Three For the Road: 2004 Honda S2000 vs. Mazda RX-8 and Nissan 350Z

[Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the March 2004 issue of MotorTrend] There was a time when sport coupes filled this magazine’s pages. For example, our July 1995 issue featured a shootout with a Honda Prelude VTEC, Toyota MR2 Turbo, Nissan 300ZX Turbo, Chevrolet Camaro, Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4, Pontiac Trans Am, Toyota Supra Turbo, and Mazda RX-7 R2, among others. Where are they now? Within just a few years of that test, all would disappear outright or withdraw from our market. Jump to 2004, and, suddenly, coupes and convertibles are back with a vengeance. Why? Besides a worldwide economic upturn, the cars themselves have come down in absolute and relative price, fuel consumption and performance are better–as are emissions–and, believe it or not, the cars are a whole lot easier to drive and to live with.

Sure, the Corvette’s and Porsche 911’s flames burn steadily, but who would’ve expected a Pontiac GTO, Chrysler Crossfire, the return of the BMW 6 Series, Nissan’s Z car, or even the rotary-powered RX-8?

The three front-engine rear-drive sports cars we selected for this test implicitly and explicitly promise a rewarding driving experience. Yet each delivers it in a fundamentally different way.

The much-revised-for-2004 Honda S2000 is a lightweight, inline-four-cylinder screamer with one foot in the traditionalist drop-top two-seater past and the other in the high-tech high-revving present. Mazda’s all-new RX-8 bucks the status quo with a twin-rotor Wankel engine (the first here since the RX-7 departed in the 1995 model year), unique styling, and useful “freestyle” rear half-doors–allowing passengers actually to use those rear seats. Finally, the brisk-selling 2004 Nissan 350Z two-seater appeals to the driver’s senses with its edgy looks, muscular V-6, engrossing sound, and quick reflexes, particularly in the Track Model we test here.

Which is best for you? Is performance a priority at all costs? Do you need to accommodate more than one passenger? How important is styling on your wish list? We’ve run our usual battery of instrumented track tests, but to help rank these three, we’ve dissected each of their abilities to go, stop, and corner with three additional analyses: Motor Trend’s Figure-Eight, a step-steer reaction test, and an examination of how and when each makes its horsepower and torque over the entire rev range.

The list of revisions and improvements to the Honda S2000 for the 2004 model year is substantial and does much to soften the car’s sharp edges–but those edges are still there. The less-frenetic character of the 10-percent-larger engine (to 2.2 liters) is complemented by a kinder, gentler suspension and taller, wider tires. A new brake-pad material takes full advantage of larger tire contact patches and gives better feel. Further, the direct-link gearbox has a wider spread of ratios, and carbon-fiber replaces brass in forward synchronizers for improved shifting action–if that’s possible. A limited-slip differential quells nervousness in low-grip or limit-handling maneuvers.

The 2004 S2000’s stiffer body structure, new, more aggressive appearance, and interior revisions give the car a more grownup demeanor. We love the look and feel of the intimate cockpit and especially enjoy the headrest-mounted speakers and new XM Radio option. This remains a focused, committed sports car.

Despite or perhaps because of its newfound “civilization” program and a slight weight gain, the 2004 S2000 produces performance numbers only marginally diminished from what they used to be. Honda figures giving up a small measure of performance for a noticeably less-taxing experience will drive more buyers. What once felt like a club racer with a license plate has been brought only a bit closer to the sweet spot of what most people would consider an acceptable daily driver. However, driving all three of our competitors back to back, the S2000’s comfort-be-damned mission continues to shine through.

The S2000 still demands a certain buyer with very little luggage who values sport over everyday liveability. You don’t so much drive the S2000 as wear it or ride it. It’s the kind of car you’d love to find yourself in on California’s coastal Highway 1 an hour before sunset with the guarantee of grippy, dry pavement and no highway patrolmen–but how often does that happen? If you currently own a motorcycle and are looking to come out of the cold, this is the perfect car.

