I don't understand how the S2000 is so much faster then the Rx-8. They have roughly the same horsepower and same torque, but the 8 begins making the power much earlier, as it does not have to wait for V-tech to kick in. Yet every race I have seen or heard of involves the S2000 killing the 8. Why???

I don't understand how the S2000 is so much faster then the Rx-8. They have roughly the same horsepower and same torque, but the 8 begins making the power much earlier, as it does not have to wait for V-tech to kick in. Yet every race I have seen or heard of involves the S2000 killing the 8. Why???

The s2000 is about 200 pounds lighter I believe, and it has more power than the 8 does. The 238 is a little sketchy and many believe that it's more around 220 or so. The Honda however makes the power that is stated. The suspensions of both cars are pretty awesome, but I think, at least from stories I've read on here, that the 8 is more than competition for the s2000 around a track.

Number one: the S2000 isn't that much faster. In a straight line the S2000 will not have a very large advantage over the RX-8. The S2000 does weigh about 200-300lbs less than an RX-8 which makes a significant difference in acceleration and handling. It also has a stiffer suspension that most people has said is not very forgiving towards use as a daily driver which is why its a bit quicker on the track, the RX-8 is more geared towards handling well and being comfortable on the street.

I havent read anything that shows the S2000 "killing" the Rx-8.

It's about 200 pounds lighter and I think Mazda overestimates our HP. And how long does it take them to hit V-tech in first gear? And once they hit V-Tech in first, they are in it until the race is finshed.

It is lighter, smaller, tuned slightly more aggressively, and has more power. Not by much on any of those, but just enough to make a difference. On a track it would come down to how good of a driver are you.

Just out of curiosity, anybody know which car has the stiffer chassis?

Just out of curiosity, anybody know which car has the stiffer chassis?
The S2000.

Stiffer suspension, not chassis, there's a diference. Lets not forget the S2000 is a convertible.

1) 200 lbs. less weight
2) A genuine 240 HP versus what is likely 215-225 HP
3) Different gearing, suspension geometry, tires?
4) Less engine inertia/better throttle response (will not show up as HP)

I've raced with an s2000 before and it was a draw. He was stock and i had racing beat exhaust and k&n intake and the rx8 club stickers lol. I was louder then him but yea it was pretty even. And no it wasn't on a street.

Hmmmm...... sounds funny, but I used to drive an S2K as a company car and I could swear it has many similar performance characteristics to the Rx8.

The first time I drove the 8, I felt a certain degree of familiarity with the S2K, with the only exception being the gearing.

The S2K always seems to be in the "meaty" part of its power band everytime you shift gears at high rpms, maybe this is where the 8 loses out?

Both are fun to drive and have similar performance (at least to me) but I'll take the 8's practicality and daily driveablilty over the S2K anyday.

Why is a roadster being compared to the RX-8? Add a few inches in wheelbase and a couple more seats and there might be a fair comparison.

Charles

Why is a roadster being compared to the RX-8? Add a few inches in wheelbase and a couple more seats and there might be a fair comparison.

Charles

Charles,

Have you driven the S2K?
Apart from the obvious differences, the S2K and the RX8 driving feel and performance are very similar.

IMO, this is a closer comparison then comparing an 8 with a Zed.

No, I have not driven an S2K. Would I be out of line to consider the RX-8/S2000 comparison to be flattering to the 8? I often forget that we have a pair of seats in the back when I drive my car, and I tend to find myself feeling more in-class with the two-seaters out there, so I can see why there would be such comparisons. To be forthright, I do tend to get a bit jealous of the other sports cars out there from time to time because of the aftermarket support available to them. It's hard for me to remain patient on that issue but, other than that, I am quite happy with what I have going so far.

What attributes does the S2000 have, other than the obvious, that the RX-8 may be lacking?

Charles

Ran a S2000 from 0-95 mph. I am bone stock he had intqake and exhaust. I let him open it up first and then gave chase from a rolling 5MPH start. He beat me by a car length and he had his girlfreind in the car whereby I was alone. The upside was she was really pretty and loved the drag. It was done on a back road @ 3:00AM while I was dargging with my freind's 90 BMW 750IL with pick up gears. He beat me as well, unfortunately.

I've outrun an S2000 on some of the curvy roads here in town, (my fault, he kept antagonizing me so I got sick of it and took off, he tried to keep up and failed) Anyway, in a straight line I would have probably been toast (I have an auto) but on the curves my car seemed superior (maybe it was my driving/familiarity with the road, other factors?) maybe on a track with more experienced drivers it would be much different, this dude just seemed like a punk trying to show off etc.

I've never been "killed" by an S2K but I've lost more than once. Doesn't really bother me because it's all in fun. It was exciting when I did win the one time from a stop but I don't think these cars are that much different. Just do stuff to your car and this isn't a problem.

What attributes does the S2000 have, other than the obvious, that the RX-8 may be lacking?

Well apart from the obvious body configurations, the S2K possesses double wishbone suspension all around, shorter throw gearbox, shorter clutch release and...... vtec.

Both the 8 and the S2k are very similar in a few regards, but they are also complete opposites in other areas.

Charles, being the performance enthusiast you are, you will appreciate the similarities yet differences between both cars.

