Roadster Comparison: Honda S2000, Porsche Boxster, Mazda MX-5 and BMW Z3

Brake_L8 (Forum Supporter) said:

I'm gonna get eviscerated for this comment, but at city/around-town speeds, the S2000 feels like a Civic with the roof removed. They are only "fun" when you have space to wind 'em out.

No, I think that is a valid comment. If you want a car that you can drive with enjoyment full bore all the time without getting a ticket, you'd have to look for an old Fiat 850 or a Bugeye Sprite.

The S2000 is a car you can drive in the city like a civic, but it has this hidden switch you can hit when road conditions allow, that switches it from A/mundane mode to B/performance mode when you can use it and want to use it. Nothing wrong with that!  It also means that there are  quite a few used ones around that have never been switched from A to B - one young lady I asked about it said she'd never exceeded 5000 rpm in hers.....

350z247 said:

In reply to fatallightning :

I agree on all three. The 986 was a good start, but by the 987.2, Porsche had perfected the roadster. The 981 Spyder is the absolute pinnacle of open top track weapons. If only they had actually produced the Bergspyder...

roll your own. 
 

as far as the whole "you can't live with a zzw30 mr2" thing goes. I disagree, you have to use the available space wisely but I've used them for dds for years with a kiddo. If you want to figure it out, you will, if you don't, you won't. 

In reply to Carbon (Forum Supporter) :

I'm not cutting the windshield off of a limited run $90K Porsche, but I can dream.

350z247 said:

In reply to Carbon (Forum Supporter) :

I'm not cutting the windshield off of a limited run $90K Porsche, but I can dream.

Was suggesting doing that to a $6000 Toyota instead then kicking the Porsche's ass with it. It is "grassroots motorsports" after all. 

If it wasn't my only car I would de-windshieldify my 986. Remove the top and windows and a ton of weight. Then run the intake up between the headrests like an Atom. Ugh. That would be epic.
Carbon, your car is an inspiration!

In reply to Carbon (Forum Supporter) :

I'm not sure I've ever seen an MR2 in the low 1:30s at Road Atlanta, but all the same, it's a good look.

350z247 said:

In reply to Carbon (Forum Supporter) :

I'm not sure I've ever seen an MR2 in the low 1:30s at Road Atlanta, but all the same, it's a good look.

Just a matter of what mods. 

What is the best casual shoe?  If you can only have 1 pair of shoes, it's a very different choice vs having several on hand.

So, many of the good and bad points of these shoes get back to that first question.

Plus, if you have big feet, a small shoe won't be comfortable for long.

I'm 6 ft...can't be comfy in Miata, S2000.   Boxster I rented for a week was OK for space.

E30 track car was good.  I'm too old now.  My track days are over.

My E30 S50 is my fun street car and DD.

Working on some Mk1 MR2s...for a step toward more extreme street driving adventures.

The BMW M Roadster and Coupe are for fun on a nice day with the wife....spacious for us and cargo, quiet enough, pleasant suspension and engine, reliable....and all my tools work on them.   This last point important for my shop.

All of these cars can have a happy home.

Over the years I have autocrossed all of these cars and owned 2 of them. Could have owned all of them if desired. Raced 3 S2000s found all 3 required egg under go pedal as all wanted to step out rear at the limit. Very quick but not for most drivers. I did not buy one. They look great.

Never found an affordable BMW in pristine condition and no accidents so stopped trying.  They are solid cars with that brilliant straight 6.  Enjoyable touring or autocross cars.

I bought a 2003 Boxster S from a trusted friend with 93k miles. Best stock handling road car I have ever owned. Brilliant all around. Some funky German switch operations tho.  Thinking man's joy.  Has unusual wear items like water pump.

I bought a 1999 Miata SE with 156M road miles - dark green in FL bad idea - had to drive with lights on. Quickest steering on the planet and impossible to spin out. Brilliant autocross car. Sold it for 3x what I paid for it 2 years later.

Not listed owned 2000 C5 Vert Z51 was fastest car I'll ever own. Superb handling autocross and road car. Great for road trips 28mpg. Was in same class as BMW and Boxster S when I owned it. I could out power/beat them both normally.  Sold it to my daughter.  The insurance was 2x what the newer Boxster was. That was a surprise.

I still have my hard driven 2003 RX8 4Dr with moonroof with 95k miles but my days of stickshift are ending at 76 this year.  Longest owned car in my life. Going to son. Will race on.

I've owned a few Miata's, and a few Porsche's including a Boxster S.  I've also owned a slew of V8s with more power than any of them.  What did I just buy again?  Another Miata.  Sure other cars are faster, but it's really really hard to find a more fun car to drive that is easier and cheaper to own.  Miata maintenance, care, and running costs are low.  Miata fun is huge.  I honestly considered a Targa top Vette too.  I've owned a few Vettes too. But the ease of use, cost, ease of maintenance etc the Miata won out again.  I can do whatever I want to it as cash allows too.  A Miata is a blank canvass for any car enthusiast.  The biggest knock above mentioned was power.  That can be addressed in several ways.  

In reply to Yinn :

This is a good comment from someone who's owned all of the test vehicles.  What do you think in terms of fitting in them?  I'm 6'1" and own a Miata.  I really like the cars, but I feel it's about 10% too small for me.  I've cut the seat foam, but it's just not enough.  Can I ask how tall you are?

Is there anyone else who's driven all of these who can comment of fitting in them for taller people?  From the owner comments in the article, it seems like the Z3 might have the most room?

Thanks.

In reply to BimmerMaven :

The Z3 and Boxser fit you better then?  I'm about the same height, maybe an inch or so taller.  I like my Miata but wish I fit in it better, height-wise.

In reply to twistedwankel :

Welcome to the forum!

