ellar, how should it be in extreme cold? just fine?(i wouldn't know, i dont experience extreme cold where i am)

 

Yes, just fine. It took a little more warmup time before I'd drive it. When it got down below 0, the driver's side window made a little more noise rolling up, and the brakes started squealing when first starting out (unrelated to the OEM brake squeal everybody experiences). The tires also turn to rocks when it gets below freezing. You can feel the difference below 44 degrees.

Otherwise, my 8 took serious cold without any notable differences in performance.

 

under 0? barely been able to break high 50's in the winter out here

 

I have drivin the car in temps as low as 15 degrees with no problems engine wise.

I really have a hard time thinking the two cars are anything but *** in the snow, both are light and RWD. That combo will always suck in snow.

 

Not to take issue with my buddy Klegg, but this is not really accurate. First, of course, remember that practically all cars were RWD until 25 years ago, and things still worked pretty well in the winter. Second, and more important, the quality of good snow tires is quite remarkable these days. We put Blizzak LM25 tires on both our RX-8 and the S2000 this winter, and those cars stuck like glue to the road, even in snow and ice. Really amazing.

All things being equal, I would rather be in my 17 year old, practically worthless AWD Toyota in the snow, but that has more to do with the danger from others than from what a RWD car, properly shod, can do in the snow.

 

I must admit that I have never put snow tires on my RWD cars...hence the spin in the mazda last winter..and my SVO's refusal to move at all if it looked like it might snow..

 

LOL. Yeah, quality snow tires make a bit of difference. We had a four inch snowfall last winter, when I had the summer tires on. The car freewheeled in first gear on a 2 percent grade on our driveway without using the accelerator. I put the snows on, and 20 minutes later I could do 3000rpm drops without spinning. Good snows make all the difference. And driving with a bit of care always helps, especially with RWD.

 

Man, this thread just keeps on giving.

I didn't notice. Did this guy ever return and tell us what he ended up doing?

I'm with the people who directly compared these two cars. Why? Because they share a light, agile feel lacking in a 350Z, Mustang, etc.

I ended up with an RX-8 on the way. (Dad has it for a year first for various reasons.) Why? Because I agree with those here that find the RX-8 more enjoyable on typical Michigan roads. The steering feels quicker just off center and the suspension doesn't get unsettled by bumps in the middle of a turn. I drove both cars back-to-back twice. Once on my favorite set of badly paved curvy roads. The RX-8 was easier and more enjoyable to drive on these roads. On smooth roads with plenty of challenging curves the S2000 might have an advantage, but it's not a huge one in my opinion.

I'll be able to drive the RX-8 much more often, as I have kids, but I really don't feel I'm giving up anything in the driving enjoyment department save the top-down experience.

For me, the S2000 only gets very enjoyable when driven very hard. You can't do this often on public roads, at least not around Detroit. The RX-8 is more enjoyable at 5/10th, largely because of its quicker-feeling steering. Like others have said, I also find the RX-8 more predictable. Even the newer S2000s with the revised suspension have a disconcerting tendency to step out. Easy to catch, but not confidence-inspiring.

In the S2000's favor, I much prefer its seats (very nice seats) and think it feels like a more solid car that will hold up longer. The RX-8 was more clearly designed to hit a price target.

Finally, there's insurance. I don't know about you guys, but for me an S2000 costs 50% more to insure.