[davidm]

Another thread moved across from my350z. This time a comparision with the S2000. At this stage I already had the Hi-tech exhaust and K&N filter fitted. The S2000 was 100% stock, and with about 40,000km on the clock. Oh,and each car carried only the driver.

Acceleration comparisions:
- run #1: 45 - 130kph, starting in 1st gear both cars:
We made sure to start the S2000 at 6000rpm (ie. ~45kph) as bellow that there's no doubt that the 350Z would win .... it's just a question of 'by how much'. 1st time we run, the S2000 started a fraction earlier and pulled about 1/3 car on me. Then through the 1st gear things looked very much even. On the 1st-to-2nd gear-change I jumped about 1 car ahead as my friend in the S2000 bounced off the limiter a bit. Then through the 2nd gear (ie. over ~65kph) I was pulling away and pulled another car-length before we changed to 3rd. After that (ie. over 100kph) I pulled maybe another car-length before we shut down at 130kph. So I was just over 2 car-lengths ahead at the end.

- run #2: 45 - 120kph, starting in 1st gear both cars:
This time we took off at the same time and we were side by side through the whole 1st gear (ie. up to ~65kph) ... it looked like there was no difference between the two cars. Once we changed to 2nd gear (which we both did well as neither car jumped forward), I started pulling away at something like 2 - 3foot per second. I had about 1 car-length on him by the end of 2nd gear (ie. 100kph), and then pulled another 1/2 a car before we shut down at around 120kph. So at the end I was probably 1.5 car lengths ahead.

Impressions:
- S2000 and 350Z+hitech are very much even through the 1st gear (when the S2000 is kept in its powerband).
- 350Z+hitech is noticeably quicker than the S2000 through the 2nd gear (even when the S2000 is in the powerband). The 350Z pulls about 1 car-length on the S2000 in the 2nd between 65 and 100kph.
- 350Z+hitech seems even more quicker through the 3rd gear than through the 2nd gear when compared to the S2000.
- In my pre/post hi-tech exhaust comparisons with the HSV R8 I concluded that I'm about 2-3 car-lengths quicker to 100kph with the exhaust than with the stock one. Going by that I'd say that the S2000 will beat a 'stock' 350Z to 100kph by 1 - 2 car-lengths as it will be quicker through both 1st and 2nd gear. In 3rd gear things would probably be more even, but I don't think the Zed would catch it until well into 4th gear (if at all).

Also I got him to take me for a spin through a 'nice' stretch of road just to see if feels as I remember. It was a beutifull evening so we had the roof of - love the 'roof off' feeling with the engine screaming . 1st thing I noticed is how crap the stereo sounds in the S2000 ... I was used to it while I had the car, but noneless, it's very poor. The seats are 'heaven' in the S2000 ... I love them. They fit so well and hold me so well.

Anyway, so he took me for a spin and the S2000 handles as well as I remember ... we took my 350Z through exactly the same piece of road and the S2000 always feels more nimble/chuckable (in particular around the round-abouts). It is a lot more 'fidgety' (ie. lively) at all times and you notice it in particular through the sweepers (as there was one that you took at around 90kph). The S2000 would fidget and move around a bit, while the 350Z would sit perfectly flat through here.

Also once in the 'powerband' (ie. 6000rpm+), the S2000 always feels powerfull and quick. I never thought (while being a passanger) that the S2000 did not feel quick when used like that (ie. in the powerband) even though I've been driving the Zed for almost 2 months now. The sound from the engine/exhaust is still glorious and the car felt very quick ... just by feel, it did not feel any slower than my 350Z (with the hi-tech exhaust) ... that is when in the 6000rpm+ range. Bellow that the car certainly felt slower than the 350Z, but not painfully slow. I thought that by now I'd be used to the low-end torque of the 350Z, but I'd say that the S2000 still felt 'brisk' at even lower revs ... just not super-quick like my 350Z does at those revs now.

