2006 Honda S2000
- Thread starter mikeyb
- Start date
p5power: you didn't say, "ugh...it's a roadster." you said, "eh...it's still a honda...." if you don't like a car b/c of the badge on the front, stand up and say so. 
and when those cars actually exist, we can discuss their performance.
there's more to performance than 1/4 mile times, you know. the S2000 isn't about having the biggest dragstrip wang. (boom05)
Nolimits said:
and when those cars actually exist, we can discuss their performance.
there's more to performance than 1/4 mile times, you know. the S2000 isn't about having the biggest dragstrip wang. (boom05)
I thought the 350z felt heavy and didn't really like to be pushed.
heres a review from road and track
That the powered-up 35th Anniversary edition of the hugely successful Nissan 350Z couldnt crack the top seven surprised many of us. Its arguably the most popular sports car of the past several years, topping 200,000 units in worldwide sales. Furthermore, the 350Z performed remarkably well in previous R&T comparison tests, even winning a couple of them. So what gives?
The 350Z fell down at, of all places, the racetrack. The Z negotiated certain parts of the track efficiently, but wheezed through many of the others, as it posted the slowest lap times of the group, even with a former factory Z-car driver behind the wheel.
The Z understeered in mid-turn, and didnt provide good balance or speed coming out of corners. And when you cant get a good jump out of corners, your speed on the straights suffers, Millen noted.
We discovered that the car also leans noticeably, and the steering feels slow, making it seem as if youre always trying to catch up to the corner. But kudos to the Zs structural rigidity it was the bright light in an otherwise bleak handling world. Nissans FM platform, which also sees duty in a luxury sedan and sport utility, is rigid and communicative, possessing the kind of firmness reserved for...well, a sport utility. But this solidity comes at a price: curb weight. The 350Z is the second-heaviest of the lot at 3370 lb.
But thats where the 35th Anniversary Zs added power comes into play. The retuned 3.5-liter V-6 puts out 300 bhp (13 more than the base Z) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, enabling the car to run to 60 mph in 5.6 sec. (0.2 sec. quicker than the 350Z Track Model). Observant readers will notice that the torque figure for the new engine is slightly less than before. This is the result of revised engine mapping that, along with the extra bhp, gives the V-6 a more linear torque curve. You may also notice a slight improvement at the cars top end and a little less down low, but the general character of the V-6 remains the same; it pulls well off the line and runs out of breath up high.
We discovered that the Nissan isnt a car that likes to be driven at the limit (in both an engine and a handling sense). Its perfectly comfortable at about 7- to 8/10ths, where it provides the driver with above-average handling prowess and comfort. Its the ideal sports car for a daylong road trip.
The 350Zs benign nature instills great confidence, which for the typical driver equates to higher corner speeds and greater enjoyment. So while it may not stand out at the track, in the real world, the 350Zs quick, idiot-proof nature makes it a fun car to drive fast without the apprehension of backing it off the road at speed, Kim Wolfkill, Senior Editor, commented.
heres a review from road and track
That the powered-up 35th Anniversary edition of the hugely successful Nissan 350Z couldnt crack the top seven surprised many of us. Its arguably the most popular sports car of the past several years, topping 200,000 units in worldwide sales. Furthermore, the 350Z performed remarkably well in previous R&T comparison tests, even winning a couple of them. So what gives?
The 350Z fell down at, of all places, the racetrack. The Z negotiated certain parts of the track efficiently, but wheezed through many of the others, as it posted the slowest lap times of the group, even with a former factory Z-car driver behind the wheel.
The Z understeered in mid-turn, and didnt provide good balance or speed coming out of corners. And when you cant get a good jump out of corners, your speed on the straights suffers, Millen noted.
We discovered that the car also leans noticeably, and the steering feels slow, making it seem as if youre always trying to catch up to the corner. But kudos to the Zs structural rigidity it was the bright light in an otherwise bleak handling world. Nissans FM platform, which also sees duty in a luxury sedan and sport utility, is rigid and communicative, possessing the kind of firmness reserved for...well, a sport utility. But this solidity comes at a price: curb weight. The 350Z is the second-heaviest of the lot at 3370 lb.
But thats where the 35th Anniversary Zs added power comes into play. The retuned 3.5-liter V-6 puts out 300 bhp (13 more than the base Z) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, enabling the car to run to 60 mph in 5.6 sec. (0.2 sec. quicker than the 350Z Track Model). Observant readers will notice that the torque figure for the new engine is slightly less than before. This is the result of revised engine mapping that, along with the extra bhp, gives the V-6 a more linear torque curve. You may also notice a slight improvement at the cars top end and a little less down low, but the general character of the V-6 remains the same; it pulls well off the line and runs out of breath up high.
We discovered that the Nissan isnt a car that likes to be driven at the limit (in both an engine and a handling sense). Its perfectly comfortable at about 7- to 8/10ths, where it provides the driver with above-average handling prowess and comfort. Its the ideal sports car for a daylong road trip.
