s2000 Past Blast - Motor Mag

[BrianC]

Did any of you s2k boys see the Past Blast review of the s2000? They pretty much bagged it out, and said it was a horrible car to live with on a day-to-day basis. When i was reading it, i was thinking "no way it can be that bad!?"
Any truth to this article?

[.::F[L]Y::.]

wat did it say?

mine is a daily driver and the only thing i find bad about it is the small boot and the fact sometimes it can be impractical as it is a 2 seater.

[Ferrari]

Tight interior, complained of the dash, and its lack of brightness (retart must have had the headlights on or sumthin) Powerband, torque "hole"

Basically bagged everything out except the gearbox.

They even bagged the the airbox! saying that its bigger than the engine.

[gelo]

that article is gay

[jko2]

yeah that morley guy just doesn't know what the car is built for.
he pretty much said it was a piece of shxt and you should buy a 97 98 boxster.

he said the dash was almost impossible to see in sunlight, handling was bad, and the car doesn't look good. the engine looks small and like "an accord motor twisted 90 degrees", and the sound of the engine was bad.

[s2king]

Myself being an S2000 driver, all I can say is that its just such a different car and almost imposible to compare with anyother car. And I can in SOME ways agree with the exadurated review bord of mags when they write about how cramped the interior is and the harshness of it. That part is true. Not the best car to live with day to day basis and interior is clostrofobic especialy if your an average sized person like myself, but then again the car was made for Japanese people. Plus I like the "coussy" interior:)
But as for anything alse they bag out, is very much exadurated and untrue. Such as handeling or looks and all that stuff.

[TRU32U]

honestly only thing i dont like about the s2k is that it has like 2 blind spots, and that its a small arse interior, hehehe my leg touches the steering wheel!
and theres no compartment spaces! oh and plus the boots tiny but thats about it, space.

[s2king]

honestly only thing i dont like about the s2k is that it has like 2 blind spots, and that its a small arse interior, hehehe my leg touches the steering wheel!
and theres no compartment spaces! oh and plus the boots tiny but thats about it, space.

Blind spot? You actualy driven a S2K? Its like any car, u gota do head check to aviod the blind spot. I though the same too, but when you drive it, the blind spot is no different to any other 2 door car.

[Ferrari]

Blind spot? You actualy driven a S2K? Its like any car, u gota do head check to aviod the blind spot. I though the same too, but when you drive it, the blind spot is no different to any other 2 door car.

I found the S2000 to have great visibility, especially compared to my del sol!

[s2king]

Yeah same, when you look at it from outside you think how bad it is to change lanes. But actualy was alright.

[EuroAccord13]

The only Honda they like is the DC2R.... Nothing else impresses them.... Grrrrrr...

[ludecrs]

Motor is shit. Wheels all the way.

[ECU-MAN]

sounds like their volvo drivers

[stevharr]

Didn't the S2000 just win Top gear's Best Car award.... AGAIN? I think the guy that wrote that article is talking out of his exhaust pipe

[dragons2k]

IF it aint holden or ford its not good enough for motor :)

[BlitZ]

did it win top gear best car?
i remember watching a clip where that also baggged it.. ..

they mention the same thing. great track car but not an everyday car

[Malenic1981]

I read that sh#t article, those people don't know what they are talking about, it's not farken falcon or commodore so it has to be big, and have big engine that has fu#k all power. I would never trust those people on their opinions and testings, they suck big time, expecialy whan it comes to jap cars, if you ask them the best car would be commodore. Just check jap or europian mags and see what they say about S2K.

[AusS2000]

I read the article when it first came out and sent a response. I checked the latest edition of Motor and couldn't find any mention of it:

_____________________________
I am amazed by the Past Blast article on the Honda S2000. How could David Morley and myself see the same thing and yet hold diametrically opposed opinions on almost every point?

Let's start at the start. "With rear drive and ONLY a six-speed manual gearbox....". Should it have more gears? Or perhaps an automatic? The S2000 has one of the best six speed manual box of cogs ever to bless an automobile according to many reports. And what else should a sports car have?

"The real let down was the visual package." Subjective I know, but he has to be joking. I see it as beautiful, elegant and purposeful. And in light of the current trend of high gunwales, even higher posteriors, and bulbous noses like the TT and 350Z I see a timeless elegant design. David is right that the tail between the legs look of the Boxster certain attracts more attention, but not for the right reasons.

