S2000 vs Vette

[850CSi]

Have you driven one?

Doesn't change the fact that it has a lack of power and torque. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to drive most of the cars in the world.

[Onslaught]

To be honest I'm not as much a fan of the S2000 as most of you are. I think the styling is a little bland even for my taste. I never thought the interior looked that great and I HATE the digital instrument panel.
But I do like the motor and the way the car performs. And it was the car I picked out of these two.

[Raza]

Why do you hate the 3er? Because you have no excuse to hate the car everyone loves?

It's fat, ugly, boring to look at, boring to be around, and I'm not as easily herded by a collie as you are.  Baa.

[Champ]

The push button start losses it's novelty after the first few times.  The key is also reasonably difficult to get into the ignition (tucked up on the steering column).

I chose Vette.

[Submariner]

It's fat, ugly, boring to look at, boring to be around, and I'm not as easily herded by a collie as you are.  Baa.

To each his own.  It's wonderfully, dynamically, and quite frankly, it's not that bad to look at.

[Champ]

what's wrong with a normal "turn the key" ignition

Nothing!  If you are going to do a push button start, you better make it keyless also.  BMW and Honda screwed up there.

[Raza]

To each his own.  It's wonderfully, dynamically, and quite frankly, it's not that bad to look at.

Yes, another car that's nice on paper,  but the very idea of it makes me fall asleep.


When you buy a 3 series, it says something about you:


"I'm a cock, I have no imagination, and yes, if my friends told me to jump off a bridge, I would."

[sportyaccordy]

The S2000 is not a fast car, but I'll be damned if I didn't have a shit eating grin winding it up to 9000RPM. And then there's the handling...

I'm sure the Vette is fun as hell too, but I've never driven one, and from what I hear in base form they sound like taxis.

*EDIT*

LOLOLOLOLOLLL

So if driving a 3-series says that about you, what does driving a Boxster say????

[Raza]

The S2000 is not a fast car, but I'll be damned if I didn't have a shit eating grin winding it up to 9000RPM. And then there's the handling...

I'm sure the Vette is fun as hell too, but I've never driven one, and from what I hear in base form they sound like taxis.

*EDIT*

LOLOLOLOLOLLL

So if driving a 3-series says that about you, what does driving a Boxster say????

"I'm sophisticated, intelligent, and I enjoy driving a real sports car from the greatest manufacturer in the world."

[Submariner]

Yes, another car that's nice on paper,  but the very idea of it makes me fall asleep.


When you buy a 3 series, it says something about you:


"I'm a cock, I have no imagination, and yes, if my friends told me to jump off a bridge, I would."

Oh common.  If I was looking for a fun to drive small four door I would look at a 335i.  Quite frankly none of my friends give a damn about cars, and the ones that do worship Toyota, so I wouldn't be buying it for the popularity. 

They're great cars to drive, and they can haul 4 people.  I see nothing wrong with that.

[Raza]

Oh common.  If I was looking for a fun to drive small four door I would look at a 335i.  Quite frankly none of my friends give a damn about cars, and the ones that do worship Toyota, so I wouldn't be buying it for the popularity. 

They're great cars to drive, and they can haul 4 people.  I see nothing wrong with that.

Whatever. 

When I finally do drive a 335i, I'll see if it's actually good enough to change my mind about it being such a stupid, ugly, disgusting, no imagination car. 

Which it won't be.  Like I said, I wouldn't even bother with the turbo 3er.  That engine in a 5 series?  That's fine, but still fuck ugly.  I don't like it in the 3. 

[r0tor]

i just put the S2K in the lead

[Raza]

i just put the S2K in the lead

And not to drag you into the other conversation, but I must say, here is a man with creativity!  He could have bought a 3 series, but instead, bought a car that is just as well built, rarer, not sheepish at all, has great performance, and wonderful utility. 

I would buy an RX-8 over any 3 series available today in the United States. 