Looking back to the posts from April 2021 reminded me of a nicely modified 986 Boxster I recently saw at ECR.

chpjr said:

In reply to Yinn :

This is a good comment from someone who's owned all of the test vehicles.  What do you think in terms of fitting in them?  I'm 6'1" and own a Miata.  I really like the cars, but I feel it's about 10% too small for me.  I've cut the seat foam, but it's just not enough.  Can I ask how tall you are?

 

Is there anyone else who's driven all of these who can comment of fitting in them for taller people?  From the owner comments in the article, it seems like the Z3 might have the most room?

Thanks.

6'1 ish and above average torso length here, one thing I'd say all of these cars have in common is not being tall person compatible. I've owned an M roadster, a boxster, and an NA miata and have driven an S2000 and NB/ND miatas. The early miatas are just tiny all around. The ND I found probably the most compatible of the bunch, especially the ND2 with the telescoping steering column, but I've heard other tall people have complaints. The S2000 might have actually had the most space but it had seat lowering brackets in it and my only driving in it was a single autocross run so I wasn't paying that muhc attention. My m roadster ended up getting an aftermarket seat that sat like 4" lower than stock, and then I finally felt like I was sitting *in* it, rather than *on* it. Maybe the non-M seats are lower? But honestly none of the non-Ms are worth owning other than maybe the late 3.0. About my only real disappointment with the 986 was the lack of headroom, I had to slouch big time to fit under the top with a helmet on. Porsche did figure it out later on, and the 987 is much better and the 981 even a little bit better I think. So if you can swing one of those that would definitely be my choice (and I did, in fact, make that choice).

In reply to dps214 :

Thanks for the info.

Re: self described 'too old now' guy... you're not. Some used to say 'grow up', now all I hear is 'never change'.  We can be  racecar partners for enduros and sharing expense. Then  solo in class races separate events.

Love V8 sound, acceleration and speed on straights, but Miata in turns.

No idea there were so many meaningful choices. I want a used race car with handling of Mazda... speed of a V8.

What would you do?

In reply to chpjr :

Z3 is roomiest of all.

Oddly, the Mark I MR2 is OK for a few hours, but not all day...size wise 

There's always a compromise!

First of all, I've ridden motorcycles for 55 years and many have been somewhat peaky inline fours; you rev em to enjoy em, and they enjoy being rung out. Such is the S2000, and I'm on my second, an '09 with Pilot Sport 4s on 8.5 inch Titan wheels all around and Ohlins shocks (lowered half an inch). I love giving it a modest thrashing on back roads. Third and fourth gears show plenty of power. The good shocks and the sticky P4s make it really hard to slide, a huge change from crappy tires and chatter inducing worn out shocks it came with at 90,000 miles. But I'm 6'1" and it's tight. Honda is cheating us on performance cars, but they make tough equipment mechanically and the S2000 is easily one of their best designs ever, and oh what a shifter! I drove a brand new Miata and it was kinda too soft and polite, too much interior chrome, but nice. A five year old Boxster I test drove was excellent, in a different class. In this price range, my old C5 Z06 was amazing but too large. I'm keeping the S2000, but have sold five or six machines and a new Cayman GT4 is supposed to arrive next month after a year wait. Too bad even 2016 cars are way outta this price range and I sure wish you could see the motor when you lift the hood! (General Answer: Buy the most Cayman/Boxster you can scrape together money for.)

chpjr said:

In reply to BimmerMaven :

The Z3 and Boxser fit you better then?  I'm about the same height, maybe an inch or so taller.  I like my Miata but wish I fit in it better, height-wise.

Try the NC if you haven't already. I love Miatas but the na/b are a bit tight for my tastes. Or the Porsche as someone else mentioned 

In reply to dps214 :

Torso length always important...not just height...

A good friend has a body like Baby Hughy....his head is out of the sunroof on all of my cars.

For reference, I'm 6ft with 34 inch pants length.  He's 6-1 with 30 inch pants length...

motormark said:

First of all, I've ridden motorcycles for 55 years and many have been somewhat peaky inline fours; you rev em to enjoy em, and they enjoy being rung out. Such is the S2000, and I'm on my second, an '09 with Pilot Sport 4s on 8.5 inch Titan wheels all around and Ohlins shocks (lowered half an inch). I love giving it a modest thrashing on back roads. Third and fourth gears show plenty of power. The good shocks and the sticky P4s make it really hard to slide, a huge change from crappy tires and chatter inducing worn out shocks it came with at 90,000 miles. But I'm 6'1" and it's tight. Honda is cheating us on performance cars, but they make tough equipment mechanically and the S2000 is easily one of their best designs ever, and oh what a shifter! I drove a brand new Miata and it was kinda too soft and polite, too much interior chrome, but nice. A five year old Boxster I test drove was excellent, in a different class. In this price range, my old C5 Z06 was amazing but too large. I'm keeping the S2000, but have sold five or six machines and a new Cayman GT4 is supposed to arrive next month after a year wait. Too bad even 2016 cars are way outta this price range and I sure wish you could see the motor when you lift the hood! (General Answer: Buy the most Cayman/Boxster you can scrape together money for.)

 

That last sentence is the best I've seen on this forum. The Boxster/Cayman twins are pure and simple driving perfection with none of the compromises of the Miatas. Of course, you'll pay extra for that, but you can't take it with you...

Read this article back in 2011. The wife had a 2005 BMW 330i ZHP so I knew I'd lean toward the Z3. Fast forward to Aug 2022 she found a 2001 3.0 auto,well within budget. Has some blemishes  but it's a driver not a show car. It  has been fun cleaning up and hitting the twistiest of Colorado for no other reason than lunch.

The rear view mirror location drives me nuts but other than that it's fun to drive and that's all it needs to be for us.