both are top notch and I might give the S2000 a slight advantage due it the weight.

Originally posted by AbusiveWombat
Here's a simple way to see if a car is faster straight line. Weight of the car devided by the horsepower:
RX-8 = 12.16
S2000 = 11.6

S2000 is faster... Not that the S2000 won't be faster, that's a very general guess at performance, because it doesn't take into consideration gearing, and how much HP the engine puts out over the entire rpm run.

---jps

Right, Peak horsepower is only a way to judge how fast the car runs if it is ONLY run at peak horsepower. Try driving any VTEC just in its peak range, and you'll soon realize that it just doesn't work. It's all about the Area under the curve when you are talking about accelleration. And the gearing required to maximize the use of the power-band.

Originally posted by Hercules
The RX-8 will beat the S2000 in EVERY performance category except perhaps slalom, but I don't know about that one yet.

Braking, accelleration, handling, price, fun to drive... willl all beat the S2000.
Hercules, I think your blind enthusiasm for the RX-8 is affecting your ability to think clearly and objectively.. . :confused: When people compare the 350Z to the 8 using numbers you jump on them telling them NOT to do that because nobody has had a chance to drive the 8, that numbers don't mean anything, etc, etc... YET you yourself are telling us that the 8 handles better then the S2000 because it pulled .01 g better on two different skidpads?! Give me break Herc.. I think you should step back and reevaluate what being a moderator is on a forum. I can appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication to the 8 but you just lost a lot of credibility here imo.. :(

The S should accelerate faster in a pure 1/4 mile race. I suspect it will handle better than the 8 as the S's mission is pure sports car while the 8 does make some compromises to appeal to a broader market. I haven't seen braking numbers yet so I won't say anything there. Price the S is cheaper but what does that mean? Fun to drive? Are you kidding me? You don't have any basis to compare and even then I would suspect the S with the top down and the revs up is one of the most fun to drive cars available right now.

Most of the time the formula works...it's not exact but generally it works +90% of the time. For exact you'll need area under the curve and calculate gearing, but I don't know anyone who calculates all of that? I don't because in the end you'll still have the same answer I came up with...S2000 is faster. Don't get me wrong...the S2000 will not destroy the RX-8...it'll be close but if drivers are the same, my bet is on the S2000.

Originally posted by Quick_lude

Hercules, I think your blind enthusiasm for the RX-8 is affecting your ability to think clearly and objectively.. . :confused: When people compare the 350Z to the 8 using numbers you jump on them telling them NOT to do that because nobody has had a chance to drive the 8, that numbers don't mean anything, etc, etc... YET you yourself are telling us that the 8 handles better then the S2000 because it pulled .01 g better on two different skidpads?! Give me break Herc.. I think you should step back and reevaluate what being a moderator is on a forum. I can appreciate your enthusiasm and dedication to the 8 but you just lost a lot of credibility here imo.. :(

The S should accelerate faster in a pure 1/4 mile race. I suspect it will handle better than the 8 as the S's mission is pure sports car while the 8 does make some compromises to appeal to a broader market. I haven't seen braking numbers yet so I won't say anything there. Price the S is cheaper but what does that mean? Fun to drive? Are you kidding me? You don't have any basis to compare and even then I would suspect the S with the top down and the revs up is one of the most fun to drive cars available right now. You didn't read my follow up posts.

I already apologised. Sometimes I get ancy and it was really early for me when I posted :p

Wow, seems like a lot of people are comparing the rx8 to the S2000. There is also something like this going on at s2ki.com:

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109698

However, the thread is pretty dead right now. Everyone seemed kinda bored of the comparison. :p

Well the comparison should have been expected, both cars are great performers with high revving, small displacement(relatively speaking) engines and great handling traits. The mission for each car though cannot be compared.. The S is a pure roadster with emphasis on performance and little everyday practicality, the 8 is a much better "every day" vehicle with very good performance.. And the low price comparitively speaking does not hurt either. :) This is why unless I can afford two cars, the 8 is my choice right now as my next car.

About the only thing the RX-8 and the S2000 share in common is they have a peaky, high specific power engine that is a bit low on torque at low revs. They maybe the only two engines with the characteristics like 9000 rpm redlines, high hp, low torque, wheezy down low. That makes it natural to compare them, but they are totally different cars. The S2000 has often been said to be a great track car but not so great in day-to-day driving. I would suspect the inverse is true of the RX-8, though it would probably do OK on a track. You are comparing two seats, four seats-... two doors, fourdoors... roadster, hard top... both may sporting, but other than the engines the similarity ends there. Well, they are priced close to each other, too.

The S2000 is built for sport with no compromises. The RX-8 has tons of compromises, but is a far more appealing car IMHO.

