FR-S vs S2000

[vang]

Originally Posted by SevenTenSplit

Give up the S2000 for a BRZ? NO?

Give up the S2000 for a BRZ STI? YES!

Funny how some of you guys know about cars of the future already. Hmm...please share the specs of the BRZ STI, pretty pretty please. Actually, tell me how the 2020 Toyota Supra will be like so I'll know to sell my house in preparation. Will it be LFA fast?

[vang]

Originally Posted by Marrk

Yeah, the FT-86 will be addressed to a broader market.

Let's not forget that the s2k barely found a market (in the U.S., at least).

I wouldn't say BARELY, rather it stole a pretty hefty chunk of the Miata (small convertible) market. In fact, I see more S2000's on a daily basis (in the Phoenix metro) than any other convertible, i.e. Corvette, Camaro, Miata, Mustang, MR2 Spyder, Sebring, Camry Solara, BMWs, VWs, etc.

[vang]

Originally Posted by colatkitty

Here is a recent pic of my S2K.

Yum.

[ft86Fan]

Originally Posted by Marrk

Do you think that the driving experience in the FRS will be more involving, more direct, more uncompromising that the CR? If so, and you are right, I'll be really pleased.

I sure hope so. I really have high hopes for this car.

Originally Posted by AaronCompNetSys

You should have ordered brackets as soon as you sat in the car. Ordered mine and they were hand made and shipped to me from Japan in a couple months.

Brackets won't help. There is only about a quarter inch of clearance between the lowest part of the seat and the floor. There is like a big bulge on the bottom of the seat. The only way to sit lower is to swap seat. No other way around it.

[Marrk]

Originally Posted by vang

I wouldn't say BARELY, rather it stole a pretty hefty chunk of the Miata (small convertible) market. In fact, I see more S2000's on a daily basis (in the Phoenix metro) than any other convertible, i.e. Corvette, Camaro, Miata, Mustang, MR2 Spyder, Sebring, Camry Solara, BMWs, VWs, etc.

My figures on total world sales of the s2k are around 100,000 units. Miata is, what, ten times that?

More importantly, people never really "got it." They complained about a high-revvimg engine or that it was gutless on the low end or that it had low total power output.

That said, I do not think we are disagreeing with each other. :happy0180:

[WolfpackS2k]

I currently own an S2000 and am looking to replace it with a fixed roof coupe so I don't have to worry about which race tracks I'm allowed at and which I'm not (since I refuse to cut up the interior for an aftermarket rollbar). As is the case the FT86 has had my attention for a few years now.

However I'm not willing to "downgrade" to a slower car so unless there is a factory option for at least 50 more horsepower I will probably end up with a used Porsche instead, as $25k-30k can get you a very nice 996 911 and in a year or 2 a Cayman S.

As an aside I've seen a lot of people complain about the S2000's gas mileage. I get 22-24 mpg around town in my daily commute/routine and on the highway 28-30 most of the time, with a few tanks over 30 (one was 33). Given the short gearing you really can't complain about that.

[AaronCompNetSys]

Originally Posted by ft86Fan

Brackets won't help. There is only about a quarter inch of clearance between the lowest part of the seat and the floor. There is like a big bulge on the bottom of the seat. The only way to sit lower is to swap seat. No other way around it.

Have you sat in one with the backyard brackets? Its actually about an inch or more lowering. The back of the seat is still held higher with the seat pan almost grazing the floor, so there is a small gap between the pan and the back. Let your butt decide instead of guessing, should be a club member in your area with one installed.

[Rjtrout2000]

Honestly the original question on this board has been one on my mind for a while. I have driven the s2000 in several formats and I love it! I grew up with a lot of seat time in a lot of hard to drive cars (1982 911, c4 Corvette, etc...) so the snap steer of a s2k doesn't bother me.

Indeed aftermarket support is smallish and a bit expensive, but those who can drive these things to the limit know that this engine and transmission don't need much if anything. The best setup I ever drove was a basic tune, drop in filter, and single exit exhaust on some coilovers. Super set up and an absolute blast to drive. You can get away DD on this too.

Irk, an s2k could still dawn my driveway rather than any variant of the fr-s, but we will see...

[Marrk]

Originally Posted by Rjtrout2000

Honestly the original question on this board has been one on my mind for a while. I have driven the s2000 in several formats and I love it! I grew up with a lot of seat time in a lot of hard to drive cars (1982 911, c4 Corvette, etc...) so the snap steer of a s2k doesn't bother me.

