Ride Quality
As the racecar that snuck in as a street car, the Spoon Sports S2000 was the center of attention. The other competitors were drawn to this, which featured the only aftermarket brake calipers (which were allowed by us) and a full Spoon Sports widebody kit (which wasn't). Rumors also flew about a host of illegal mods, such as a shorter final drive, aftermarket LSD, flux capacitor and warp drive. Honestly, on the basis of this car's modification list, its lap times can't truly be considered apples-to-apples with the other entrants. While its tire sizes could fit under stock fenders, the entire package adds up to something that's the next logical step for a track car-beyond what we intended to test. But this was the only Spoon car we could find.
On the street and the freeway, the Spoon Sports S2000 shined at being uncomfortable. With a buzzing steering wheel (from the solid engine and transmission mounts) and a loud exhaust, the Super Taikyu clone exhibited extreme harshness on the street. It crashed and punished occupants over sharp bumps and virtually shook over the torn-up streets. Not helping matters was the virtually padding-free carbon/Kevlar Spoon Sports racing bucket seat. We crept over the driveway leading to the track, as the low ride height, lack of suspension compliance and large aftermarket bumper made it impossible to do anything else. Displaying a single-minded purpose, the Spoon Sports S2000 easily cleared all other entrants on the road course, securing its title as the most hardcore, borderline-streetable track car.
On-Track Behavior/Lap Time
It was our original intention to test each car as a blank slate without any company branding. The menacing Spoon Sports S2000 killed that idea. Even without the support team running around in yellow-and-blue jackets, the black monster was undeniably Spoon. Accusations of cheating spread through the paddock. From the low-slung race bucket to the roaring exhaust note, the experience was every bit as incredible as it sounded. The car felt about 300 pounds lighter in the front than any rival and the steering feel was impeccable, even better than the CR. Oversteer is too primitive a word to describe being able to set any slip angle at will. No other car was as fast through the corners. It broke into triple digits exiting Cotton Corners. Then it carried that speed down every straight, hitting 111mph approaching Sunset.
Damping Quality
With solid motor mounts and a low seating position, the Spoon Sports S2000 felt like a true racecar, including on the street. The rear end would kick up over large bumps and the front exhibited an up-shock harshness, though not as bad as the CR. Showing the most jiggly ride by far over the rough pavement of downtown Buttonwillow, the Spoon car also had a brutal ride over the track curbing. Kojima noted that the suspension would probably be better suited to a caged car with more body stiffness, as well as being matched to R-compound race rubber. Still, the Spoon S2000 featured responsive steering and a balance toward easily catchable oversteer. The dampers were capable of controlling the stiff springs, so exit traction and tire shock were OK-not horrible, but not great either. The Spoon monoblock brake calipers were praised as being the best in the pack and probably contributed quite a bit to its fastest lap time.