[JoosyJoos]

Hey guys,

Kinda thinking about doing a shake up with my garage. Currently have the 335i listed in my signature but the more I get into track events and autocross the more I'm wishing I had something light and tossable. That and the 335i isn't one of the easiest cars to learn on with all the horsepower on tap.

So long story short I'm just toying with the idea of trading in my car for an S2000 and putting the difference in money away (I'm just graduating college so I think its a wise financial decision to save).

Am I insane? How did you ex-S2K people like the car? Any major problems...? I've been reading up on the forums but I've got a lot of reading to do. Cliff notes would be great.

[Epik]

S2k is great, as is a Miata. Perhaps a Lotus?

No problems as far as I know with any of those options.

[graider]

i think s2000 is the right choice. go for it.

more reliable than your bmw, more fun IMO.

[lyndon_h]

minus a cayman or lotus you're probably not going to find a more fun without buying an exotic, IMO.
I'm a past and future S2k owner.

[Cookiemonster]

past s2000 owner here car is a blast but the car does have SNAP oversteer. Which can be dangerous and make you crap your pants sometimes. Still a great car and I miss mine alot. No one cares that I drive a 335i but when I had my s2000 i was the bomb....LOL

[ACZakka325i]

Considering this car will be your daily, I'd write off the lotus.

[RENN Spec]

Past s2000 owner here! I'll be getting another one soon! I too also had a 335 and s2000 at the same time but I drove my s2000 most of the time. This was with race suspension too!

[Bluesummer]

Originally Posted by Jason@Renn-Spec

Past s2000 owner here! I'll be getting another one soon! I too also had a 335 and s2000 at the same time but I drove my s2000 most of the time. This was with race suspension too!

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[FStop7]

I had a 2002 AP1 and it is one of my favorite cars I've owned.

1. It looks awesome.

2. The chassis is as solid as a tank. Absolutely no cowl shake.

3. For being a small car it is VERY comfortable, even on long drives. I drove from Atlanta to NYC and back and I was so comfortable the whole way. It's like being in a coccoon.

4. Awesome gas mileage, about 30mpg with the top up at 80mph.

5. Amazing shifter and steering feedback.

6. It runs like a Timex. Change the oil every 3,000 miles and that's it.

7. The brakes are small yet extremely effective.


The downsides are:

1. NO torque, it feels very slow even though it's not too bad in reality. It will get dusted by so many "ordinary" cars, in a straight line that is.

2. Completely impractical, the trunk can hold one medium sized suitcase.


So there it is - 7 pros and only 2 cons, to me it's one of the best cars ever made.

[BForbes]

Originally Posted by FStop7

I had a 2002 AP1 and it is one of my favorite cars I've owned.

1. It looks awesome.

2. The chassis is as solid as a tank. Absolutely no cowl shake.

3. For being a small car it is VERY comfortable, even on long drives. I drove from Atlanta to NYC and back and I was so comfortable the whole way. It's like being in a coccoon.

4. Awesome gas mileage, about 30mpg with the top up at 80mph.

5. Amazing shifter and steering feedback.

6. It runs like a Timex. Change the oil every 3,000 miles and that's it.

7. The brakes are small yet extremely effective.


The downsides are:

1. NO torque, it feels very slow even though it's not too bad in reality. It will get dusted by so many "ordinary" cars, in a straight line that is.

2. Completely impractical, the trunk can hold one medium sized suitcase.


So there it is - 7 pros and only 2 cons, to me it's one of the best cars ever made.

There are A LOT of S2000 guys on here. I still have mine and agree with this. I honestly have people commenting almost weekly and mine is a Gran Prix White AP2 w/ tan leather. Aesthetically stock.

[shiggy]

i wouldnt call this the greatest car ever made as someone stated earlier...however, the shifter on this lil car is freakin awesome!!!!
my friend went to Australia for 3 months and left me the keys.... i drove it to and from work and all i can say is its a blast to drive!
you should also consider a e46 m3....excellent performance, tossable...yet controlable...can make average drivers into better drivers!
best of luck with whatever you choose to do!

[JoosyJoos]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm gonna go test drive one here in a few days. I'll post up some impressions...

I'm pretty sure I'll love the car already... Just gotta see if I can practically make it work for me.

[dc503]

I owned one prior to my 335i and wish I could have kept it as a second car. I autocrossed mine regularly and tracked it occasionally (rollbar requirements made it tougher more recently). It's not a blazing fast car, but it rewards like few can from the driver seat. I daily drove mine, which became a chore, but I made it work for a couple of years.

With normal Honda-esque maintenance it will run reliably. The only exception is caring for the rear differential, which most autox/track folks agree, it needs more attention than Honda suggests.

[skim]

Past owner of ap1 (03) here. Absolutely loved it and the only car I regret selling.
All valid points made here. I was thinking about picking up again, but I didn't want to park it outside and this 2nd car wasn't going to be in the garage so I got a Z4MC. But roommate moved out and now I have both spaces. Weird how things work out in the end.
I'm still thinking to pick one up again down the road in a few yrs but I want an ap2 (06+ for VSA) and I heard those are better to live with as a DD than AP1s, but haven't driven an AP2 yet.

[charcoalwan]

Originally Posted by FStop7

I had a 2002 AP1 and it is one of my favorite cars I've owned.

