I bought a new 2005 S2000 and put about 12,000 miles on it. The 2004+ were retuned a bit and had a little more torque and a slightly lower redline than the earlier S2K's, but it was still very much like a high-performance motorcycle engine.
There were a few things I loved about the S2000.
-build quality
-handling (with one exception)
-clutch and shifter were the best I've ever used
-fast (as long as you keep the tach in the VTEC range)
What I didn't like:
-Cockpit was too snug. OK for commuting and spirited drives, but not very comfortable for long trips. It was very tight and claustrophobic with the top up.
-Noise. Engine sounded great when you're shifting at 7500 RPM and playing Michael Schumacher, but it got tiresome when you're not flogging it. The tires were also noisy, particularly with the top up.
-Stereo sucked. I think it's even worse than the Boxster
-No traction control (became standard in 2006)
-Handling (the exception). Even with new tires, the rear tires would break away without much warning. I bought mine in December, and the first morning I drove it to work it was about 40 degrees outside. I had driven about one mile, and I made a left turn at fairly high speed...not a dangerous speed, but about as fast as I would have taken the turn in other vehicle (an Acura MDX).
I made it half-way around the turn and the rear tires kept going
. I spun it 180 degrees right in the middle of the road. I was EXTREMELY lucky.... didn't run off the road, didn't hit anything. The only damage was the sphincter wrinkle in the driver's seat.
I never spun it again, but I certainly understood that this was a serious car that was in desperate need of a stability management system.
The Honda was fun, but I like my Boxster (2001 S) more. The Porsche is much more comfortable and attracts more attention. The only thing I really miss about the S2000 is the shifter.
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