fusionchickenleg

they also have fat sticky tires

i can tell you that driving a light car and heavy car in the corner the former is WAY more enjoyable (assuming similar suspension geometry/set up and tires)...i value the driving experience more than absolute numbers, well, most of the time

Penforhire

It is all about the suspension and tires. Virtually nothing about weight. Weight just makes it easier to make a compliant suspension. But at the price we paid for our S2K's we can't complain much. Corners were cut.

Onehots2k

INDEED!

Tormac

The heavier a car is, the more momentum and inertia it has, and consequently the harder it has to work to change direction.

A heavy car can be made to stick well on skid plates by adding more rubber, but the it can not be made to respond to quick changes as well as a light car. As things get heavier, the suspension has to work harder to overcome its own inertia.

True if a car has an overly flexy chassis, it will not feel planted, but again the lighter the car is, the less load is placed on the chassis, and the less it will flex. A car does not have to have a heavy chassis to be stiff. The Elise has an exceptionally rigid chassis, because of its exceptional design.

I've had an Elise for almost a year now, and have never driven a car that feel more planted at all times. At the same tiem its is the most agile and "tossible" car that I have ever driven

Chris S

Before my S2000's, I had a '97 Supra Turbo, lowered w/ bigger wheels and tires. I thought it handled very well at the time...it had lots of grip, and was predictable as long as you respected the boost. It also braked very well.

I was surprised at how much more tossable the S2000 was - it seemed to dive into corners by comparison! This aspect doesn't necessarily show up in objective specs, but def. made a big difference in the handling feel.