The 350Zs benign nature instills great confidence, which for the typical driver equates to higher corner speeds and greater enjoyment. So while it may not stand out at the track, in the real world, the 350Zs quick, idiot-proof nature makes it a fun car to drive fast without the apprehension of backing it off the road at speed, Kim Wolfkill, Senior Editor, commented.
heres the S2000 review
Coming into this test, no one gave the S2000 any serious consideration. It was simply a car meant to fill a spot as Hondas sports-car representative. (The Acura NSX was left out because its likely to be discontinued next year or be replaced by another model.) And since this head-turning 2-seater met all of the sports-car criteria for this test...what the heck, we said. What the heck? was more like it after a few laps in the S2000. This supposedly old car cut up the West Loop like a skilled surgeon with a scapel, posting a sub-70-sec. lap time. And its amazingly tossable, fun-to-drive nature put it among the favorites of the day on both tracks.
The balance of this car is just great. You get mild understeer at turn-in, but its so mild that you can be hard on the throttle early to get good exit speed. The car felt really light through the corners, and the brakes were good. Because of this combination, I was able to brake deep into a corner and get right back on the throttle, Millen said.
The reason the S2000 handled differently from past models is that the suspension system, most notably the rear multilink setup, has been retuned to provide better stability and composure through all types of corners. Gone is the twitchy, nervous rear end that plagued autocrossers and weekend racers. Now those Bridgestone Potenzas stay properly planted on the driving surface, making the entire car behave smoothly and predictably. And speaking of rubber, the S2000 has more of it than before, with P215/45R-17s up front and P245/40R-17s at the rear. The steering is fantastic quick and precise enabling the car to exhibit flawless balance through left/right transitions. It was among the fastest through the esses of the West Loop.
The engine has also seen changes, most notably the increase in displacement, from 2.0 to 2.2 liters. This was done to give the car more low- and mid-range pop. While hardly perceptible at the track keeping it on the cam still means staying above the 6500-rpm mark the added flexibility pays substantial dividends on the open road. The car manages to pull from about 3000 rpm, making it unnecessary to constantly change gears when the flow of traffic fluctuates. But some would consider that a pity because this Honda 2-seater still has the best gearbox in the business. This direct-linkage 6-speed unit with its well-defined gates, short throws and solid overall feel scored a perfect 20 in the Gearbox category.
I had honestly forgotten just how good a sports car the S2000 is. The gearbox is quite simply the best in the world, with wonderfully short, extremely positive throws. This current S2000 is less twitchy than the original, and was the easiest with which to execute beautiful 4-wheel drifts through Buttonwillows faster corners. Man, is it fun, said Mike Monticello, Associate Editor.
Coming into this test, no one gave the S2000 any serious consideration. It was simply a car meant to fill a spot as Hondas sports-car representative. (The Acura NSX was left out because its likely to be discontinued next year or be replaced by another model.) And since this head-turning 2-seater met all of the sports-car criteria for this test...what the heck, we said. What the heck? was more like it after a few laps in the S2000. This supposedly old car cut up the West Loop like a skilled surgeon with a scapel, posting a sub-70-sec. lap time. And its amazingly tossable, fun-to-drive nature put it among the favorites of the day on both tracks.
The balance of this car is just great. You get mild understeer at turn-in, but its so mild that you can be hard on the throttle early to get good exit speed. The car felt really light through the corners, and the brakes were good. Because of this combination, I was able to brake deep into a corner and get right back on the throttle, Millen said.
The reason the S2000 handled differently from past models is that the suspension system, most notably the rear multilink setup, has been retuned to provide better stability and composure through all types of corners. Gone is the twitchy, nervous rear end that plagued autocrossers and weekend racers. Now those Bridgestone Potenzas stay properly planted on the driving surface, making the entire car behave smoothly and predictably. And speaking of rubber, the S2000 has more of it than before, with P215/45R-17s up front and P245/40R-17s at the rear. The steering is fantastic quick and precise enabling the car to exhibit flawless balance through left/right transitions. It was among the fastest through the esses of the West Loop.
The engine has also seen changes, most notably the increase in displacement, from 2.0 to 2.2 liters. This was done to give the car more low- and mid-range pop. While hardly perceptible at the track keeping it on the cam still means staying above the 6500-rpm mark the added flexibility pays substantial dividends on the open road. The car manages to pull from about 3000 rpm, making it unnecessary to constantly change gears when the flow of traffic fluctuates. But some would consider that a pity because this Honda 2-seater still has the best gearbox in the business. This direct-linkage 6-speed unit with its well-defined gates, short throws and solid overall feel scored a perfect 20 in the Gearbox category.
I had honestly forgotten just how good a sports car the S2000 is. The gearbox is quite simply the best in the world, with wonderfully short, extremely positive throws. This current S2000 is less twitchy than the original, and was the easiest with which to execute beautiful 4-wheel drifts through Buttonwillows faster corners. Man, is it fun, said Mike Monticello, Associate Editor.
stablity control, applys individual brakes before the car goes spinning. I haven't driven the new 06 s2k but the have driven the 02 and 04-05. The 04-05 models are faster and easier to drive. the 00-03 models are tempermental and trying to push it in rain is down right scary.
As much as I loved driving the S2000, there's still something feminine about the way it looks. Can you get a factory hard top on it? That would make a huge difference for me. There is a guy around where that has a silver supercharged S2000 (it was on the cover of S3 Magazine a while back) that had an aftermarket hard top on it. Looks way better IMHO.