The under bonnet visual may not scream 'high performance' but the engine note surely does. The S2000 achieves a fine balance between low rev civility and screaming VTEC howl with aplomb.

"The big omission was cruise control". I see where this is coming from. Cruise control is anathema to the S2000. If you choose the F3 over the Old Pacific Highway then this car ain't for you.

"Bigger blokes will be pushed for elbow room". Perhaps cut down on the cheese burgers.

"it's then that you notice the dreaded digital dashboard". I think we have Ford and Nissan to blame for the 80s stigma attached to the digital dash. But in the S2000 I wouldn't have it any other way. Speed is immediately clear in the center and the arcing tachometer is the primary feedback when driving hard. I certainly don't have trouble seeing it and I've driven in all sorts of conditions. And the fact is, if analogue gauges had a real advantage you'd see them in V8 Supercars and F1. But you don't.

"getting the thing to shift it's arse requires much pedal stomping and gear sticking". To quote Julie Andrews, "These are a few of my favourite things". Hey, if you don't like driving get a taxi.

"The rear end is the culprit". Much has been made of the S2000's tailyness. It's certainly not for the faint hearted. But those that get to know the S2000 and learn it's limits don't have a problem. There are plenty getting around the road and track that don't seem to see this issue. I haven't heard Drew Russell complain as he overtakes big Fords and Holdens in the twisty bits.

The S2000 is a fun car. I've had mine since March 2000, after a 6 month wait. And I'll part with it when they pry my cold dead fingers off the steering wheel. If there is only room in your life for one car then perhaps the S is not for you. Or perhaps it is and you put up with the odd inconvenience like I do. I'd much rather carve the Old Pacific Highway in the S than sit in traffic in a Falcondore on the F3.

And then it dawned on me. The reason why Mr Morley's and my perception differed so much. The answer is in the second paragraph:

"An engaging personality, it would seem [to Mr Morley at least], just isn't enough if she doesn't also have the proper jumper monkeys." Is this really what passes for journalistic creativeness in the 21st century?

Perhaps the tag line of the article should have been:

"Not for troglodytes"

[Malenic1981]

well said

[preludacris]

here here

[racinghonda]

Morley is a complete yobbo. If the engine doesn't have 500nm at 200rpm then he won't be happy. He has no idea now to drive a manual car, the sheer bliss of keeping a high performance engine on the boil with a sweet shifting gearbox escapes him.

[BrianC]

Yeh i guess Morley had some personal reasons for bagging out the s2k. Theres no way theres a car in the entire world thats THAT bad. If i didnt know what car they were talking about when i was reading it, i woulda guessed something completly different, not the s2k. The way he described it was asif it didnt move at all! Even if u had the WORST 2L engine in the world, it would still move faster then the car he was describing in the mag.

What seems to be the common tagline from these reviewers is that, its a great track car, not so good road car. IMO i cant see how driving a great track car, to and from work everyday, can possible be a bad thing?

And im not surprised they didnt publish ur letter in their MailBag section of their mag AusS200! I guess some of these kinda mags have turned into more of an entertainment type magazine, rather then factual and unbiased. Take Top Gear for example, that old fart thinks every car is shit - just for the sake of entertainment

Ahh well, each to their own. Im sure the s2k puts a smile on all ur faces every time u climb into it. And in the end thats all that matters :thumbsup: :D

[Malenic1981]

I went to honda dealership yesterday, ther is one S2K for sale $40000 00 model with 75K, if I just had money, I think it's just great car, the feeling you get when you sit inside the car is something special.
I just want one:)

[aaronng]

WTF is a jumper monkey? Is that what they hire to write car articles?

[RyDC5S]

Motor?

That Holden fanboy mag.

[AusS2000]

Well I guess when I was thumbing through the current edition I must have overlooked the "Letter of the month" section. ;)

Apparently my letter was printed and I won a set of jumper monkeys for best letter.

Better go buy a copy now.

[AusS2000]

WTF is a jumper monkey? Is that what they hire to write car articles?

