Quote:
Originally Posted by nikitopo
Not sure what is the classic sports car formula that other car manufacturers don't have nowadays. Maybe cars like the 86/BRZ and the MX-5 belong to the entry level sports car category while others play higher?
If that's the case, then the S2000 was considered already by its introduction a level up comparing to the MX-5. Here is a review article of related cars back in '03 :
Nissan 350Z: $30,000
Honda S2000: $33,060
Audi TT: $39,660
BMW Z4 3.0: $40,945
Porsche Boxster: $43,365
The base price of a MX-5 was $22,363 at that time. A S2000 was closer in price to an Audi TT or a BMW Z4 than a MX-5. Same can be said about performance figures like quarter-to-mile from standstill at that time 
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...parison-tests/ |
The forumula is literally just simplicity. Rwd, decent engine, good transmission, good driving dynamics. The simplicity makes it lightweight. The only other car that may hit it as well are maybe the boxster and evora but they're priced quite a bit higher.