toreide

I am considering a used S2000 as my new car. Probably a 00/01' model.

What I find a little off-putting is all the critisism the european car press has given this car. The handling have been described as very twitchy, verging on dangerous. The dead steering have also been mentioned.

When the 02' model was released there were no official revisions to the car. But EVO (mag) revealed quite extensive changes in the suspension. Most of the answering the critics of the 00' model.

My question is: what can be done to the suspension to make it better? Any specific aftermarket options worth considering?

Tor

TepEvan

You should test drive an 00/01 and an 02/03 model to see if you feel the same twitchiness, etc. The way it FEELs to one person, doesn't mean it feels the same to everyone else. I think an X-brace (which I don't currently have) is probably one of the cheaper solutions for stiffening up the body roll.

gaebril

I bought a used 00. Its definately an experience and I can see where it might be considered "twitchy". It responds to drive input really really well. You think about changing lanes to hard and you might find yourself already there. Some may equate this to being twitchy. Personally I like it.

I do need to buy the X brace though, I'm also debating on wether I want/need a front sway bar.

PedalFaster

I agree with TepEvan that you should drive the car first to determine what you want to change. Lots of people like the car's handling balance on the stock tires just fine. Right now I'm driving my car on wider-than-stock front tires and no front sway bar whatsoever (I broke an endlink); while the car's loose, it's quite drivable around town as long as I keep my inputs smooth.

If you decide you do need to dial out the "twitchiness" (i.e. oversteer) and body roll, I'll have to part ways with TepEvan and recommend a front sway bar. A sway bar ties the front suspension arms together, reducing body roll and shifting the car's balance of grip more to the rear tires. A cross brace, conversely, ties the suspension arm mounts together and provides extra chassis rigidity, but has no direct control over body roll. A cross brace's effect on handling will be subtle; many contend that braces don't help the S2000 at all.

Try a search of Racing and Competition; this subject has been covered there dozens if not hundreds of times.

Steve

gaebril

Hmmm, maybe i should skip the X brace and get the sway bar.

JL9000

I much prefer the feel of the MY00s and MY01s compared to MY02+s.

toreide

Thanks for the answers so far.

The problem reported by many drivers have been on bumpy surfaces. The rear can step out violently without prior notice. Not good on the road, probably less of a problem on a track day.

I know that the 02' had
-harder springs
-recalibrated dampers (no clue if they're stiffer/softer)
-thinner anti-roll bars

The goal was a more predictable handling.

I do mostly road driving, but also the occational trackday. The cars currently on my shortlist are

Honda S2000
Opel Speedster
Porsche Boxster 2,7


Tor

Fongu

The "twitchiness" aspect of the handling is somewhat overstated. I tend to think of it more unforgiving to bad driver inputs. At 7/10 of the handling limits, the car is very confidence inspiring and fun to drive. At 9/10, 10/10 a mistake can get you into trouble quickly. The main thing is to know what the handling envelope is and respect it. If you know you are really pushing just be calm and prepared for corrective action.

One cheap way to change the handling characteristics is adjusting the wheel alignment settings. Search "UK wheel alignment" for more details on one possible set of settings. Basically, more negative camber back and front, with less toe in on the rear tires. I found it to make the oversteer smoother and controllable.

Don't know anything about the Opel. The Porsche has flat graceful cornering that feels like the car is rotating around you. The S2000 feels like it is diving through corners like a roller coaster. The S2000 gives a more visceral driving experience IMHO.

JL9000

The Speedster's too hardcore for daily use, the Boxster is a perfect daily driver and the S2000 is roughly in between the two.

PedalFaster

That may be the best summation of the cars I've ever seen...

Steve