I love handling and slick, short-throw shifters. Thus, my S2000.

I love power and low-end torque as well, as well as sports cars I can put my son's booster seat in, thus my CTS-V. (An aside: The V is a pretty good handler in its own right, but not tossable like the S2000.)

One of the best handling cars of Japan and the most luxurious muscle car in the USA reside in my garage every night, and somehow manage to get along.

So should muscle car owners and S2000/Miata owners.

They are only cars, after all. It's too bad some muscle car owners are so into the muscle that they fail to see the use of a nice scalpel of a car like our S2000.

 

JELOUS!!!

anyway I agree on the "can't we all just get along" sentiment. Unfortunately, despite the fact that most "scalpel" owners appreciate the "sword" for its virtues, very few "sword" owners appreciate the "scalpel"

 

Because most Americans don't take the time to or have the desire to drive in such a manner. Most care about getting from getting to point A to point B the fastest; we're a very fast moving peoples. I think for any of us canyon carvers, track junkies, or autox enthusiasts the dance of balance and handling is quite 'spiritual'. Spirituality in anyform, any realm, is very much dead in America it seems... it was traded in for tangible results that can be accounted for. Which is fair in it's own right, it's just a different mindset. A 50/50 weight ratio might make you incredibly faster, smooth, and controlled in a turn but that doesn't really do anything on a stats table; plus there's not a lot of those on freeways and city streets. How many of these drivers want to carve the twisties? I'd imagine not too many of them, otherwise they would have went for something more suited for that. Different strokes for different folks.

 

Right, it's just a different culture over here than it is in Europe or Asia. Our landscape is much different than there's as well which plays a huge part into what's more popular, power or handling. And who gives a damn what some fool on a forum told you. Don't be afraid to make a choice and stand by it.

 

This is why you need an LS1 s2k. Who says you cant have it all?

 

That's just the way it is in this country. Straight line speed, and rolling straight line power. I remember in 2004 when I got my RX8 (Daily Driver at the time), cars like the G35, 350Z, and even a vette taunted me on my highway commutes. I gave into to the G35 for the hell of it one night when on highway, and of course I got smoked from a roll. The STI, after I modified it, and my Speed 6 after modified made a great combo with my 01 and 06 S2Ks. I almost pulled the plug on an 06 GTO back in the day after test driving one. they were going for like 27k new, and it was tempting, then I said " WTF are you doing, and traded in my 01 S2K for an 06 instead. Best choice I ever made, sticking with the S2K. I chose the feel, handling, looks, and just overall fun factor of the S2K. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want a C6 Vette to compliment my S2K, but to replace it, No way.

 

ls1 or a boosted s2k is my dream car!

 

This. It's just how it is, but it's a phenomenon that is largely localized to here. You go talk on overseas car forums and everyone is super laid back and appreciative of all aspects of a car's package. Over here, even on forums like Porsche 911, Nissan GTR, etc., you know cars which really don't have anything to prove, the forums are dominated by 0-60 times, 1/4 mile times, drag racing, etc.

Here's a particularly stupid example from the GTR forums (10+ pages of drag racing talk):

http://www.nagtroc.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=50162

It's just something about the car culture in America, and it's not likely to change.

 

I'd rather have a striped out Lotus Elise style S2000.
I think the S2k has plenty of power it just needs to lose 400 - 500 pounds.

 

It doesn't matter. But check out the lap times from real tracks like Nurburgring or whatever. S2000 does well enough there, especially for a normally aspirated car.

Anyone can pay enough to pump up a car engine, but handling is more complicated than that.