4.3 Gearing for S2000 for Track Better or Worse UPDATED

4.3 Gearing for S2000 for Track Better or Worse

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Join Date: Dec 2011

Drives: 'xix Odyssey, 'xix Macan, '22 BRZ

Location: Corona, Ca

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I've endemic a '99 S2000 for several years now and take slowly turned it into a runway machine.

I've spent years salivating over the twins before they were built-in, washed 5+ examination drives and put a rail prepped BRZ through its paces on a twenty-four hours of lapping the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

I Hate the S2000 as a weekend toy motorcar. Information technology's a very well built car but has a focus for 9/10ths and up driving. In factory spec and driving it at sane legal speeds is akin to driving a 6th gen civic SI; a sporty borough with b16 'Honda soul'. For taller guys, information technology's a terrible place to be (personal gripe). Again, the quality of the car is outstanding - Honda took their time in edifice the vehicle and information technology shows, it gushes of excellent fit and finish, even after 15 years. But the driving experience, on public roads, is piss-poor: good steering weight merely minimal feedback, peaky engine (obviously), high-speed is a buzz kill for cheap thrills, loftier handling limit is a buzz kill for cheap thrills, a shifter that is fickle exterior wot, and information technology's simply uncomfortable to drive to and from the twisty stuff. Fan boys will find excuses for it, I know I accept, but information technology is what information technology is - rough.

Now put it on a race track and its one of the nigh convincing street racecars I've been in. A hardtop, one-half muzzle and Rival S tires and it'll be a poor(er) mans Cayman GT4. I started modding the car to be autocrossing friendlier well-nigh 2 years ago - AEM Ems, test pipe, throttle body/intake manifold, 245 square tires on 17x9 wheels, brakes/fluids/baffles/bars/grab tin/rad/cooling/etc. The engine feels like an early 90s VW VR6 engine with schrick cams - great midrange punch to redline pull - power throughout the range in reasonable gear. At present it's going full race automobile way with a cage, seats, harness and either chopped windshield ala le mans fashion or hardtop ala gt3 mode. Bigass fly to come either way At any event I've got a canis familiaris pant smile on inside my helmet when driving the S2000, it feels similar it'south doing what it was meant to do.

I tin't speak so much about the twins equally a weekend motorcar... Every test drive in recent memory had me fall in dearest with the car. Information technology's a foil to the S2000, it'southward fun cistron is entirely accessible at legal and sane speeds. I love the (relative) comfort level inside the cabin, the steering feedback, the less-is-more power and linear commitment. Information technology's a unlike philosophy, some other recipe of a lamb dish, so to speak. I giggle when I drive the twins, even more so than whatsoever in any of the miata'due south I've endemic. Information technology's simply a balanced automobile for public roads - Cyndi Lauper girls-wanna-have-fun fun, as much fun as a $600 1985 MR2 y'all're borrowing from a friend. That beingness said... I'm getting older and I don't drive on mountain or canyon roads above the speed limit anymore. That thrill is gone and replaced with guilt/anxiety (family to feed). I don't arraign others for chasing that light-green fairy, though, and the twins are just the potable for it.

But on runway that'southward where the BRZ savage brusk in my experience with Rent4Ring's track-prepped auto. I much more enjoyed the Phase 2 Swift I've spent some 25+ NoS laps in than the BRZ. With the Swift you're goated into going beyond limits because the R888 rubber would bond you out (different euro compound apparently) and on rails that's awesome - it's a inexpensive, modest powered fwd hatch that weighs fiddling and yous tin film in and out of trouble. The BRZ is an intern applying for a senior consultant position. The linear power band that'due south cracking on the street goes flat at the runway - more, more than, more! Same goes for the chassis and rubber, the cheaper feeling shifting and overall general 'cost' of the car begins to fail to fulfill. Fifty-fifty with a cage and KW suspension & BBK. Not to say it can't feel good but a runway BRZ needs more bounty than a track S2K does. That fun residual at 9/10ths+ turns into a glass ceiling. That said, the twins I autocross against put upward comparable numbers with fewer mods! E.g. the twins punch higher up their weight for certain. I will say they don't experience as good doing it, howeer. And there's a philosophical point of identification - do yous want a meliorate feeling or better lap times. Me, I don't care about lap times because I benchmark myself, I care only nigh how big my smile is.

The S2K puts an stop-of-days shifter kart smile on my face at the track. Information technology hurts at the terminate of the day and I feel accomplished. The twins puts a stupid, wonderful, grin on my face up at every right turning-lane dark-green light. Switch the rolls and I'yard let downward by expectations.

And the miata, expert lord... I've only had NB's (ane stock ane modded) and some autocross time in an NC. The miata is like a glock - it's the best. People will convince yous their Springfield Armory'due south, Beretta, CZ (S2000), H&K or Sig (Twins), Walther, etc. are better..and information technology's arguably personal preference but there's no mistaking the awe inspiring unmatched capability of a Glock - freshly collected or in competitive format, you will undeniably become humbled and a ameliorate driver because of time in a Miata. It's an earned smiling.

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