[JYODER240]

Yes, another car that's nice on paper,  but the very idea of it makes me fall asleep.


When you buy a 3 series, it says something about you:


"I'm a cock, I have no imagination, and yes, if my friends told me to jump off a bridge, I would."

Just because it is a car posuers flock to doesn't mean it's a bad car to drive. Sure driving a 3-series is cliche but that doesn't mean it's a junk car.

[Submariner]

Whatever. 

When I finally do drive a 335i, I'll see if it's actually good enough to change my mind about it being such a stupid, ugly, disgusting, no imagination car. 

Which it won't be.  Like I said, I wouldn't even bother with the turbo 3er.  That engine in a 5 series?  That's fine, but still fuck ugly.  I don't like it in the 3. 

I mean, it's no caterham, but that's what you're not looking for, isn't it.  You're looking for a fun to drive car that looks decent, and can fit four.  It's not my fault every Tom, Dick, and Jane buy them with Automatics and don't use but a tenth of their potential.  I can't tell you how many "sports cars" fitted with slushies and driven by people who clearly cannot drive.  I wouldn't say that makes them any less of a car.  It just turns those particular cars by those particular into poser-mobiles.  Not the entire line-up.

[SVT666]

After reading everything Raza has just said, nobody better give me a hard time about loving Mustangs like I do.  He just proved that BMW owners aren't the only ones that fit the description he gave.

[SVT666]

Nothing!  If you are going to do a push button start, you better make it keyless also.  BMW and Honda screwed up there.

My co-workers 335i is keyless push button.

[SVT666]

The S2000's styling is Bleh! and the engine is a torqueless wonder.

[Champ]

My co-workers 335i is keyless push button.

They didn't used to be, you had to put the key in the little slot then hit the button.  The next year they came out with true keyless.

[JYODER240]

They didn't used to be, you had to put the key in the little slot then hit the button.  The next year they came out with true keyless.

I believe the purpose of having to insert the key on the old setup was that it would recharge the battery in the key itself. So while it seemed like an annoying extra step it atleast served a purpose.

[JYODER240]

The S2000's styling is Bleh! and the engine is a torqueless wonder.

and the Vette looks very generic. It has a strong engine but the car itself is a bit clumsy had has excessive body motions. The S2000 has quicker reflexes and is lighter in its feet. This mostly comes down to do you want a car thats a good cruiser that still does pretty good in the turns or do you want a car that's designed happily eat up apex's for hours.

[omicron]

Excessive body motions.......how scandalous.

[Champ]

I believe the purpose of having to insert the key on the old setup was that it would recharge the battery in the key itself. So while it seemed like an annoying extra step it atleast served a purpose.

That's pretty lame, batteries are easy to replace and very cheap.

[SVT666]

I believe the purpose of having to insert the key on the old setup was that it would recharge the battery in the key itself. So while it seemed like an annoying extra step it atleast served a purpose.

His key recharges just by being in his pocket in the car.

[JYODER240]

His key recharges just by being in his pocket in the car.

I could be wrong but i'm not sure that's possible.

[SVT666]

and the Vette looks very generic. It has a strong engine but the car itself is a bit clumsy had has excessive body motions. The S2000 has quicker reflexes and is lighter in its feet. This mostly comes down to do you want a car thats a good cruiser that still does pretty good in the turns or do you want a car that's designed happily eat up apex's for hours.

The Vette is anything but generic and it will happily tackle corners for hours too.

[565]

Actually an S2000 was on the list of possible cars when I went car shopping.  I personally didn't really care for convertibles, but the S2000 started off close to the top of the list for a list of reasons.  I really liked the fact it reved to 9k, I loved the fact it was supposed to be extremely well handling, I read all about the amazing gear box and how focused it was.  I loved the principle of the S2000,  high reving engine, RWD, 2 seats, light weight.  Naturally I expected it to be heads and shoulders above other Japanese performance cars such as the Rx8, 350Z, EVO, STI, etc.