Indeed aftermarket support is smallish and a bit expensive, but those who can drive these things to the limit know that this engine and transmission don't need much if anything. The best setup I ever drove was a basic tune, drop in filter, and single exit exhaust on some coilovers. Super set up and an absolute blast to drive. You can get away DD on this too.

Irk, an s2k could still dawn my driveway rather than any variant of the fr-s, but we will see...

x 2. :happy0180:


So my question is: Will the FT-86 be "finished from the factory" in the way that the s2k was? One would think not, given that the larger idea, at least with Subaru, is to give tuners a platform to go nuts on. But it seems to me that Tada-san said that the car was designed to be as it is in OEM trim. Does that mean that it will arrive in maxxed out form? IDK. Maybe he was thinking of the FR-S, not so much the BRZ. Also, forum-istas here have voiced concerns that the DI set up will hamper, not simplify, the tuner-licious nature of the FT-86.

I would be perfectly happy if the FT-86 came "finished," like the s2k. But, then, I have no dreams of a 400 hp FT-86, or turbos, or SC.

:happy0180:




P.S. Re the s2k: It wasn't that you couldn't turbo it and get more power. Many did exactly this. But the consensus was that, with most mods, you lost the balance and "experience" of the OEM car. Anybody remember Heidi Montag? You could Montag the s2k, but the bigger headlights ultimately didn't increase your desire to climb into the driver's seat.

[86'd]

The S2000 was my dream car. Once I was able to buy it, I did, and it was great.

The shifter was awesome and the ****pit made me feel like I was driving a race car.

The downsides were that:

It was a convertible (which I ended up liking) but squeaked a bit and let in a bit more noise.

It had staggered tires and soft rubber, which was expensive to maintain.

It had no space in the trunk.

The passenger seat was very uncomfortable for longer rides. You couldn't recline it all the way.

There was no tilt/telescoping steering wheel (this didn't bug me too much).

Gas mileage was...eh. about 19-21mpgs in mixed driving.

The FR-Z/BRZ addresses most of those points.

Yes the S2000 is a bit faster, and maybe a bit more personality, but it's more Lotus Elise than Miata. And now that I'm getting older I think the FR-S/BRZ has a good mix of fun and practicality.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by 86'd

The S2000 was my dream car. Once I was able to buy it, I did, and it was great.

The shifter was awesome and the ****pit made me feel like I was driving a race car.

The downsides were that:

It was a convertible (which I ended up liking) but squeaked a bit and let in a bit more noise.

It had staggered tires and soft rubber, which was expensive to maintain.

It had no space in the trunk.

The passenger seat was very uncomfortable for longer rides. You couldn't recline it all the way.

There was no tilt/telescoping steering wheel (this didn't bug me too much).

Gas mileage was...eh. about 19-21mpgs in mixed driving.

The FR-Z/BRZ addresses most of those points.

Yes the S2000 is a bit faster, and maybe a bit more personality, but it's more Lotus Elise than Miata. And now that I'm getting older I think the FR-S/BRZ has a good mix of fun and practicality.

i wouldnt go as far as to say that the s2k is more elise than miata but i would kinda call it a weaponized more hardcore miata

[Rjtrout2000]

Being a guy who used to own a miata, calling the s2000 a weaponized version is nearly on point. Biggest difference between those two cars is the miata is forgiving and fun to drive slow. Whereas the s2k is a tough drive and begs you to go faster by presenting you with funny driving dynamic when driven slow and under the rev range.

I loved my miata, but I lust for a 9k redline

[random]

Originally Posted by Rjtrout2000

Being a guy who used to own a miata, calling the s2000 a weaponized version is nearly on point. Biggest difference between those two cars is the miata is forgiving and fun to drive slow. Whereas the s2k is a tough drive and begs you to go faster by presenting you with funny driving dynamic when driven slow and under the rev range.

I loved my miata, but I lust for a 9k redline

My 2 cents...

I haven't owned a Miata nor S2000, but have had equal seat time driving both. I found them both equally fun (or rather, not fun) to drive slow. I found both cars pretty weak on low-end torque, so when you're puttering around, many vehicles, including bicycles, end up passing you. On the other hand, both cars had no problem revving a little higher, and felt like their engines were happy to regularly rev to 4000 and beyond.

[Marrk]

Originally Posted by fatoni

i wouldnt go as far as to say that the s2k is more elise than miata but i would kinda call it a weaponized more hardcore miata

Mistaking the s2k for a kind of Miata is a common error. (See Rjtrout2000.) You've never owned an s2k. Am I right?