1. It looks awesome.

2. The chassis is as solid as a tank. Absolutely no cowl shake.

3. For being a small car it is VERY comfortable, even on long drives. I drove from Atlanta to NYC and back and I was so comfortable the whole way. It's like being in a coccoon.

4. Awesome gas mileage, about 30mpg with the top up at 80mph.

5. Amazing shifter and steering feedback.

6. It runs like a Timex. Change the oil every 3,000 miles and that's it.

7. The brakes are small yet extremely effective.


The downsides are:

1. NO torque, it feels very slow even though it's not too bad in reality. It will get dusted by so many "ordinary" cars, in a straight line that is.

2. Completely impractical, the trunk can hold one medium sized suitcase.


So there it is - 7 pros and only 2 cons, to me it's one of the best cars ever made.

i had a 08 s2000 but traded it in for the M3 agree with all the pros and cons and with 1500 for the spoon brakes upgraded that thing coner like a beast ^^ but torque is kind of the problem compare with the bimmers but once u know how to race it on the track would really bring up ur driving skills to the next level

[Salespunk]

Had an AP2 and loved it. The car is so commnicative on every level. If becoming a better driver is your top priority there are not many cars that are better especially when you throw in reliability. I would not daily drive it, but I am 39 and drive 150 miles per day on the phone constantly. 10 years ago I would have done it without hesitation.

[lyndon_h]

I daily drove mine for 4 years. The only issue i had was road noise around 80mph. I couple of coats of quietcoat to the wheelwells and truck lining solved that problem, though.

[RENN Spec]

Originally Posted by skim

Past owner of ap1 (03) here. Absolutely loved it and the only car I regret selling.
All valid points made here. I was thinking about picking up again, but I didn't want to park it outside and this 2nd car wasn't going to be in the garage so I got a Z4MC. But roommate moved out and now I have both spaces. Weird how things work out in the end.
I'm still thinking to pick one up again down the road in a few yrs but I want an ap2 (06+ for VSA) and I heard those are better to live with as a DD than AP1s, but haven't driven an AP2 yet.

Ah, I had the Ap2.2 (06+) but was somewhat limited in my options of modification . It's great though for rainy days when the car wants to slip out at every turn.

[mmm def]

I was planning on turning in my 335 when my lease was over and picked up an 04 S2k with 7,000 miles on it last June. I got a good deal so I did end up having both cars for 6 months and was really able to compare them (BTW these cars are so apples to oranges).
My dad had an S2k about 8 years ago..and I wanted one of my own. You know all the good/bad things of the S2k..i don't need to bore you with that. I ended up selling the S2k and bought my 335 out of lease. Here's why..

I don't race..so driving the S2k around town back and forth to work got very boring. The S2k is a toy..period. If I could have afforded to keep both, I would have loved to. The S2k is one of the most fun cars out there. But for me..I had problems giving up a car that to me has it all..the toys, the performance, looks, quality..i am in love with my 335 and I think it does everything very well.

Again the 2 are apples and oranges..you have to go drive it. Think about things you notice on your test drive-and see if you could live with that for a DD. Maybe you will, maybe you won't. It is a fantastic car, I miss mine. Sure when it's 75 and sunny I miss the convertible..but then again..I'm out on my CBR.

Definitely go spend some time in it. GL.

[philiopf22]

Originally Posted by skim

Past owner of ap1 (03) here. Absolutely loved it and the only car I regret selling.
All valid points made here. I was thinking about picking up again, but I didn't want to park it outside and this 2nd car wasn't going to be in the garage so I got a Z4MC. But roommate moved out and now I have both spaces. Weird how things work out in the end.
I'm still thinking to pick one up again down the road in a few yrs but I want an ap2 (06+ for VSA) and I heard those are better to live with as a DD than AP1s, but haven't driven an AP2 yet.

Past owner of an 02 AP1. I added a 4.56 diff and an AEM CAI to the car and it was an absolute blast. I tracked regularly and auto crossed and the car took a beating. This is the only car I ever regret selling and would buy another AP1 in a minute. On lower wacker in Chicago, it sounded like the Monaco Grand Prix. I did tons of launches and never blew up the diff like others. Also never experienced the snap oversteer that other people have. The only way I'd get it was trying to intentionally induce it through abrupt steering changes. If you drive smooth, the chassis, seat, and steering convey all the right messages for you to make the proper corrections to steering/throttle. You won't regret it.

[lesha]

Originally Posted by Epik

S2k is great, as is a Miata. Perhaps a Lotus?

No problems as far as I know with any of those options.

whatever you do, do not get a Miata, it's a car for old men who are going through a mid life crisis and have no money to afford a real sport car, a young guy at my old job got one, he was about 6" tall so with the top down his head was sticking out farther than the windshield, looked like a clown car, he was laughed at by the entire company for his car choice,

on the other hand, to each its own

[vegasspeed]

I just bought an 1994 supercharged NSX for under $30,000 bucks. It is a great car for the track and has exotic looks as well. How much are you looking to spend? The NSX is an even better alternative if you can afford it. If you ever ride in one on a track(which I did) you will know how great they handle road courses. I took my 335i Dinan 3 up for a weekend at Spring Mountain Raceway and on the last session I rode with my instructor in his Acura NSX. The car held amazing on the turns and held its momentum very well. That was a stock car and it was still beating most Porsche cars on the track. If you want something for a road course like Laguna Seca or Button Willow than I agree about getting a different car than the 335i. I kept mine since I love it still. They are very different cars overall. I would consider looking at the NSX if you can.