When we went for a spin in my 350Z after, I was plesantly surprised that my top-end power did not dissapoint me after the S2000. I figured that if the power tappers off at the top-end, then I'd definatelly feel it after getting out of the S2000 .... it was not the case. I was enjoying the upper revs of the Zed almost as much as in the S2000 (if not just as much). Thanks for hi-tech exhaust .... best $2k I ever spent on the car

S2000 information/stats:
- weight -1259kg
- weight distribution = 50/50 (front/back)
- power = 176kW @ 8,300rpm
- torque = 208Nm @ 7,500rpm
- gearing = 69, 106, 144, 186, 223, 269kph in each gear respecively.
- S2000's power curve:

The S2000's power curve looks like this (at the crank):
- 2000rpm = 34kW
- 3000rpm = 57kW
- 4000rpm = 77kW
- 5000rpm = 95kW
- 6000rpm = 120kW
- 6500rpm = 142kW
- 7000rpm = 154kW
- 8000rpm = 170kW
- 8500rpm = 176kW
- 9000rpm = 165kW

Acceleration numbers from 'Sports Auto' magazine:
- 0-60kph = 2.8
- 0-80kph = 4.3
- 0-100kph = 5.9
- 0-120kph = 8.3
- 0-160kph = 14.2
- 0-200kph = 24.4

 

[davidm]

Last night I met up with another guy I know who has an S2000. His car is a 2003 model with around 6000km on the clock. Anyway, we did some runs to see how the 2 cars match up and this is how things went:

- run #1: 50 - 130kph, starting in 1st gear in the S2000 and 2nd gear in the 350Z:
First we did a rolling start from 50kph to make sure that the S2000 is well in its powerband. Though, that means that the 350Z needs to be in the 2nd gear as in 1st gear you'd have around 5,500rpm and need to shift as soon as you punch it. So as soon as we punched it I'd say that the S2000 had a very slight edge and pulled out maybe a nose on the 350Z before it needed to shift to 2nd gear (ie. ~70kph). Though when the S2000 made the shift, I did not need to in the 350Z as I was already in 2nd, and the S2000 dropped back to my door (ie. it's nose was by my door which is about 1/2 a car-length). In 2nd gear I had an advantage and slowly pulled away so that by the end of 2nd gear (ie. ~100kph) I pulled another car-length on the S2000. We both made 2nd-to-3rd shifts pretty evenly and had to shut down couple seconds later (ie. at around 130kph). By that stage I pulled out 1/2 - 3/4 car-length so I'd say I was 1.5 - 2 car-lengths ahead at the end of the run.

- run #2: 40 - 130kph, both starting in 1st gear:
After that we did couple runs where we'd be both in 1st gear. We started at 40kph so that the S2000 still had around 6000rpm on the tacho. There was not much difference between the two cars when we punched it ... I may have pulled in front by a nose, but that's about it. I'd call that pretty even. Though, once we shifted to 2nd gear things repeated like in the previous run where I started pulling away. Mind you not quickly, but certainly noticably. I pulled about 1 car-length through 2nd gear and then another 1/2 car length or so in 3rd gear before we shut down at 130kph. So by the end I had 2 car lengths on him.

- run #3: 0 - 130kph, hard launched standing start:
Finally we did a couple standing start runs. MMy friend is pretty new to launching the S2000 so he did not get the best launches. 1st launch he bogged down and I shot away to good 4 car-lengths and aborted the run at the end of 1st gear.

Though 2nd time we run he got a decent launch and did not bog down. Still, it wasn't the best as I pulled away about 1/2 to 1 car-length with the launch and before the top of 1st gear. I could see him slowly dropping back. I was constantly pulling away and by the end of the run (at about 130kph) I was about 3 - 3.5 car-lengths ahead.

In 2nd gear my 350Z is definatelly quicker than an S2000 ... you stay in it for 3sec or so and in that time I can pull out about 1 car length. It seems that the 3rd gear would be stronger in the 350Z than in the S2000, but not by that much. Would have loved to have a run to around 180kph to see what happens at higher speeds, but that did not happen last night.

ps. I still think that a well launched S2000 should out-launch the 350Z, but that did not happen in these runs.

 

[ky350]

DavidM - you've obviously been practacing your launching over the last couple of days, taking on the S2000 and WRX. All this practice must be in preparation for Calder - good luck there.

 

[davidm]

All this practice must be in preparation for Calder - good luck there.

Yeah, I thought I'm in need of a refresher course ;-)