LOL, to answer your questions respectively; it's a tit, and yes! :thumbsup:

[IRI]

All I know is S2K = pussy... and lots of it.....
YEAH BABY YEAAAAAHHAHAHHAHAHA :D

[jko2]

what issue AusS2000? I've got the march 06 one but the letter of the month isn't yours..

[AusS2000]

Yeah, that is the one I checked. Apparently it's the April issue. Subscribers have it but it hasn't hit the stands yet. I checked about an hour ago (yes, I'm excited).

[AusS2000]

April is out and the letter is in it. Slightly edited but not much.

I wonder what Classic Carlectable they will send me. I don't think they do an S2000. ;)

[91'lude]

Good work, i like your writing, you showed it to them something good... Its good they didnt just try to cover up how much their review sucked.

[Malenic1981]

can someone put up a printout here

[AusS2000]

The full version of my response is on page 2 of this thread. The original article I can't find. I think I threw it out in disgust.

[missymoo]

Yes, well clearly the Motor team can't stand four cylinder cars. It needs to be able to drift without them turning it around apparently...which I say is just them admitting they simply can't drive it. I own one and I gotta say there are some small flaws with it, but everytime I hit that red button I know an 'event' is about to begin!

[AusS2000]

Absolutely no contact from Motor about my article and prize. I wonder if I should chase them.

[jko2]

i haven't read the april issue yet, what was their response to your article aus?
do you get a prize for winning letter of the month or something?

[AusS2000]

No response, but I am supposed to get a prize.

[R123]

dude that was A AWSOME letter u wrote bk... it really smack him on the face with his biased and false opinion on S2000.... a great car shouldnt be classify by its everyday usage factors.. HOnda didnt make s2000 to be a Number ONE people mover. Is pretty sad that most aussie car mags are living in HOden and Ford shadow for as long as they can remember. I mean i could be biased on that, but having look at how many honden and ford cars they featured in their covers and articles makes u wonder DO WE HAVE another brands of car?

[cibic]

maybe they decided the prize is a car that does all the S2000 does, but better...

meaning there is no prize :)

[RyDC5S]

Its f* Motor for god's sake.

These guys kiss Holden execs for a living.

[ROLLED]

Well I thought I would share my experience with my new car, I've had a S2k for about a week now and it's been heaps of fun the whole time, put the roof down and it feels as stable as when its up.

The interior is beautifully laid out and i've only received compliments from the friends of mine that have seen it. It's goreous from the outside and mine's red so it really stands out compared to the usual silverstone S2ks.

I bought mine 2nd hand and the interior is in immaculate condition, the brightness of the display can be adjusted and only if u drive during the day with the lights on then would visibility be a problem.

It also returns pretty good fuel economy too, I just filled up and calculated a usage of 10.8L/100kms. Now considering I drove mostly with the roof down, through heavy traffic mostly (I commute to uni between 8-9am and 4-5pm) and at least hit vtec once during every time i drove it, I think it's pretty damn good. Especially compared to my last car.

The gear box is no-nonsense, all business, quick shifting, no slop, but it's gears aren't also too close together (1st-3rd spacing) like in such cars as the 350Z which i also test drove. In that if you go for 3rd, you'll most likely get 5th, but I guess it's something you would need to get used to.

The seats are comfortable, however the ride is a tad harder then my last car, once again it's something i've adjusted to. The weight of the steering is spot on, I drove my mums car afterwards and it just felt so light without any feeling after driving the S2k, I wouldn't want it any other way.

The engine can drone a bit at around 3000rpm+ if you downshift too early for a corner which can just literally sound droning, however after a week i'm used to it so I don't really complain about it much anymore. The one thing it could do with is a bit more torque but from a high revving 4cyl I guess it's a bit hard especially since it puts out 208nm already.

Storage space is not really an issue, I don't usually leave lots of junk in my car anyways and with the clever double center box it's more then enough and the top section is quite deep too, definately comparable to the usual center console box found in any sedan. Boot space is adequate, obviously you're not going to be able to carry huge suitcases in it, but for day-to-day use it's fine, mine boot doesn't usually get over 1/4 full anyway.