ALL YOU GUYS ARE ARGUING OVER .5 OFA SECOND HERE OR THERE .I BELIEVE BOTH THESE CARS ARE GREAT IN THEIR OWN WAYS .LITTEN UP GUYS .THE MOST PRONOUNCED DIFERENCE THAT I APPRECIATE THE MOST APART FROM THE SUPERB ROTARY ENGINE IS THE FACT THAT I CAN TAKE OUT 3 EXTRAS BABES AT ONETIME INSTEAD OF ONLY 1 HA- HA- HA DONT WOORY BE HAPPY ....

my "ears" hurt from reading ur post. :p Turn off caps lock plz.

s2000 / rx-8
both cars are great and thanks for the comparo comments.
I say rx-8 is a better car bcz of the practicallity, the back seat " if you know what I mean", it looks much sexier than the s2000 "2 my eyes", and its couple of grand cheaper than the s2000 with every option.

In performance wise well...lets just say both cars are equal till the rx-8 comes out and we see the outcome.

0.5 of a second at +90 mph is a big difference.

well, you never know.......maybe scc was right.....:p

Originally posted by chenpin
well, you never know.......maybe scc was right.....:p I'm thinking it's likely... only because the R&T article shows the RX-8 as choking at the top end... very uncharacteristic of a rotary.

The mission for each car though cannot be compared.. The S is a pure roadster with emphasis on performance and little everyday practicality, the 8 is a much better "every day" vehicle with very good performance

I came extremley close to purchasing an S2000. The ONLY reasons I did not go through with it was the lack of sufficient luggage room, and I really needed the flexibility to haul up to 4 people.

So to answer the original poster, it really depends on what needs you perceive the car must meet. My needs obviously meant the RX-8 was in my future, when comparing the two.

The plus the S2000 adds is the drop-top... since the RX-8 is not offered that way yet, I did elect to include the Moonroof.

As far as performance, the two are close enough to satisfy my 'fun factor'.

Both cars have their pros and cons. Ppl buy each car for different purposes.

Some if not most of those guys use it as a summer time car and lock it up for the winter. They're buying it for the droptop/performance. Where I'm guessin RX-8 guys will be looking to use this car daily (just speculation).

Originally posted by CraziFuzzy
Right, Peak horsepower is only a way to judge how fast the car runs if it is ONLY run at peak horsepower. Try driving any VTEC just in its peak range, and you'll soon realize that it just doesn't work. It's all about the Area under the curve when you are talking about accelleration. And the gearing required to maximize the use of the power-band.

I definitely agree with CraziFUzzy on this. I'd love to see a side by side dyno plot of an RX-8 vs. S2000.

From what I've seen in the past, the RX-8 and S2000 are within about .1 of a sec. in the 1/4 with one winning over the other depending on the source. Of course, only a drive in a production car will tell the tale for sure.

;)

Originally posted by DTECH-RX
I'd love to see a side by side dyno plot of an RX-8 vs. S2000.

as the Official Forum (club?) Genie (aka: Search Wizard) for the next 20 seconds, your wish is granted...

http://rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=21289#post21289

(yeah yeah, Buger did all the work :p)

as you can see, they are VERY close, close enough to be classified in the same class as sports cars...
given that the RX-8 is a little heavier ('bout 200lbs) and has back seats, it's a pretty damned fine accomplishment by any standards.

dammit... dynograph..... where IS it??

HERE!! :D scroll down, i am the master.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=931&perpage=20&pagenumber=8

Originally posted by DTECH-RX
From what I've seen in the past, the RX-8 and S2000 are within about .1 of a sec. in the 1/4 with one winning over the other depending on the source. Of course, only a drive in a production car will tell the tale for sure.

;)
Nope, I've seen 1/4 mile times in high 13's like 13.9 for the S2000 stock. Of course to get those times you need to launch at 7K rpm and be really good at etc, so the odds of most people in the S doing this are remote. I'm curious how easy to launch the 8 will be.. but you still need the high rpm launch like the S per C&D

there are a few things that ive noticed in countless threads in many forums such as the g35, bimmer, and here:

when it comes to saying the rx8 (or other car) is a great sports car, everyone jumps along and joins in saying "oh yeah, its great, one of the best in that price range"... and then if its possible a car is better, then people fall back to "well, this car has something that sports car doesnt"

i mean things start off as sport-sport comparisons and then if they cant win, they say "well as a whole car X is better because it has this"

i think the rx8 its meant to be a sports car, not some family hauler. the cars it has competed against are the g35 coupe, mustang SVT cobra (and probably go up against the 350z - dont know if this has been done and im not claiming i know with 100% confidence so im covering myself with the flaming that cud follow)

the cars i mentioned were sports cars, not family cars. the rx8 is a sports car ... you cant just choose when its a sports car and when its a well-balanced family/sports car

if a car is hypothetically better, (like this thread is talking about), who cares... if ure getting it for its pure sport nature, the WRX sti is probably better. get the rx8 cuz u like it, not cuz u believe its the best 30K sports car out there

eternal - get the rx8 cuz u like it, not cuz u believe its the best 30K sports car out there

