My 2nd S2000: still loving it

Well I managed to gather enough money to buy another S2000 after trading that one for a Type R cash.

I went to a big dealer in Montreal, saw a nice 2003 Suzuka Blue S2000 and it was a done deal.

The sound of the engine with the airbox cover lid on is good, but once you take it off (it takes 5 seconds, no tools needed just flip the 6 metal hangers off with your fingers. It's what people replace when they put in a cold air intake.) the sound is really like an F-1 car. No, really.

A lot of car ads say their car sounds like a F-1 machine. Bull. The S2000 with an intake or the stock airbox cover off really DOES sound like a high-pitched racing engine.

The transmission seems smoother in my 2003 than my old 2002; no 2nd gear grind and overall feels better.

The sound system also seems a bit more rich and clear.

The rest is pretty much like my old 2002: one of the quickest steering car out there: you flick the steering wheel a big to the left and the car DARTS to the left lane! (13.8:1 steering ratio) You need to drive with both hands on the wheel on the highway. It's kind of like a Mini Cooper S and MazdaSpeed Miata in terms of turn-in quickness.

Engine feels strong from 5000 to 9000RPM; You won't get pinned in your seats below 6000RPM but you'll have plenty to cruise around town.

The brakes are excellent in stock form and the pedal feel is very firm. The stock S0-2 tires aid tremendously in stopping distance. There's not need to upgrade the brakes here unless you pay thousands for ''big brake kits''. The brakes aern't Porsche quality, but for under USD 40 000$ you'll be hard pressed to find a better braking system in any car.

Speaking of tires, there are very few aftermarkets ones that will give you better handling. No matter how quickly I enter a turn, if done right, the tires won't say a word. People say they are dangerous in rain but I didn't have any problems in over a year through heavy rainstorms in city and highway driving.

The seats are great, very comfy even on long rides and offer great lateral support. I'm 6 feet and 175 pounds and this car fits me like a glove. Plenty of head space with the top up, much more than in my friend's Mazda RX-8.

The interior isn't flashy or loaded with gadgets and stuff. What is it though is very well screwed together: fit and finish is excellent.

All in all the perfect roadster; I even drove mine in winter with a good set of Dunlop Graspic DS-2 winter tires. No problems at all in painful Montreal winters. Never got stuck, never spun out. Just go easy on the gas when taking a corner. (Don't hit VTEC as much as in summer...)

This is already my 2nd S2000 and I plan on keeping it for at least 2-3 years. When I'll need back seats I plan on getting an RX-8.


*The Timing chain tensioner on many S2000s seems to be a weak point. A lot of owners complain of a ''ticking'' sound coming from the engine bay which is more audible at startup. My car has 62 000kms and I can hear the ticking noise since 50 000kms. My mechanic told me the ''tensioner'' needs to be replaced but aside from the annoying noise at idle it isn't anything that might damage the engine.

The rear axle nut (spindle nut) seems to get loose very easily on these cars and they need to be torqued to 220 pounds or else you might hear a sort of ''ping pong ball'' noise coming from the rear suspension. My car does the same and I will get that bolt tightened shortly.

Aside from these 2 problems my car has been problem free for the last 12 000kms of aggressive driving. It does take more oil than most cars but what do you expect from a vehicle that can safely redline to 9000RPMS every day?