From the first moment behind the wheel of the Nissan 350Z, we got the distinct feeling it was the heavyweight of this threesome. Although it tips the scale between 196 and 390 pounds more than the other two, it also has about a 50-horsepower advantage, and, more dramatically, over 110 pound-feet more torque. If you consider the power-to-weight ratios, the Z still comes out ahead, as our acceleration times demonstrate. In fact, this is the quickest 350Z we’ve tested thus far. All this means a driver doesn’t need to rev the Z’s big 3.5-liter V-6 to 6000-plus rpm to find accelerative enjoyment. The Z is happy at just about any speed in just about any gear. Its bolt-action shifter works extremely well in medium-to-lazy shifts, but, unlike the others’, is heavy to operate when hustled. Also, adding to the gravity of the Z, its steering is less responsive and requires more effort. A few staffers began to think of it as a “musclecar of sports cars.”

Our Track Model tester is differentiated from lesser 350Zs by lightweight forged-aluminum wheels, larger-diameter Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential, and a sport-tuned (read “harsh”) suspension. Again, our instrumented tests prove the hardware works, posting the best stopping and handling figures to date for a 350Z. A supportive sport driver’s seat (slightly different from the passenger seat) keeps a firm grip on the pilot’s bum, but doesn’t feel quite as good as those in the S2000 or RX-8.

In terms of around-town ride quality, we’d have to place this Nissan ahead of the go-kart-like Honda, but behind the magical Mazda.

We also subtract a few points for the Z’s instrumentation and ergonomics, which are less legible and a little less intuitive than either of the others. Finally, the rear cargo bay, though seemingly large, is compromised by an integral strut-tower brace, which limits the size and shape of luggage you can fit on board. A close runner-up to number one, the 350Z Track Model is a heavy-handed, firm-riding musclecar among nimble middleweights.

With a comparatively large–and wonderful-sounding–V-6, it’s less high-strung and yet only slightly more liveable than the Honda. But, just like Muhammad Ali, this big fella is surprisingly quick on his feet and packs a wallop. If the 350Z Touring Model is just too soft for you, then look into a Track Model.

Unconventional thinking has its rewards. You’d be hardpressed to find anything conventional about the Mazda RX-8, and it turns out that’s a good thing. Engine, steering, styling, and packaging are all unique. To start with, the miniscule (by comparison) 1.3-liter twin-rotor engine produces an astounding 182 horsepower per liter, outpunching cars like the Porsche 911 and Ferrari Modena in specific output. We only wish it were more fuel-efficient at that size, as it earns the poorest (but only slightly) EPA mileage numbers here. What the engine does, however, is rev and produce power like an electric motor. So smooth and linear is the power delivery that Mazda installed a shift tone to remind the driver the engine is approaching the 9000-rpm rev limiter.

With such even torque delivery and so linear a horsepower curve, it’s easy to imagine limitless engine revs. This is where the RX-8 and the similarly revvy S2000 differ. Even at 8500 rpm, there’s nothing to indicate the RX-8’s engine is strained or that power will ever cease, except for that reminder tone.

Power is routed through a tight, close-ratio six-speed transmission and a carbon-fiber composite driveshaft from the front-mid engine to the rear torque-sensing limited-slip differential. The engine, transmission, driveshaft, and rear end are all precisely located in a straight line to eliminate driveline vibration and noise. The 50/50 weight distribution shines in transient maneuvers like our slalom test. Further enhancing this well-connected feel, Mazda developed a new rack-drive electric power-steering unit. Unlike other electric steering aids, the RX-8’s electric-assist motor is located within the steering rack itself and is neither artificially light-feeling nor laboriously notchy.

