rx8phase1

iTrader: (1)

sorry for starting this but me and my friend were talking about wich car was faster and i do think the s2k is faster they are both very nice cars though the s2k is just a lil bit too pricey for me right now

XDEEDUBBX

hahah your weird man! what are you smoking?!?! hahah

DailyDriver2k5

The A stock, B stock issue that is fact, but as far as a S2000 being faster than the 8, its all about the driver. I went against sevral S2000 from a start, 6500 rpm clutch drop and kept dead even with many S2000 past tripple digit speeds. From a 60 mph roll my RX-8 has been dead even, if not started to pull away from 130, then on the other end of the spectrum, i have been nipping at the heels of S2000 or had been trailing a S2000 from a car length, with the other driver(s) not pulling or me gaining. The power is subjective in both cars, it really comes down to who is behind the wheel of each one.

On a close circuit the diffrence will be more noticable between the two, the advantage going to the S2000, but for take offs and highway runs, its anybody game truthfully.

VikingDJ

While this is true, if you were to match up two professional drivers of equal skill, and know how to drive their cars to obtain the max power whether off the line or from a roll, the S2000 will win everytime, because the newer ones have about 20 more whp on average and weigh about 150lbs less. Naturally, when the discrepency is not like 50-60-70whp, it could be a drivers race if the RX8 over is a better driver.

However, if you wanna just compare car vs car, it's the S2000 every time.

Feras

iTrader: (1)

your butt dyno is wrong.

alfy28

sorry as much as i like the 8, s2k is faster then the 8 due to it being lighter, its not hella faster then the 8, but you can tell the difference.

Mspeedpro

iTrader: (1)

The s2k is faster, period. When the Honda is going at WOT it pulls very hard. I am not even sure the rx8 is *that* close. In my opinion, it would take a VERY large "driver's expertise" gap to compensate for the better power / weight ratio of the s2k. Theoretically the rx8 is dead even stock vs. stock with a Ferrari 360... assuming the driver of the Ferrari is a 14 yr old girl with one arm.

I love my rx8 and there is no way I would trade it in for an s2k considering it is my daily driver, love the backseat, silky-smooth rotary, etc. x 100. But I think it is pretty naive to claim stock vs. stock the rx8 has an advantage or is even equal to the s2k, performance-wise.

And as for the AP2 / AP1 upgrades, you are right the AP2 has been pleasantly upgraded. This '01 has the silver radio door and silver shiftknob (I believe these are parts for the newer s2k and not '01 originals?). They are very tasteful and add to the car. The wheels on the newer s2k (03-07 i think??) are unquestionably better looking then the 16" 5-spokes on the '01... but has anyone seen the new 5-spokes on the 08 (maybe 09??) s2k?? Disgusting IMO.

alfy28

LOL MSFeras, you almost made me spit my MOuntain dew .

DailyDriver2k5

Very true.... I can only speak on my RX-8 and nobody elses, but 6500 rpm is the optimum for my car ,anything higher than that will result in major wheel spin or hop,anything less than 6500 rpm will result in the engine bogging. When I did run some of these S2000, some of the guys were in the 7500 + range to launch,especially the pre,'04 S2000's. I have gone against guys who didn't know how to drive there S2000, and it was obvious... from how bad there car performed.... I am no Professional,but I am no spring chicken behind the wheel either, I like to call myself a seasoned driver.

Had plenty of wheel time in many of the sports cars/ muscle cars i owned, from going down the 1320 to pulling some healthy g's in the twisties,and not to mention learned from two very well seasoned/pro drivers who taught me how to drive RWD cars back in th '90s, one who drives formula Fords for a passion , and the other a seasoned vet who retired from the SCCA 3 years ago who drove spec RX-7's , and spec racers.

Many S2000 owners are shocked what a well driven RX-8 can do. I don't think a professional driver(s) ,is needed to bring out the best or worse in both vehicles. There very similiar on the scale of performance, really a circuit track will seperate the two on a handeling level, but that is about it. The newer '04 S2000's ...well thats a diffrent story.

DailyDriver2k5

In bold baffles me..... everybody knows the RX-8 pulls pretty hard close to redline, if not just as hard as the S2000 in its upper rpm range. Thats the beauty of the rotary, the power level keep building and building in the upper rpm range. A RX-8 could spin to 10k rpm if the transmission wasn't its biggest hinderance. You sure you own a RX-8?

Not trying to start a fight, just curious....

delhi

350Z beats all. Pipe down everyone.

RA-Eight

iTrader: (6)

LOL. Go start your own Z vs. 8 thread! As if we didn't have enough of these.

delhi

Puny 1.3l and sleazy 2.2l. cant even make up the total displacement of the VQ35.
6cylinders with molybdenum coatings pwn triangles in a peanut shell and 4 wheeezing pistons.
Z sounds like Zorro. S2k sounds like a computer virus.
So 350Z wins.

VikingDJ

You're right. Cars like the S2000 and RX8, because they make all their HP up high, need to be driven with a lot of skill to get the potential out of them. I think you, as well as perhaps other RX8 owners would be pretty shocked at what the S2000 can do. Like the RX8, they aren't just press the gas pedal and go cars like the high torque beats. Several S2K owners, even of the earlier models have pulled off high 13s in the 1/4 bone stock, but it takes learning your car. Shift points are so crucial when lacking so much torque like we do, so anyone driving your RX8, or even my S2000 can embarass the car with even one miss of the proper RPM shift.

On paper, my Speed 6 and S2000 are pretty much neck and neck according to magazine times. However, it would take a higher skilled driver to match or beat that car, because the Speed 6 is so much easier to go fast in.

