hahahah good point
Lucky mother-@#%$%*@%!@

 

Well I'm just trying to understand the justification of spending $10K more...personally I don't like convertibles so that's lost on me, I guess over 10 years or so the $10K may account for the extra $ you spend on gas

 

They are close; if you're just playing at it, like doing lapping at your local track or local autocross, it probably makes no difference for that. If you want to compete seriously, the RX-8 might still be better, since it's in B-Stock in autocross, and the S2000 is in A-stock. It depends on what you want in a car.

 

There, you've nicely put it in a nutshell--to each his own. My previous car was a 1989 Toyota Celica convertible (I don't buy cars very often), for which I paid an extra $6,000 to have the top sawed off. It was worth it to me; I just love a convertible (I put the top down yesterday, and it's still down, and this is Seattle, which is not in the sunbelt).

But remember how much more expensive the S2000 is to insure; that probably makes up for the gas expense right there.

 

good points, S2k

 

Here is a good collection of RX-8 dynos done at different dynos, under different conditions. You can visit www.s2ki.com for S2000 dynos.

http://smpc.dnyp.com/mazda-rx8_2004_Dynos.asp

 

So the 8 that I'm building is going to be close to Saini's times?

SUH-WEEEEEET!!! (Just don't tell these other guys that... they need to think the 8 sucks)

:D

--kC

 

I think I've been sandbagged!

 

Nahh not really... I'm no Daddio.... not even close. LOL

Although, some day, I hope to be up there. So much to learn.

 

You know the curse Bambino... welcome to the curse of the Wagon! Give it 80 or 90 years and maybe you can be national champ again :P

 

I hope that's not the case.

--kC
(Is there a way to make an 8 wagon? Call it the 8.5?)

 

Whats the difference between a-stock and b-stock? yeah i know, stupid question right, please bear with me.:o i'm new to this racing thing, but i'm completely hook after going out on the track. I just bought some tien flex coilovers for my 8 for 1400, is that a good deal? anyone have any experience with this company, is it any good? anyhow, i just wanted to know the difference between the classes.

 

Here, follow this: http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/Lists/2003/stockc.html
It'll give you an idea of which car competes where...

 

That's the 2003 link. The 2005 link is here: http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/Lists/2005/stockc.html

Of course, the SCCA Solo rulebook is now available online at http://scca.com/_filelibrary/File/2005SoloRules.pdf, and should be considered the definitive canon (I just found an incorrect listing in the Moutons transcription).

Steve

 

Mind you, coilovers (tien flex) will take you out of stock. To STU or BSP (I think bsp).

 

Coilovers are legal in either class.

The RX-8 has a better chance in STU than it does in BSP, in my opinion.

John V

 

Hey another 8 in STU! That's two of us that I know of. Any others?

Oh, what was the subject of this thread? Ah yes, RX8 vs S2000. Guess we are off track (excuse the pun) a little...

 

hmm... maybe we can open a thread about new Z06 vs Turbo Rx8..!!

 

These threads always amaze me. It's like asking someone if there baby or another guy's is ugly. A case can be given for most cars given the needs of the user. If looking for an assessment of 2 different cars in the same realm (track,autox, etc) I highy suggest posting at the scca forums or another 'marque-agnostic' forum. RX-8 owners are going to be justifably proud of there car as would S2000 drivers. Plus all cars are compromises in one way or another, so it is all relative.

Just for the record I personaly think the s2k is a great perfomance roadster, well made, and over priced. I think the rx8 is a sports coupe/sedan, well priced, solidly built, and slightly under powered. Honestly you probably wouldn't go wrong with either, but the rx-8 suspension is soft from the factory by comparison.


For a dedicated track car I'd say neither and buy a spec miata and a pile of spares.

If I had to choose daily driver/track car I would say e46 m3 (except for the price tag) and then probably still go for the rx-8.

But that's just me.

 

While I liked the rest of your post, I found this zing very, very odd. This is the first time I have ever heard someone say that the S2000 is overpriced; heck, the car magazines tend to say that the engine alone is worth $33,000. It outperforms its competition (Base Z4/any TT/base Boxster/350Z) in most tests, while costing many thousands less than any of them. It is fine to say that you prefer the RX-8, even for the same price, but that's because you don't value little roadsters; what you said, however was the absolute statement that the car is overpriced, not that you wouldn't pay $33,000 for it. It is very expensive to make a low-volume, very stiff convertible with a fabulous engine, and Honda has done a great job of bringing it in at a price below any of its competition.

It is always worth keeping in mind that it gets increasingly expensive to make things just a little better; so that the price of making a car like the S2000 is a lot higher than the cost of making a car like the Miata (which is not in any way "competition" for the S2000; they are in completely different segments of the market)

If you think that the S2000 is overpriced, you must think that all roadsters with more than 200 hp are overpriced, which is more a reflection on your opinion of roadsters than on economic reality.

 

No offense but, let us live in our dream world...where S2Ks can be had for 5 grand, and Elises are just a tad more @ $5000.99! :p

 

I have to say I personaly prefer the 2002 - 2003 years, I don't like the lower reving motors used in the 2004. The pre 2002 have a plastic rear window and a little different suspension, and no tweeters in the doors. If I was looking for a track car I would get a 2002 or 2003 espically for the 16" rims the current 17" rims have a greater rotational weight and makes the car a little slower.

As a car fore the money I think there is no comparision for the s2000 in it's price range. The porsche boxster is too expensive to maintain, the z4 is ugly and looks like a buick, the 350z has it's own list of problems. The mazda speed miata is a fun little car though. As well as the lotus elise is a great car just a little more $$and they should have used the s2000 motor and not the celica gts motor.

just my .02

 

Can you imagine the Elise with either the Renesis or the S2k motor? Of course, neither Mazda nor Honda would likely be interested, but that would be an even more fabulous car!

 

One thing i have kinda noticed is a lot of people are like oohhhhh s2k kills the RX-8 but lets face it, the RX-8 came out in what 04 while the s2k has been out for about 4 or 5 years. So for a car that has had several years of development to take on a car that just came out you have to keep in mind that it could be a little 1 sided. Also since every test i have seen or read about the rx-8 holds its ground and keeps up with the s2k which tells me that with more development the rx could easily catch up to and surpass the s2k in stock trim. Also like what was mentioned earlier the rx is better for everyday driveing and is also cheaper, i bought mine fully loaded and it was 2-4k less then the starting price of a s2k, and like other people have said, being able to seat 4 instead of 2 is also a plus

 

A lot of people are swapping out the Yamaha motor(almost positive the GT-S motor is made by Yamaha) for the K20A(RSX) motor. It responds a lot better to modding and damn that car gets fast. The F20C(S2000) is not quite as responsive to mods as the K20A.

Edit: should have looked at your name, you probably know all these engine codes. But your suggestion is something Lotus should look in to :p