One might assume that the gaping hole formed by the pillarless double-door opening in each side of the RX-8 would translate into a wobbly chassis. Mazda has spent considerable time and effort to avoid this problem, using construction techniques including a rigid backbone frame, in-door high-strength steel pillars, and an innovative V-shaped brace extending from the rear end to the rear shock towers. There’s also a full complement of front-, front/side-, and head-curtain airbags to ensure crashworthiness. Further, the Mazda rides quietly and happily in traffic and at the limit.

Conclusion

The RX-8 technically isn’t the quickest car here, nor is it the best-handling or stopping. But it is competitive in every performance test without the compromises the outright “numbers-winning” setups so often produce— and our tester wasn’t even the sportsuspension- equipped version.

What it is, however, is the least-expensive, most-accommodating, best all-around solution to having your uniquely styled sport coupe and room for four adults. We think it offers the best of both worlds with the fewest penalties. In some regards, the RX-8 is a small exoticar with marvelous engineering innovations. In other ways, it has the amenities and comfort of an everyday driver with the safety and warranty expected from a modern car-all while exhibiting a light, athletic feel and a strong value message. The RX-8 might be the unconventional choice here, but fresh thinking and unusual solutions to the fickle sport-coupe market just may keep its current entries around longer than its predecessor. And we have yet to see the hot-rodded MazdaSpeed supercharged RX-8.

Motivation

Honda’s revised, longer-stroke VTEC four displaces 2.2 liters (+0.2 liter) and has more accessible (at lower revs) torque and horsepower compared with last year’s 2.0-liter inline-four. This tames what once was an exercise in patience (at low rpm) and faith that the engine wouldn’t grenade (at its 8200-rpm redline). The same maximum 240 horsepower now occurs at a lower 7700 rpm (+0 at -500 rpm) and the flatter torque curve reaches it max at 162 pound-feet at 6500 rpm (+8 at -1000 rpm). There’s still a slight hit of power at 3500 and 5500 rpm when the VTEC system kicks in. Among naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines, this is about as good as it gets. But not everyone is accustomed to revving a small, high-compression engine to get all the performance out of it.

Mazda’s rotary returns to our market after a six-year absence. The most notable change between previous rotaries and the 1.3-liter Renesis 13B is that engineers moved the exhaust ports to the end plates from the rotor housing. This strategy eliminated the previous engine’s intake/exhaust overlap, which allowed spent gases to mix with the intake charge, causing poor emissions and fuel economy out of step with the relatively small displacement. That’s all changed now. What’s left is the engine’s ability to make a bunch of power from a small and light package. It happily spins like an electric power tool up to 9000 rpm. In many ways, it behaves like an electric motor: near-constant level of torque and a linear delivery of horsepower.

Nissan’s award-winning VQ engine series just keeps getting better with each passing year and application. The 350Z’s version makes more torque just above idle than the Honda or Mazda make at their peaks. Part of that comes from the fact that it displaces 1.3 and 2.2 liters more than the others and that it’s a V-6 instead of a rotary or an inline engine. What the driver feels is a stern shove rather than a gradual increase of power–up to about 5000 rpm where the torque begins to fade. In contrast, the Honda and Mazda are just reaching their potentials at the same engine speed. In many ways, the 350Z engine behaves like a V-8 with a prodigious low end and a gradually fading high end. If the gearing is well-spaced as it is in the Z, the driver will intuitively feel the right time to shift without needing to look at the tachometer or being reminded to shift with an audible tone.

2004 Honda S2000

Don’t Miss: Subtle new sheetmetal and interior upgrades

Bottom Line: A reliably built weekend mountain-road carver for those who like an edgy drive

2004 Nissan 350Z Track Model

Don’t Miss: The group’s only stability-control system and electronic brake-force distribution

Bottom Line: In the world of four- or six-cylinder (or rotary) sports cars, this is a musclecar

2004 Mazda RX-8

Don’t Miss: Rear-hinged doors turn this coupe into a four-place sport “sedan”

Bottom Line: An ingenious solution to many of the compromises inherent in the sports-car genre