I raced one of the first AP1's in NASA's HC and SCCA's short lived Honda Cup.
With limited power, the only way not to bind up that chassis was to make the suspension super stiff which made it slide even more, but at least more predictably. It was like driving a welded diff car.
Plus the aero sucks. After 130, you hit a (aerodynamic) wall.
The front upper suspension is mounted to the body, and not the subframe, which is idiotic if you ask me.
The rear diff is pretty weak unless you baby it and have it cryo-ed.
The wheel hubs like to let go in places like T3 at Sonoma.

After I got taken out and flipped mine 7 times end over end at Big Willow, I was kind of glad that project was over.


But it's a great car.

 

With basic mods i/h/e tires/ suspension they run fairly close. It's pretty much a drivers race in my experience. Also the curve to drive a s2k fast is much more difficult so laptimes are all over the place.

My local track. basic mod car would run in this range.
Miatas run 1:49-1:55
S2000 run 1:45-1:53

Nasa tt ratings tell you more. s2k has an edge stock. but the weight makes it slower. swapped miata is what alot would do but you will be very limited in what you could race/ drive that in.

My advice. DD the s2k. leave it stockish. Build the miata for a class you have an interest in.

 

Wouldn't the miata be far cheaper to run as well?

 

Why dont you ping @Emilio700 he's driven both.
Ive only raced the S2