Ex S2000 owners!


What car have you swapped the S2000 for?

Pics required and few lines on how they compare

I

 

Lotus 111R



I loved my S2000 and still rate it. I may even get another at some point.

But the 111R... is a different league in terms of fun. The way it corners is hard to describe and the Toyata engine is very similar in character to the MY00 S2000, if a little more brutish on cam change,

I've sacrficed a bit of comfort, but I'm ok with that. I mostly travel by train with work, but the odd 200 mile round trip is no problem.

Praticality is no issue. I have a baby seat in the passenger seat. I have a pushchair that fit's in the boot. I can get my golf clubs in the passenger side no problem. The boot will fit a weekly shop (although it is half cooked by the time I get home).

The problem is I can't go back. Driving a car that won't go around a corner like an Elise is dull. Driving a car that does not need to be pushed is dull.

Where do I go from here? I don't!

 

I replaced my S2000 with a 2003 M3 Coupe. It came with the bling 19's which were swapped before picking up with the correct CSL wheels. I needed a more alrounder as I was doing large mileage. But I couldn't make myself get a beater. So this is the closest I could get to a beater.

On track it's not as sharp, and you can't lower the roof. But in all other pleasure respects, it's a far better car. But then again, the running costs reflect that.

 

That's the mid engine layout mixed with Lotus know how.

Mid engine cars just feel more nimble, instant and poised, mid engine cars rule

Chilled, your M3 almost looks like a CSL

 

I looked at an elise, boxster, Z4, Golf GTI to name a few when I sold my last S2000

I have experience with all of these cars bar the Z4, fantastic as they are another S2000 fitted the bill perfectly!

I can honestly say I am not a brand man I like variation in cars (regularly) but I do like the S2000 for some reason.

I am not looking forward to my next purchase, it may well be a boxster or such.

 

I went from the S to this.

I bought it from an OPC with less than 4000 miles on the clock but was 4 years old. It's very well spec'd (although it does have a dodgy 80's style car phone handset that I keep meaning to get removed at each service... )

I've put another 15,000 miles on it in the year and a half I've owned it and whilst there are still elements of the Honda I miss, on the whole I'm happy with change and it defo gives me a few more smiles per mile.





The only minor problem I've had with the Boxster was it had to have the RMS changed (as most of them do) - but it was all done under warranty and it was no biggie really as it meant I got to hoon around in this for 5 days

 

S2k --> Exige
Sooooo much fun

 

From the first S2000 to the second S2000, and then to these:

Caterham: Originally a Roadsport A (130bhp, LSD, 6 spd) it is now a mega grad (150bhp, open diff, 5 spd). Obviously quicker on a track, lighter (610kg's including me and a bit of fuel), more difficult to look after, but driving it is like dancing !



And for day to day road driving and the occasional bit of off road (Rally, Millbrook etc.):





THere's no comparison between that and the S as they are different in almost every way! It's the first road car I've owned that I'm not bored of yet - it slips and slides, it has loads of torque, it's comfortable, it's quick, it actually corners surprisingly well if you set it up properly, and it sounds great!

 

Moving on was a simple process, driven by the need for a faster, albeit, duller car. That will change with a sports exhaust/induction kit to be fitted shortly.


I had a really good outing with the Cerbera recently, not a lot in it on the wet twisties, but in the dry it was simply incredible, pity they're such moody bast*rds.



Perhaps I should've FI the S, but seeing how many revert to stock when moving on put me off. It only makes sense when you meet and chat with the true believers, to them.

 

I loved the S, and still do, but after 5 years it was time to try something else.

I drove an M3 back in 05 and was blown away by the engine, but the car was too big for my needs. I'd always like the look of the Z4C and test drove a 3.0 which I really liked. It was quick and had similar running cost to the S. But I couldn't get that M3 engine out of my mind so had to try the Z4MC; wow! The decision was made.

I stripped the S, wheels, de-cat, exhaust, induction, back to stock and put the hard top on ready for sale. After driving around for a month with the hard top on, I decided that I might miss the roadster too much, so test drove the MR, and bought one. The coupe still look much better, but I was more interested in the driving experience than the looks. I've heard that the coupe is dynamically superior to the roadster, but I'm not a talented enough driver to be able to detect the differences, so for me the roadster is the coupe without the roof.

It does feel quite a bit bigger than the S, it's nearly 6" wider, and a few mm shorter. It also feels quite a bit heavier (because it is), but the quicker you go the car seems to shed it's weight. Like the S the engine is normally aspirated and needs to be pushed to get the best out of it, redlining at 7900. When extended the speeds can get silly, very quickly! With 340bhp it's reassuring to have the safey net of TC; which can be turned off. I've heard criticism of the interior but I like it. It has all the toys you'd need and the heated seats do come in handy.

That engine


That interior