Quote:
Originally Posted by vinuneuro
I was kidding about the F20c swap ;).
Honestly, I'd much rather have K20 power on the track: power everywhere. There is one famous K20 powered Exige and more than a few K20 Elise's running around out there, I've read about. If you get serious about it at some point, I'm sure you could relatively easily sell your 2ZZ. There are K20-Elise swap kits available.
The K20 in-itself has a LOT of potential NA or FI. Most of the reason is tunability.
Here's an interesting question: between the S2k, Elise and C2, which is the most fun on/off the track? Normally I'd guess Elise, but 2ZZ..
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I got that you were kidding, no worries! There have been a lot of K20 swaps, but as I said I think the bulk of them are Euro cars with Rover motors. A lot of these cars made it stateside, as that was the most tried-and-true, practical way of being able to get them registered here. Most of the US-bound, officially imported "Fed" cars get modded through FI of some sort. I could be wrong about the frequency, though.
Part of the problem is that the K20 is pricey (around $6k just for the parts, gently used) and you can't get anything for the 2ZZ (maybe around $2k). That price is one of the chief reasons Ariel uses the Ecotec (a good motor which also responds well to mods and FI). Of course, they'll sell you one with a Honda motor for more money.
On a tight track (like Summit Point Shenandoah) the Elise is outrageous. It's very tossable, easy to rotate, and grippy. At Shenandoah I can run wth Z06s, and I'm not very experienced - the car's just so well setup for a track like that and so easy to drive fast that it's like cheating. On a faster track (like VIR) it just doesn't have the horsepower, and the big boys walk away on the straights. Sometimes I don't mind that, but now that the 911 has coilovers and PS Cups I generally prefer it on a big track, with it's massive grip, good power, solid stability, and flexibility. It gives up a bit in tossability and steering feel, and is slower in tight corners. Both cars have excellent braking ability, which really helps make up time on track. It's nice to be able to have both, but I think a more dedicated (and maybe cheaper) track car might be in my future, certainly if I move beyond HPDE and into racing.
I've only driven the S2000 at Shenandoah, as it is basically stock and has no roll bar. It's well suited to that track as well, and the motor, gearbox, and shifter are leagues beyond the Lotus. Unfortunately it feels soft in comparison, it doesn't have a lot of traction coming out of the corners (front-engine, twtichy rear end), and the front brake cooling is insufficient. I still used it perhaps 4 times last season, so don't get me wrong, it's fun. For a car that I use as a daily and put about 8k miles a year on it's pretty impressive, even with street tires and no mods. You just can't beat a rear-engine (or R-compounds) when it comes to the track.
