Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

This is pretty much my impression after taking all these cars for day long test drives:
S2000 is a toy, blast to drive but a lot of work with nonstop shifting & zero storage
Corvette : ultimate muscle/sport car combo & most comfortable by far & big
350Z : eliminated immediately because it rode & understeered worse than my Mustang & big blind spots

Boxster : yes it is the cheap Porsche & thats a good thing if you are a handling enthusist. 6 years & 70,000 miles later I still love it (S)

PS: Miata is fun if you have never had power

I8ABMR

I am a fan of the 350Z and the Nissan VQ35DE. The motor has great power and torque and can take massive beatings. The VQ is bullet proof, and the exhaust sound would be awesome in a covertible

kalvano

I voted S2000. Probably one of the most fun cars I have ever driven.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

It's very interesting getting to see all of the different opinions on this subject

IS-SV

Agreed, and it's even more valuable to hear from those that actually owned some of these great roadsters.

wmb0000

I wish I own one, does that count

I did drove plenty of time my brother 350Z and a friend's S2000. It was a blast to drive them.

suislide

A C6 make 400hp and it's not anywhere close to being 20k

The C5 CORVETTE only made 345 hp and got bump to 350 hp in 2001. and did 1828 with 6spd
The C5 Z06 only made 385 hp and got bumped to 405 hp in 2002. 19/28 mpg

suislide

Not true at all. Some people like carving corners rather going in a straight line. If you power in a miata than just swap in a 5.0L motor from a mustang,LS1,F20 motor from the S2000, or SR20 from the silvia.

Stock LS1 miata
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEoXA_r6yc

FireCode

iTrader: (1)

Ok we are on the same page. The Z06 at 385 is 15hp away from 400 and by far the most powerful car in the group. It will also pull some of the best mpg of the group. Many owners report getting 30mpg...not 28 but 30mpg. 6 speeds really help. Driving conservatively in the city yields great mpg too. Point being...most HP..gorgeous...can be drop top if not Z06...and STELLAR mpg. corvettforum.com FTW

Also C6's are inching closer to the 20k mark...only a matter of time. I have seen numerous ones at 27kobo

FKL

thanks for that

2002GGPIS3

I voted for the Corvette C5, because I recently drove one. You also can't go wrong with the S2000. Suprised no one mentinoed the BMW Z3 based M roadster and M coupe( If you can find one), just great bang for the buck and belongs with all the other cars mentioned.

mmarshall

Yes, a standard Corvette may get high-20's to near 30 of you featherfoot it in 6th gear, skip-shift it, and coast it in gear as much as possible (coasting out of gear is dangerous), but, if you drive it like a sports car, expect to pay a price at the gas pump....with premium gas.

FireCode

iTrader: (1)

LOL and there is the issue could you imagine going to the corvette board and making a thread titled "hypermile?" You might get hunted down

mmarshall

I have driven (and reviewed) 500-HP sports cars, muscle cars, and sport sedans. The Miata is fun, period, any way you look at it. And you can have a brand new one for little over 20K, especially in this buyers' market. Just try buying a new 500 HP, tire-shredding, burnout machine for that price brand-new.....Good luck. You can get a V8, cheaply-made Challenger or Mustang, with a lot of flimsy parts on it, with maybe 350-400 HP, for (maybe) 25-30K in this buyers' market, but, even that is doubtful, and the Miata will still handle circles around them on a twisty road.

The Honda S2000 can be had for under 30K, with 240 HP, but there is little torque, especially at low RPMs, and the engine has to be run out to motorcycle-RPM levels to get max HP.

So.....for the money, there is little that can compete with the Miata on a fun-per-dollar basis. In fact, one of our CL moderators has one...he loves it.

mmarshall

I'm not saying that is how most Corvette owners would want to drive them. I'm simply saying that you can't have it both ways. In a non-hybrid, straight gas-powered car, you usually have to choose between power and economy.

EPA figures do not reflect aggressive, sport-oriented driving. And why go to a corvette forum? CL's CAR CHAT is already one of the best car forums on the Internet.