swoope

iTrader: (5)

looks like a mini sprint... usually have a 1300 yamaha fjr motor in them..

still a cool ride.... but i dont think i would be calling anyone out with you 10 posts..

beers

Racer X-8

The '65 Corvair was my first car, none before that one, I promise... well, except for the go-cart...

Racer X-8

I want my brother's old Triumph TR4

dmp

wow...what were we talking about?

Oh yeah -

"Better"



Better IS as Better does.

And Body Roll? I don't care so much about body roll if the car STICKS. I'd bet dollars to donuts some ethusiasts have spent THOUSANDS of dollars eliminating body roll - just to have their cars handle WORSE w/o them knowing/admitting it.

:D

124Spider

My best friend in those days had an 850 Spider, which is why I felt comfortable getting my 124 Spider. The 850 was amazing; no power, but so light it would do anything. I still see X1/9s at autocrosses quite frequently.

I like to think of the S2000 as a car with all of the charm of the 124 Spider, without any of the headaches.

playdoh43

ok sorry im such a young buck, but whats up with posting some pics of these cars that ive never heard of? 124, and 850 and x1/9 and all that good stuff? share your wealth of knowledge please?

124Spider

Ask and it shall be answered; seek, and ye shall find.

First, The 124 Spider, still one of the purest designs around.

Second, the 850 Spider, also a very nice design.

Third, the X1/9.

playdoh43

whao these roadsters are beautiful. now i remember seeing them quite often on the autoweek actions section. thanks for the pics

Ike

My brother had an X19, was a cool little car but damn what a piece of ****. Maybe it was because it was poop brown

124Spider

The poop brown was to hide the rust.

They were all POS--why do you think FIAT no longer sells cars in the US? But they were beautiful (especially the 124 Spider; that picture is a '69, the same year as my first car), and when they ran, they were very fine performance cars for their day.

Racer X-8

and my brother's TR-4, except it was dark blue...



and my 124 sport spider was sky blue...


that's one yukky white top there though...

VikingDJ

I'm late chiming in on this, but I sold my RX8 to buy an S2000. There were only three reasons why I made the change. 1) Better fun summer/weekend car (convertible factor) More reliable with less headaches 3) Considerably better at maintaining it's value. Other then that, I absolutely loved my RX8. The S2000 is definitely tamer looking in stock form, the RX8 is much more comfortable/quieter but it is a bit slower, and not as nimble. I tried using the RX8 as a daily driver, but it just didn't fit in for my lifestyle, and with bad winters here, it was just not feasable. The reality of it is I didn't need the extra seats, all the amenities for just a weekend car, and I really wanted a convertible. I just didn't realize it at the time I chose the RX8 over the S2K initially, as I chose looks and the rotary engine, not realizing my heart was truly set on a fun summer convertible. With whatever car you choose, you are going to have to compromise, but each car is truly a wonderful machine, in it's own unique way.

rx8lover1

i have both.

I like the S2000 better but I do love the RX8 for pactical applications of the car.

I agree with the above most.

Maintance is easy, top down is great and the car feels more of a go-kart fun to drive and easy to handle.

The gas milage on the rx8 is a little worse then the S2000 on the Freeways. RX is a slower and when the Vtec kicks in at 6500... it moves you. On the other hand, the smooth RX8 engine gets you up to and exceeding crusing speed in no time and with out your knowledge.

Personally, i like the S2K more, but not by much!

When my family comes to town, the RX8 is very handy.

RX4life

^^ fact is the RX-8 wasnt meant to compete with the S2K.. if the 8 was more like the S2K in the sense of 2 drs and simplicity in design and features;only engine and chasis with seats like the S2000, im almost 100% sure that the 8 would out perform the S2K.

VikingDJ

You are right. I miss the rotary engine for the reason of it's smoothness. The S2K engine cannot compare in that regard. I noticed a major improvement on overall gas mileage. I even pulled off 30mpg on a tank cruising on a country road at 60mph. Overall I get about 25mpg. I wanted a convertible, and that meant I'd have to choose between my RX8 and my STI as a daily. I wish I could have kept the RX8, and owned all three. I definitely miss that car. Make a convertible RX8 and bye bye S2000.

TODreamer

really? All other things equal? I thought you preferred S2K performance?

Racer X-8

Yeah, and it's called the RX-7. hehe We're still waiting...

VikingDJ

The S2K performing better then the RX8 is a bonus, but no way a necessity for me. I get plenty of performance out of my daily driver. I wanted a convertible badly enough to where I was willing to part with a car I totally loved, because that's what a fun summer car is all about IMO. The S2000 is my favorite roadster, but not my favorite car.

TODreamer

ic

but if all you wanted was a vert and you get you're performance fix from your STi... why not just go for a miata... sure its slow, but its a well made vert and much cheaper to buy and maintain which will save yourself substantial cash

VikingDJ

Because the S2000 is a better car, and it's nice to have that high revving power when I want it. If I can give myself a bonus fun car to match my bonus daily driver, then why the hell not. Who cares about saving substantial cash, If you got it, SPEND IT. Life is too short. If I had gotten a used Miata, the downgrade would have been major. I also wanted a power top, and why Mazda still makes the Miata manual is beyond me. I just like the S2000 better then the Miata all the way across boards, not just because it's a lot more powerful.

TODreamer

ok...cool.


The reason why Mazda still makes a manual top on the miata is the same reason why people question why the S2k has a power operated top.... many beleive that a simple manual top is more fitting for small light wieght roadsters such as these..

RA-Eight

iTrader: (6)

Probably been beaten to death on this thread (as is this comparison on every car forum), but performance-wise, S2000 trumphs RX-8. The S2K is a sports car for purists. Beautifully made car bred for motorsports, and Honda did an excellent job to achieve that. Practicality, well, that's another story.

I think Mazda did an excellent job to combine real world practicality, with all around performance. My goal is to keep my 8 as a daily driver, and an S for weekend autoX!!!

VikingDJ

You are right. it certainly adds weight, but I can't imagine not having a power top now. The Miata is in a lower price class, so naturally, it does not need a power top. The S2K is geared in a higher price range, so not having one would not be good for that car. It's a cheaper alternative to cars like the z4, ect ect, whereas the Miata didn't really have any competition until now with the Solstice, and soon to be Sky. I could end up trading in this car for a New Miata down the road, since likely a new S2K will be out of my price range, unless I keep the STI for many years as a beater. I'd like to see Mazda compete with the S2K, by either spicing up the Miata, or coming out with a rotary convertible. Both makers seem afraid of each other, so there's no way Honda would dare make a convertible to compete with the Miata. I do think Mazda could succeed with a competitor though.

TODreamer

I'd like to see an S2K competitive miata as well...


But I really dont think Honda is affraid of Mazda at all...maybe the other way around. If Honda wanted to make a car to compete with the miata they could easily do it, but why would they? It'll canabalize the S2K as the market is not big enough for that type of car to warrant two roadsters under one make... the demand just isnt there.... they'd have to choose between the two and you know which one will get the "heave-ho" right?

VikingDJ

Yeah. Not afraid of Mazda, just that they don't have to, and wouldn't dare to, since it would be a very bad decision. No matter how good their Miata competitor would be, it would likely fail against the Miata, especially if the S2k was still out. I'd imagine the S2K will be done soon, and be called something different. It's best to stay out of the competition, unless the demand is there, which is likely why we may never see an S2K competitor from Mazda. IF we do, it will be years form now, and it will be competing against a different car.