Old magazine article - AP2

[DJJSR]

Some of you may have seen this already, but for those who haven't, it's interesting.

This magazine article (I think it's from Road & Track) is from back when the AP2 was released..........



THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT improvements to the 2004 Honda S2000, but you have to push a little to find them. Indeed, after several laps of the Spring Mountain Motorsports Park road course out in the desert near Las Vegas, we were searching our senses to notice.

Yes, there was more torque from the 200 new cubic centimeters of displacement added when the 2.0-liter normally aspirated four-cylinder engine was stroked. Yes, the car’s rear felt better planted with its revised suspension tuning and 17-inch wheels and meatier Bridgestone RE 050 tires—215/45 front, 245/40 rears. And yes, the new transmission ratios and better shifter feel were evident, too. There was even more room in the cockpit than before—a half-inch more hip and shoulder room. But was that all?
"Ask Mr. Uehara, the chief engineer, to take you out for a couple laps," said a Honda guy.

Uehara? That was a familiar name. Where had we heard it? We asked Uehara-san if he was available for a tour of the track. He bowed humbly showing much reserve. We asked several times, not sure if he understood what we wanted. The translator said he had agreed, and the engineers who seemed to be hovering around him like novices said he had agreed. But it was a few, somewhat awkward minutes before we actually got in the car. Why had the Honda guy suggested this?
Then, oh man: Uehara nailed the throttle and wailed up through the gears, smacking redline in each one like he designed the whole thing.

"More torque," was all he said.
He entered the very first turn, a long right-hand constant-radius sweeper, at what seemed like about 20 miles per hour faster than we had been driving through it all morning—faster than anyone had ever driven through the thing ever for all we could guess. Who knew the S2000 could go this fast?

Then, in mid-turn, at what we had assumed was the limit of adhesion, Uehara lifted off the throttle and sawed the wheel back and forth a few times. Despite the new revised spring, damper and antiroll bar rates, increased body rigidity, enhanced suspension bushings and optimized rear toe settings, we expected to swap ends and start bouncing backward across the gravel runoff area, dust and rocks flying, lizards leaping, jack rabbits fleeing for their lives. But no, the S2000 just kept on gripping the hot pavement.

"Revised suspension means better control of lift-throttle oversteer," he said.
Then we remembered: Uehara was Uehara, the father of the S2000, the father of the NSX and the former chief engineer of the Honda F1 efforts.

He kept it up for three more laps, doing a magnificent job of heel-and-toe downshifting into each turn, nailing the throttle on the way out and making the S2000 yelp with pleasure.

When we pulled back into the paddock, "Thank you," was all he said.

No, thank you, we said.

We had seen the light. We were ready to snatch the pebble from his hand. We got back into another 2004 S2000 and had at it. Yes, it goes quicker than we had assumed. Yes, it has more torque. Yes, it shifts better. So, this was how you’re supposed to drive this thing!

We stayed out all day, trying to take all the tread off all the cars. It was great.

[jagg]

Hey Don,

This is good stuff, a fun read.

We're always talking about snap oversteer in the earlier models. My S2000 is an '02, and I've run her pretty hard on occasion, but I don't get the sensation that it's going to leave me facin' the wrong way at any moment.
(as long as I don't do something to terribly get her outta shape, like lifting mid corner) I do agree that if anyone decides to run their Stewie flat out, they best be mindin' their gear changes and apexes, but this applies to all cars...not just this one.

If any of you have had a chance to really drive an Espirt or 911, the feeling is sorta similar.....Akin to balancing a nickel on it's edge. Once you figure out how to do it, you can do it almost every time. Honda has done a great job getting the weight between the axles, and that's why it feels this way. Many aspects of the dynamic are better in the Honda than in cars that cost 3 times as much. (it's lack of excessive torque and horsepower actually give it an advantage, from a balance standpoint)
Other sportscars make you feel invincible behind the wheel.....the Honda reminds you that it's too easy to make a deadly mistake, forcing you to be a better driver.

Sometimes I think the car mags and manufacturers make mountains outta molehills to show us that they've improved some facet of any particular model......and therefore, give us a reason to upgrade.
Let us not forget that they're in the business of taking our money, and they're as deep in bed together as big oil 'n congress.

Alright, I'm done rambling......
Regards,
jagg

[Swingle1]

That WAS a great read.

Funny, though. While I couldn't argue (at least cogently) with any of the assertions made, the article doesn't change my opinion:

The AP2 is a better daily-driver, but the AP1 is a better track car.

Notably missing from the article were lap-time comparisons.

Jagg, your conspiracy theory passes the sniff test (IMHO).

[Java Junky]

Good article Don, thanks fer sharin'.
You two're draftin' each other pert good out there taday.
I'll go with Swingle:'damn great read.
Java

[H20]

Whats interesting is I just read some article in some rag about the CR and they claim "Industrial Strength Oversteer". Can this be?

[67AtlasDave]

he also said the CR was slower despite weighing less. I dont know if the guy who wrote that artical for this months C&D knew what he was talking about or how to drive the car. If he was a C&D jurnalist then I need to find another mag to read while i am in the "Office". I truly hope he was freelance.