The only things i'd pick on would be the space saver spare, which would just look embarassing if you ever had to use it, and the undignified way at which you need to close the bonnet (you actually need to drop it with some force, so I have found), but once again a small tradeoff for having the lightness of an aluminium bonnet. The head-checking ability of changing lanes to the right I have found are hopeless, you go to head check and all you see is black canvas staring back at you, the left hand side is fine. Also mine is a 99 so it has the plastic rear window which is pathetic, in mine you can not see anything out of it but the side mirrors do have quite a large viewing space so that helps to see what's around and behind you anyway.

Lastly, although I haven't read the actual article on the S2000, I did read AusS2000's reply to it in the month after and I agree with everything he says. If you are looking at getting into a S2000 I suggest you don't let Motor put you off and instead you should be listening to the actual people who use them every single day.

[ROLLED]

Someone mentioned that Morley wrote how the S2000 is ugly, I basically picked the S2000 based on looks, convertible factor and the fact that you can drive it normally/economically or you can drive it hard. The beauty of VTEC. Honestly though, compared to one of those sh*t box commodores or falcons they wet themselves over, the S2000 is so much better looking, I am having trouble thinking of a word to describe how much better looking they are, but you already know that don't you.

I was reading the performance car of the year (PCOTY) section in the edition of Motor I picked up from the shops and just looking at their 0-100km/h times, most of them were over 6.0secs, considering their power, which isn't much considering the displacements they use, is hopeless. What is it going to be, a family car or a sports car? Until Holden or Ford can make something that even comes close to the BMW M5 then they shouldn't even bother trying. With the mass bulk these Australian muscle cars have I dare say, although not having driven one, it wouldn't be the nimblist of cars to take a corner. Without trying to contradict myself, 0-100 times are useless, it's how fast your going to get around a track and I'm afraid that they fail to meet either criteria of a performance car.

Going on aesthetics of the S2k again, it has clean and crisp lines. no excess. Performance Holdens and Fords just look like their "Family car" siblings with added bulge and kit. Hardly appealing if you ask me.

[s2o0o]

Still no prize there Aus? ;)

[AusS2000]

Nuh-uh!

[AusS2000]

I sent an email to Motor asking if Morley had been knocked off his bike delivering my prize. They said their delivery monkey had found other employment and they'd get it out to me promptly. I told them that was no way to talk about Morley. Monkeys are quite intelligent.

[Fr3aKi3]

I sent an email to Motor asking if Morley had been knocked off his bike delivering my prize. They said their delivery monkey had found other employment and they'd get it out to me promptly. I told them that was no way to talk about Morley. Monkeys are quite intelligent.


LOL... that's a good one :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[ROLLED]

yes nice call!! haha

[AusS2000]

I got the latest Motor yesterday. Letter of the Month was a guy saying "Pedestrians are bad in Melbourne too". In return for that he gets a Remus exhaust to the value of $900. I bet he is jealous of my yet to be delivered toy car. :rolleyes:

[AusS2000]

Got my prize today!

What the hell am I going to do with a model of Norm Beechey's Mustang?

[Dxs]

might be worth 100 bucks or so
http://www.replicars.com.au/models.html

ebay yo

[AusS2000]

I believe it's worth over $200. I'm going to see if I can get Norm Beechey to sign it and ebay it for Sophie Delezio's charity Day of Difference.

[AusS2000]

http://www.shiremodels.com.au/store/prod4761.htm

[Omotesando]

I sent an email to Motor asking if Morley had been knocked off his bike delivering my prize. They said their delivery monkey had found other employment and they'd get it out to me promptly. I told them that was no way to talk about Morley. Monkeys are quite intelligent.


LOL. That and your letter has to be one of the best posts I've read in a long time....

They should give you a job at MOTOR instead :)

To some other poster: MOTOR and WHEELS are owned by the same company. There's a reason why they don't release them at the same time - its so they don't cannibalise each another sales!

[nastyazn694u]

hahaha AusS200, a good response to an ovbiously biased, uneducated article. enjoy the mustang buddy lol

[slipangle]

...while we're Morley bashing...

I think if you watch how he drives on "The Car Show", you can conclude that he doesn't have the ultimate car control skills to truly assess a vehicle's detailed attributes.

Then again, maybe MOTOR wants ordinary blokes to review cars to provide "expert" opinions to other ORDINARY, mainstream readers!. In that case, you may as well listen to a review from a stranger down at the pub.