But then when I drove the S2000 against some japanese performance cars, it quickly fell to close to the bottom of the list.  The problem is that all its inherent bonuses were never really fully realized and all it's faults became rather magnified.  I expected the low torque to be not a problem due to gearing,  but it was.  The S2000 needed alot of revs to keep up.  This wouldn't have been a problem if the engine was silky smooth and happy at high revs, but surprisingly it's not.  It sounds coarse and harsh at high revs and I felt like I was hurting the engine. Even when driving around sensibly it sounded like I was driving like a jerk.  Also I wasn't a fan of the buzzy engine noise.  Compare this to the wonderful RX8 I drove later.  It didn't have much more torque, but it felt 10 times better around traffic simply because the engine was so smooth and so happy to rev to any RPM.  As long as you don't hit the rev limiter, the RPMS are pretty meaningless in an RX8.  Want to cruise at 8K,  go right ahead, it feels alot like cruising at 3K.

Second was the steering feel and handling.  I expected it to be far and away to be the best, but in truth the EVO's steering feel was a little better.  In fact the souped up econobox EVO felt more sporty and capable overall than the pure sportscar S2000. The RX8 came close, if not matched the S2000 in felt handling with a much better ride trade off.  I expected the lightest and most impracitcal S2000 to simply drive circles around these more compromised machines, but it simply wasn't the case.  The RX8 was balanced, nimble, and comfortable.  I only wished it had some less body roll.

Lastly there was the shifter that everyone gushes over.  It was certainly good, but the shifter in the EVO was pretty good too, and the RX8's shifter felt even better, smoother action and less notchy.

In the end the S2000 slipped close to the bottom of the list while the RX8 quickly rose to the top.  It had all the sporty and fun parts of the S2000 while being pracitical and comfortable.  Of course if you love convertibles than the S2000 stands alone in the group.  Yet to be honest the S2000 wasn't as fun as the NB Miata I drove a year prior.

[JYODER240]

That's pretty lame, batteries are easy to replace and very cheap.

Yeah it wasn't the brightest idea but coming from the people who brough us iDrive what do you expect? Even still if having to insert a key and press a button bothers you that much you need help.

[SVT666]

Comfort Access

"Also available for the first time on a BMW in this class is Comfort Access. All cars receive a newly designed key that replaces the conventional blade-type key but with Comfort Access the key contains an ID Sensor that the car recognises from a short distance away. On recognition, the doors are unlocked automatically and the car can be started with one push of the starter button. The Comfort Access system also works in tandem with BMW's familiar key memory system to ensure that the seating position, door mirrors, personalised air conditioning settings and radio reception are automatically adjusted to the current drivers' settings before they enter the car.

Walking up to his BMW properly locked and secured, all the driver has to do with Comfort Access is pull the door handle in order to open the door. Then, as he is taking his seat at the wheel, the Personal Profile functions serve to adjust, say, the driver?s seating position, the automatic air conditioning and the radio station according to the driver?s personal requirements.

Over and above these three functions, Car & Key Memory (CKM) also sets the interior and exterior mirrors, the central locking and interior lights, the audio system sound effects and, in a car appropriately equipped, the presentation on the Control Display as well as the voice entry setting.

Once the driver is ready to go, he simply presses the start/stop button. Once he has reached his destination, in turn, he presses the same button to switch off the engine. Then, placing his finger on the marked surface on the door handle after getting out and closing the door, he automatically locks and secures the car without requiring any further action. If he has forgotton the ID sensor in the car the doors will not lock and the driver will receive an appropriate warning. And should the electronic key control system ever fail to operate, the driver can insert the ID sensor into a slot in the instrument panel in order to drive the car just as conveniently the ?conventional? way."

[SVT666]

I think the styling is a little bland even for my taste.

This coming from someone who loves Miatas???