R U generalizing that or pointing that at me.:eek:
If it's at me:p , I am getting that car because I like it. I've been droooling over that car since the rx-evolve. I don't think its the best 30k sports car out there,but I do think its the sexiest one out there in the 30k range.

It's the best at what it does... carrying four adults and putting a smile on your face.

For 30k there's no other car that can do it as well.

Originally posted by Hercules
It's the best at what it does... carrying four adults and putting a smile on your face.

For 30k there's no other car that can do it as well.

Some might argue for the EVO on that one.

and/or the Subaru Impreza.

Originally posted by Hercules
It's the best at what it does... carrying four adults and putting a smile on your face.

For 30k there's no other car that can do it as well.


yup, just like a piont was made by the individuals above me, there are quite a few cars that can "put that smile on ur face".

its a matter of preference like i said earlier (and dont resort to finding more reasons to make it better cuz thats what this whole s2000 - rx8 comparison turned into)

MOOGLE - it was a generalization, so wasnt targetting you with that remark

EVO or Impreza? Oh please.... ;)

http://www.rasterwerks.com/link/2003_revitup/images/IMG_0314.jpg

EVO or Impreza? Oh please....

I'm not saying I'd want to own one, just that they get the job done.

Wow that color is really nice...

LOL, a refrigerator gets the job done also. Doesn't mean it's desireable from an emotional/beauty standpoint. :D

toadman - LOL, a refrigerator gets the job done also. Doesn't mean it's desireable from an emotional/beauty standpoint.

Yup so true... subaru's and evo's can make a smile, but could it make u drool.

JEFUS!!!... that's such a beautiful pic. Is that my silver that I am getting:p .

Originally posted by moogle

JEFUS!!!... that's such a beautiful pic. Is that my silver that I am getting:p . [/B]

Nope... that's the Titanium Gray that I'M getting... :D

Originally posted by moogle



JEFUS!!!... that's such a beautiful pic. Is that my silver that I am getting:p .

no this is the sunlight silver!

silver too!!

EVO/Impreza
Of course it's a matter of taste but dang they are two ugly arse cars. Was it R&T that said the RX-8 was the "prettiest car to ever come from Japan"? You'll never hear those words about either of those. :) My son has a WRX and every time I see it I cringe. I guess it looks cool in a rally car kind of way.

Originally posted by TJRX8

Of course it's a matter of taste but dang they are two ugly arse cars. Was it R&T that said the RX-8 was the "prettiest car to ever come from Japan"? You'll never hear those words about either of those. :) My son has a WRX and every time I see it I cringe. I guess it looks cool in a rally car kind of way.


I think the NSX is the prettiest car from Japan. Afterall, they call it the "japanese ferrari"

Originally posted by exzeltus
I think the NSX is the prettiest car from Japan. Afterall, they call it the "japanese ferrari" I thought that it looked very nice too, until they replaced the flip-up lights with those "frog-eye" headlights. They totally ruined the lines of the car, IMHO.

---jps

Originally posted by Sputnik
I thought that it looked very nice too, until they replaced the flip-up lights with those "frog-eye" headlights. They totally ruined the lines of the car, IMHO.

---jps

totally ditto... but i could never like the shape of a rear-engined car over a long-hooded front-engined one: the FD3S is the best of all-time Japanese designs, IMO, and easily that too.

Originally posted by wakeech


totally ditto... but i could never like the shape of a rear-engined car over a long-hooded front-engined one: the FD3S is the best of all-time Japanese designs, IMO, and easily that too.

totally ditto... :D

If the FD3S is the last RX-7 that we got here...then I agree.
I still like the late 90's Eclipse GSX and Spyder GST as well.

ditto on the nsx... they shouldn't have taken the flip lights.

Isn't this thread comparing the rx8/s2000 ? Well, this is from Edmunds.com:

The engine will spin to 9,000-rpm faster than you can say "rev limiter" and feels more willing at high rpm than even Honda's S2000 because of the rotary's phenomenal smoothness. Midrange torque is fully adequate and a second burst of power comes on at about 7,000 rpm, giving the RX-8 a larger "sweet zone" than that offered by Honda's roadster or the Toyota Celica GT-S.