Wife just picked up 05 S2000
 

We started out with the miata ms (i like to stay in the family). but she loves the honda paid 33600 . I have a 04 rx8 with alot of love & sweat (ms fly,borla,k/n,nitrous) The difference so far s2000 feels alot faster to 100 but i guess it is, as tourqe goes kinda feels the same. It's like my 6speed rx8 with the five thousand i put into aftermarket parts. You ask which do i like the best (so far im staying with my 8, the inside feels and looks better. but it's only been two days Iwill let you know.

Damn guy... faster to 100? You aren't breaking it in, huh?

Nice, two great cars. I guess it is expected of the S2000 to be quicker seeing as how it goes through the 1/4mile quicker.

It has 4600 miles on it. some guy traded it in on the honda truck
so im thinking and wishing it was treated good

Thats Sweet congratz on the S2k..

ok explain to me why the 1/4 mile is 14.1 sec @ 99.6 mph but 0-100 mph is 13.9 sec.

dang, "wife picked up 05 s2000", either they're really really light or she is really really strong :D

i've had the S2000 up to 152...verified by my "friends" radar gun.
and the 8 has been to that exact number also.. but damn the difference in road noise at that speed in the S will make ur ears bleed.

Paid $33,600 miles 4600, holy shit...

No, it's a sweet noise! I go to the track as much to get the wonderful sound of the engine screaming as to enjoy the driving. Well, not really, but I do enjoy the sound. And you're right, the top speed of the stock S2000 is about 150; drag limited in the pre-04 models; sixth gear redlines at about 149 on the '04 and '05, I think, and it'll do it, given enough time.

Anyway, smart wife. When my wife was looking for a car in December, she only bought an RX-8. :p

I was gonna say...my buddy is getting one at $1K below invoice for a brand new one....

4-doors and cheaper price vs roadster
 

I've driven the 2.0L S2k a few times; it's awesome. It handles a bit better and is faster and edgier (and more twitchy) than the RX8. The RX8 has a softer, more comfortable ride and revs more freely. S2k does better at the fuel pump.

But their overall feel is similar... both are balanced and lightweight with low torque, a smooth short throw, tight steering, and a high-revving engine.

I have been giving it some thought and come to a conclusion. You're wife needs this:
http://www.comptechusa.com/store/med...percharger.jpg
And this:
http://www.comptechusa.com/store/med...ftercooler.jpg

Exactly what I was thinking! Those numbers are full of you know what!

you're calling bs over a 0.4 mph and 0.3 second difference on what is probably two different runs?

I have seen reported the s2000 anywhere from 14 -14.9 sec 0-100. Either way, it's beating the 8.

Abbid, I believe the 1/4 mile time on the RX8 is 14.5 sec., not 15.9 sec. Motor Trend did a comprehensive test between the 3 (350Z included). We are a bit slower than the S2000, but not that much. That was a car I was definitely considering. I actually really like the S2000. It is a much closer relitive to an RX7-type driving experience (lightweight, 2 seater, minimal appointments). Heard they are killing it after the 05', maybe 06' year due to lagging sales. Fills a niche, but people want convenience these days.

This may or may not be true, but this rumor spreads each year that this will be the last year, typically started by salesmen trying to sell this year's car. Certainly, they will kill it sometime, but the NSX has been around for a long time, with lower sales than the S2000, so it's hard to draw any conclusions. The S2000 never was a money-maker for Honda, with miniscule sales (compared to the Accord) from the start, but Honda gets a lot of bragging rights from making highly-acclaimed performance cars, so they probably will continue to make some performance cars. Those of us who like having choices certainly hope that Honda continues to give us an attractive choice, just as we hope that Mazda also does so (we would all be worse off without the Miata, RX-8 and S2000 as options).

Heard it on Temple of VTEC & S2k board, not dealer (who I never trust).

Yeah, that rumor is spread on the S2k board weekly, literally, often quoting a Honda salesman. There never is a definitive source, so most of us just ignore it. It's like the people who say the world will end next week; some day, they may be right, but it's a random matter, since they have no pipleline to the fountain of knowledge, any more than the folks who spread the rumors of the imminent demise of the S2000. If you do a search on the S2ki board, you would find a thread on this topic almost weekly for several years. Certainly, the board was rife with this rumor a year ago, and look what happened--voila, a 2005 model!

Congratulations to your wife. She's my kind of lady ... I just bought an 04 5 days ago. I also had a Miata, before my '8. I considered waiting for the new Miata to come out, but the S2000 was the right way to go. I'm very happy with it. Can't wait till the damn break-in period is over though!

is that your wife ?

I am assuming that these numbers are from motor trend or a similar magazine. They use the best time they can get for each statistic over many runs. Not all of these runs produce exactly the same times. The best quarter mile time they got was 13.9. At the quarter mile line the car happend to be going 99.6mph. The best 0-100 time was 14.1 sec, but maybe on this run they were not measuring 1/4 mile time or the cars 1/4 mile time on that run was more than 14.1. Just because the car is moving faster at the finish line does not indicate that the quarter mile time was faster.

Wifes S2000 VS My Rx8
 

It's Been ten days since we picked up the honda and im gonna try to give you guys my honest opinion of the two. First of all i love mazda and all rotaries, I had a 92 2turbo sold it when the engine started messing up. First of all the car drives almost the same, Braking goes to the 8 (I feel like i have no problem stopping in my 8 at high speeds), The inside has to go to the 8 (Just straight up cleaner) and more gadgets, Here's the part i wish i was wrong but the s2000 is just all around faster (0-60 honda is way faster s2000 5.4 Rx8 5.9 but feels alot faster than .5) to 100 the s2000 gets up fast you can really tell the difference. I told you guys i was gonna report good or bad here it is. final thought on the two both are very different cars but close at the same time. all i can say is thank god im lucky enough to be able to drive both on a daily basis.

A good, fair comparison. I also can drive either any time I want, and I agree with your analysis (+/- brake evaluation; I think both have excellent brakes).

But none of us should be surprised that the S2k "feels" quite a bit more powerful. The '04/'05 S2000 typically dynos at 205-210 rwhp, corrected (mine did 210), while the RX-8 typically dynos around 180 rwhp, corrected. Add the couple hundred extra pounds the RX-8 packs, and you have quite a difference.

But.... The RX-8 can carry four almost full-sized people, and/or lots of stuff; it's quiet and has a much smoother ride. Of course, you can't put the top down on the RX-8....

For pure fun of driving, I prefer the S2000, especially on a nice day (I love convertibles); my wife prefers the RX-8 (she loves comfort). So, the S2000 is my daily driver, and the RX-8 is hers.

Yeah, but try laying the seat back to take a nap at a rest area - RX8>S2K

Just kidding - I drove a 2.0 S2K, and they are like a miata on steriods. The S2K gearbox (although very similar) is nearly on par with the 8/miata - Honda and Mazda definitely hit the mark on gearboxes. The fact that 240 hp can be extracted from 2.0 liters without FI still amazes me. The "rev"factor in the S2K reminds me a lot of the 8, but my butt is not well enough calibrated to feel the difference in .5 secs to 60 mph. Because the S2K has a similar torque curve to the 8, you don't feel thrown back in your seat like you would in a Mustang, etc. The engine loves to rev, and my congrats to you on your purchase. :D