Got bored yesterday and popped by my favourite dealer to test drive a 2004 Honda S2000 (running the F22C1 block), so I thought I'd share my thoughts.
The S2000 is supposed to be one of the best, if not the best, high performance roadster to be produced. Top Gear survey rated the S2000 the #1 choice of readers. Performance-wise, it does the century sprint in 6.1 seconds using 250 hp and 153 lb/ft of torque.
For more information, see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S2000
Having read so many good things about the S2000, I decided I HAD to have a spin in it.
And I was disappointed.
As a daily driver, the S2000 is a nice car. Well put together, beautiful lines, fantastic balance, and the entire dashboard is built around the driver (there's nothing AT ALL on the passenger side, and everything is within finger-reach with my hands on the steering wheel).
The 6-speed short-throw gearbox is so good, that I immediately decided I had to have a short-shifter (the only ones I can get here in Dubai are the FVD ones) installed (which I did, 3 hours after I test drove the S2000).
The roof mechanism works smoothly, quietly, and looks like it would last forever.
HOWEVER....
It lacks the oomph of the Boxster (and mine is just a humble 2.5l Box) at low and mid-ranges, and at high rpms (above 5000 rpm), it sounds so strained. The Boxster's flat-6, at the same rpm *sings*, and is creamy smooth. The Boxster's power delivery is also more practical on a daily basis with usable torque and horses from 3000 rpm all the way to 6000 rpm; the S2000's doesn't start till 7000 rpm, at which point it sounds like a tomcat whose ****s got caught on a barbed wire fence.
The seating position on the S2000 is only just slightly lower than a sedan, but nowhere as low as the Boxster's (mine has Eibach lowering springs with stock shocks and works like a charm) which is much like a go-kart.
The tonneau cover on the S2000 isn't ideal either. It looks half-completed with the top-down without the cover, but if you leave the cover on, you'll have to spend 5 minutes taking it off when you want to raise the hood, and stow it into a tiny boot area. The Boxster takes big points here for practicality with the front and rear storage areas.
The fact that depreciation on the 1999 Boxster is low doesn't hurt it either, whereas the depreciation on the 2004 S2000 (which is selling for just US$2k more than the '99 Boxster) is killer.
The S2000 is still a great car, but as a daily driver, I'm much happier with the Boxster
