I'm looking to buy a car for year round commute duty next year. We'll be moving to Milwaukee, so some snow to contend with, but flat topography and city plowing. I drove a lowered E36 M3 with snow tires through a few Chicago winters so I figure the S2000 should be fine. Anyways, I've always wanted an S2000 and have yet to own a convertible so there are a lot of itches to scratch here. I'm really a DE/track kinda guy, but rallycross and ice racing have been sounding interesting lately. Anyone have experience with S2000s on a rallycross course? I'm not looking to win trophies, just to be able to get out there and have fun. I've been through a handful of 240SXs, still have one that's more of a track day car, and I've just enjoyed lighter RWD cars the most over the years.
The alternative would be a Mitsu Evo, another car I've always wanted to own but I just think the overall ownership experience of the S2000 would be a lot more fun for the wife and I. Evo pluses would be the roof in winter, obvious ability to do rallyX, and being able to carry my kayak and long one piece fishing rods. But it's not a vert, will certainly cost more to maintain, and has a more dangerous slippery mod slope.
How much does an OEM hardtop for a s2000 cost?
cwscc.com and fvscc.com will be your places to go for Ice racing and rallycross.
There is a guy, Andy, who is an awesome driver and is at almost all of the ice rallies up there. Was running an S2k for ice racing and a WRX for autox for a few years. I'm sure you will find him on those forums listed above.
Also, I think I just did the opposite move to you (MKE to chicago). I vote go for the s2k.
EvanB wrote:
How much does an OEM hardtop for a s2000 cost?
Does it need to be OEM?
OEM = a LOT
Aftermarket = 1/4-1/3 of a LOT
ProDarwin wrote:
EvanB wrote:
How much does an OEM hardtop for a s2000 cost?
Does it need to be OEM?
OEM = a LOT
Aftermarket = 1/4-1/3 of a LOT
Yes, it has to be OEM. The theory is that the OEM hardtop is considered by the automaker to be rollover-safe.
If I were to pick a car for rallyx, the S2000 would not be it.
Rcutclif: Actual move will be Pittsburgh to MKE...originally from Chicago though, and that's where I lived previously.
amg rx7: I wouldn't pick an S2000 as a rallycross car either. This is more like "can I go out a few times with an S2000 or will it fall apart". If I had room for oodles of cars I'd probably build a beater 240SX into a rallycross car since I know them well and could figure it out easy enough.
Would I be required to have a hardtop to participate in rallycross?
Convertibles must have an OEM hardtop, everything else must have an "unmodified roof structure". Which means that, technically, the CRX that was bumped from Prepared to Modified at the Nationals last year (I think... it was a busy weekend) because it was an Si that someone had put an HF roof on to eliminate the sunroof, was NOT legal in any class because the roof was modified from stock form.
I'd love to rallycross an S2000. I think it'd be a sweet drive in Stock Rear. The engine is good, the drivetrain is good, the suspension is good. The only suck would be trying to find tires that work that fit the wheels, but it's SR so everyone else has that problem too. The sick thing is, I can just about cost-benefit justify the expense of it relative to the RX-7. I did the math over the winter and it costs me $80-90 per run to drive, with the upkeep required.
