Bieg

The S2000 NEEDS to be "on throttle" through the turns to plant the rear secure. Not everyone (even those who consider themselves good drivers) knows the finer points of weight transfer and how it effects the ballance of the car.

Before you get all crazy over how "evil" the S2000 handle I suggest you put the factory S02s to 32 psi all around and practice entering turns a little slower and easier and SMOOTHLY applying the throttle so you can feel the weight transfer back to the rear wheels and accelerate out. You will be amazed at how much better the car feels driven this way (the correct way) rather than just entering a corner hot and tossing it into it.

This car more than most other cars I have driven over the years does not like abrupt inputs. If you are heavy handed with car it will eventually bite you. If you are smooth and use weight transfer as it is meant to be used the car will reward you like almost no other. It is a very narrow window for doing it right with this car but that is the challenge. Trying to refine your skills to get the most out of the vehicle.

TWashburn

What would be the proper tire pressure? Does it depend on temp, etc?

T

ScaperS2K

Tire pressure always checked each third drive. All around at 32 pounds. I don't get the opportunity to go out in it much, but when I do, I tack on a good 100-200 miles each time. I've tried multiple ways to corner in my car, giving it more gas seems to make it worse. Honestly, I'm a decent driver. The reason I question my car is because I have had other small problems with it. Small problems yes, but still problems. Like you said Bieg there is a fine line and I can't see how I haven't fallen on the good side of that line yet, at least once. I purposely go out of my way each time I drive it to an area with non stop curves. I can tell when the car is about to break loose (as with all my other vehicles). It seems way too early compared to most here. I love my car without a doubt but I am by no means getting the results of what many others here are seeming to get. It has been like that since purchase. Granted I'm not the best driver out there, but I'm no where near the worst either.

Bieg

twashburn
Correct pressure is 32 psi all around.

scrapers2k
It is possible you still have the spring spacers in or your rear alignment is off. Try to be in a low enough gear that you can rock the car fore and aft with small movements of the throttle. How you transition from braking for the corner to accelerating through it is critical. It has to be smooth. Abrupt inputs (and this is where it gets tricky because inputs that would be considered normal in other cars can be abrupt in the S2000) will upset the car in this transition phase. Being uncommited and backing off shifts the weight forward and will induce a spin if you are near the edge. As you are increasing the throttle input you should have picked a line through the corner that lets you start to unwind the steering wheel at the same time. More throttle/less steering,....by the time you straighten it out you can be full on the throttle. All this is more complicated to explain than it is to do once you understand the principles of it. Check out Bob Baundurants book on the subject. It is all about managing the available traction through weight transfer. The trick is to give it enough throttle to transfer the weight to the rear to plant it without overpowering the available traction. If you get too agressive with the throttle you will break loose the tires that are already straining the maintain cornering grip with the extra force acceleration is going to add. It is a fine line and somewhat hard to find without experimenting.

I suggest finding a big empty parking lot and practice throttle steering around a big circle.

speeeding

This is a mid-engine car, and it behaves like one. This makes the car more sensitive to steering and throttle inputs.
I repeat myself when I say this, but most people think the gas pedal has two modes -- on and off. It takes a bit of pracitce to MODULATE the throttle. The steering wheel is NOT the only way to steer this car. If you think this car is twitchy at the corners, then you'd be in for a big surprise if you ever get to drive a shifter kart. If you're spinning or chirping your tires from 1st to 2nd, ESPECIALLY in a straight line, then you aren't smooth enough and may be suffering from the " on/off" gas pedal syndrome.

Antilles

huh??? mid engine car? i hope that was a typo!

speeeding

Although it is not a "mid engine" car in the traditional sense, it nevertheless is. One quick look under the hood will confirm this. The engine is BEHIND the front axle. All of the major masses, eg. engine, tranny, driver is centralized between the 2 axles, thus a mid-engine configuration. It seems car companies are beginning to call this a "front mid-engine" layout. Go'head, take a look under the hood.

intendedaccel

Indeed....technically this is a mid-engine car as the engine lies completely in between the front and rear axles.

Antilles

The engine still sits in front of the driver and in my opinion the S2000 behaves nothing at all like most mid engine cars.

speeeding

It doesn't matter if the engine is in front of the driver, behind the driver, or on top. The point is, like all mid-engine cars, the engine is BETWEEN the front and rear axle. Any deviation in handling from other M.E. cars can be attributed to the setup, because it CERTAINLY does not behave like a FR car, as others have unintentionally testified.