I personally only compare car vs car, not driver and car/driver and car/driver.

With that said, the RX8 should not have 20 less whp, considering it's rated at only 5hp less flywheel. Not sure if the RX8 is overrated or S2K is underrated, but dyno's don't lie. Like you said though, cars are close enough to an RX8 can win a race if you get a weak driver in an S2K and a better driver in an RX8.

DailyDriver2k5

You know the guys at TOVtec think the S2000 is underated, and of course we know the RX-8 is overrated. One thing I know , there both fun cars to drive!

P.S...Your right,shift points are so crucial in these cars(S2000 & RX-8), I was trying to show a fellow RX-8 owner the importance of being in the proper gear, it makes all the difference in the world. He was complaining that his RX-8 is slow. Well I went with him on a spirited drive, well it was him that was the problem. Shifting to soon, or we would be cruising at 45 mph in 6th , then he would want to take off fast, he would drop the gear to 3rd or 4th gear, when he should have dropped it to 2nd.

I really believe the reason why the RX-8 gets a bad rep to for being "slow" is because of drivers that do not know how to drive a rotary powered vehicle. 3000k clutch dumps in a rotary....c'mon.... your asking for any rotary to bog on you or net a horrible time. People fail to realize, you can't drive these cars like your driving a piston engine car.

The guy who drove a spec RX-7 for the SCCA said " Rev her high and let her fly"! "If she isn't screaming ,push on the gas harder till she does" I live by those words daily!

delhi

^ same with the S2k. Driving it like a big bore car like the supreme car god 350Z will net disappointment. I remembered when the s2k came out many reviewers couldn't get a decent 0-60. Until some one decided to dump the clutch at 6000rpm. These two cars are not for lazy drivers.

Feras

iTrader: (1)

i occasionally come out of the lounge for comic relief :D

05rex8

iTrader: (7)

how am I weird? And no, I'm not smoking anything. Just saying with my past experience, that I feel that my 8 is faster. I've driven old and new S2K's. I never said that I thought this was a fact, just what I felt. I've never raced against an S2K either, so I'm just going by how each felt hammering them. It's probably cuz I got Agency Power exhaust with Ti tips and like 4 stickers on my car. You all know that adds 5HP per sticker! Ok I'm kidding. Didn't expect to start a big debate on all this, but whatever.

05rex8

iTrader: (7)

don't really see how that is funny...especially spit your mountain dew out funny

ShinkaTeen

theres a video up on youtube with 2 pro drivers one with a turbo'd s2k and another with a tuned rx-8 , even with the turbo the s2k pulled on the straight aways but the 8 cought up in the turns. lemme dig up the video


here it is


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbnJ_n2F02s

05rex8

iTrader: (7)

sweet vid, thanks! now that S2K is quick!

Mspeedpro

iTrader: (1)

It would take a lot more than a pleasant car discussion to start a fight, im good-natured

However, I feel"

(a) the s2000 dynos higher than an rx8, seems to have a little more torque down low, and weighs in at a couple hundred pounds less than the rx8.

(b) not uncommon for s2000 owners to run VERY low 14s with the car stock, and not uncommon for rx8 owners to post with glee when they break into the 14s

I love the rx8 (one of which I do own, and im 99% sure its not an auto ) but my opinion is that the s2k is noticeably quicker (and any professional comparo seems to concur). If the s2k averages... I dunno .7 seconds quicker in the 1/4, that translates to quite a bit of road @ ~ 100 mph.

Having said all this, if you've got some great rx8 driving ability and can pull on some stock s2ks -- more power to you. I'd really love to see it, I wish I could say the same

dozer

iTrader: (3)

+1....IT SHOULD be faster, considering it has a 2.2 liter vtech with ONLY 2 doors and 2 SEATS....compared to our 1.3 liter 4door 4 seats....

VikingDJ

I know you wanna believe the RX8 is as fast as an S2000, but be glad you are a better driver then the people driving the S2000s you have faced. I wanted to believe it to when I owned my RX8. Of course I didn't make the swap based on that. I made it because of the major reliability issues I had with my RX8, and choosing just asa fun of a car that's proven reliable long term.

If your rx8 can dyno around 200-210whp though bone stock like nearly all the newer S2Ks do, then perhaps you have been blessed by a miracle, and your car is as fast as an S2K.


It's impossible to debate though when dynos have proven about 20 more whp for the S2000, and 150+lbs lighter weight, and every road test done by car magazines with professional drivers verify it.

It doesn't make it a better car, and I actually miss the smoothness of the rotary, the overall friendly feel, and I happen to think the RX8 looks nicer as well. If mine could have been reliable, and I could have the trust I have in my S2K long term into the 100-200k mile mark, I'd still own one.

VikingDJ

You'd be surprised. People have been buying leftover 07 models recently for $27k. This has flashbacks of this forum when I joined this forum in 2004, and the overproduction of the 04 RX8, which lead to leftover models well into the summer of 2005, being sold at 8-9k off msrp.

At summer's end, in most areas you'd be able to buy a new S2K for $29k. Thre are still some leftover 07s, but they have been swept up fast, only selling for $27k. Even used, they are selling 06 models like mine with less then 10k miles on them for $23-24k. Thre is a HUGE supply of used S2000s now, so they are very affordable, much like the RX8 is used as well.

Honda made an error much like what happened to the RX8 in 2004, and the appeal for this car brand new, and used ones being so readily available has dropped the value of the car significantly. Honda simply has made this car too long, and without a newly designed model with a big jump in performance, and just slowly upgrading the car for the past 9 years, it's demand has faded. Hopefully Honda will end production of this car very soon, and make a new one.