Try to test drive one if you get the opportunity since it will surprise many people how similar, yet different both cars are.

Thanks for the recommendation. You don't think I'll fall out of love with my 8 by doing so? Just(half) kidding. We've got the 5-link rear and the PPF, anyway. One of the things that I am slightly conflicted about is the very thing that makes the rotary so special; no valvetrain. On one hand the performance is enhanced by having no recprocating assemblies, whatsoever. On the other hand to make modifications to the airflow characteristics requires serious machine-work(certainly more than a camshaft swap). I must remind myself occasionally that piston engine owners are wary of running against the rotary and not the other way around. Maybe that's why some of us encounter daily challenges on the street. Since hitting my mod plateau I have yet to lose a race from someone who sought me out. Of course I pick a fight once in a while to see where my 8 stands in the natural order of things but when I am approached, the results are becoming something to bet the mortgage money on.

Charles

While the rx-8 is much more pratical and far more good looking, the S2000 has the edge performance wise. It handles slightly better and it's more powerful (The 2004 have a conservative 240HP rating). IMO it should be a little bit faster with equal drivers but not by too much.

In a bestmotoring vid which was posted way in the past, the s2k, integra-r, skyline, wrx all beat the 8...

I think people were arguing that the driver of the 8 wasn't driving properly or something...

but I think the vid shows what would happen on a track... and road...

I love my car but it kinda lacks performance sometimes when compared to other cars

To be forthright, I do tend to get a bit jealous of the other sports cars out there from time to time because of the aftermarket support available to them.
Charles


Well, from what I understand (and correct me if I'm wrong), the S2000 isn't a car to be jealous of on that front. It's apparently retardedly expensive to mod because, well frankly, it's about as strung out as it could possibly be. We're talking 240hp out of a freaking NA 4-cyl here. That's monstrous. Getting any more power out of it is apparently very difficult and expensive. Try for much more NA horsepower is expensive and it's really no longer streetable. Tuning it for FI is weak too because the change in compression ratios and what not takes the "before boost" horsepower to a lower starting point and negates a lot of your effective gain with the FI. That standing I think it's still one of the most amazing motors (and cars) ever produced.

Just this morning I had a run in with the S2000 and it just edged me out by about 1 car lenth. I thought that with the 8's redline at 9k rpm that it would beat the S2000 hands down but it took just a little edge from me. Maybe because I weight 238 lbs ( Thats the differance) Ha Ha

dont s2k's redline at 9K as well.. well i think the new ones are now at 8.5K but im pretty sure they started out at 9k

dont s2k's redline at 9K as well.. well i think the new ones are now at 8.5K but im pretty sure they started out at 9k

It was 8900 and is now 8000, but it has a better powerband now by most accounts.

In a bestmotoring vid which was posted way in the past, the s2k, integra-r, skyline, wrx all beat the 8...

I think people were arguing that the driver of the 8 wasn't driving properly or something...

but I think the vid shows what would happen on a track... and road...

I love my car but it kinda lacks performance sometimes when compared to other cars

I have several best motoring vids on my computer where the RX-8 beats out all the cars you have listed there. And another vid where it beats out a Z on a track.

Best motoring is probably one of the worst ways to compare cars. Those vids are more about the drivers than the cars.

Boils down to the driver when cars are this close. If you lose, it's not the car.

Driver ability is a greater factor on the street than most would care to admit. At the track most people have some level of experience so things are a bit more equal. On the street, anyone with some level of track experience carries a bit of an advantage in the psychological arena as well as a broader understanding of which cars have which potentials and so forth. Take the guy with the new GTO who had heard the RX-8's are slow. He didn't know well enough to not mess with a certain RX-8 out there. He got beat every which way and fled the scene in embarrassment.

Charles

I have several best motoring vids on my computer where the RX-8 beats out all the cars you have listed there. And another vid where it beats out a Z on a track.

Best motoring is probably one of the worst ways to compare cars. Those vids are more about the drivers than the cars.

I agree that bestmotoring isn't the best way to compare cars since all the drivers are different for each car.

I have several best motoring vids on my computer with the 8 and the one I'm talking about is the one with the rx8 type S, not mazdaspeed version. The 8 comes in second from last, the miata came in last.

The mazdaspeed version did a revenge battle and won the s2k and came in first but the other cars in the race were different such as alfaromeo 147 and a vw ( i don't remember which but it had a v6 engine)

Although it depends on the drivers a lot, there is a straight line in tsukuba circuit (where the race took place) and the other cars got ahead of the 8 there mostly. This shows that the other cars are faster in straight line performance than the 8.

Although bestmotoring vids aren't the best way to compare cars, they are a lot of fun to watch :)

Boils down to the driver when cars are this close. If you lose, it's not the car.


Sure, but they really aren't that close. Given equal drivers the S2K will ALWAYS win, it is a step above when it comes to performance. If the S2K wins it's normal, if the RX-8 wins it's a bad driver in the S2K and a good driver in the RX-8.

I test drove the s2000 a couple days before the rx8. The 8 was much more comfortable and felt just as fast and fun. I bought the 8 for the rotory and high class looks. The s2000 is'nt all that great except it's a convertable and that fact appeals to me.