In short
- The MX-5 NA is the lightest and least powerful signed print in the group.
- The S2000 is a two-seat roadster with a high-revving Honda four-cylinder.
- The GT86 is a fixed-roof 2+2, while the 350Z is a two-seat V6 coupe.
- Exact engine, year, condition and history matter more than a universal winner.
Do not begin with a winner. Begin with the roof, seats, engine and decade you actually want. That turns four famous badges into a short, testable brief.
Which should you choose: MX-5, S2000, GT86 or 350Z?
Choose the MX-5 for the lightest classic roadster, the S2000 for a high-revving roadster, the GT86 for a newer fixed-roof 2+2, or the 350Z for a two-seat V6 coupe. Then let the exact car’s identity, condition, history and ownership budget confirm or overturn that first choice.
All four are front-engined and rear-wheel drive, but that shared diagram does not make them substitutes. Roof structure, cabin, engine delivery and production era change the experience and the buying risks.
Which exact versions are compared here?
This comparison uses Jonathan’s MX-5 NA 1.6 and 1.8, 2004-on S2000 with 2.0 or 2.2 specification, 2012 to 2021 Toyota GT86, and 2008 Nissan 350Z HR. Earlier or later engines can look similar while requiring different figures.
The NA MX-5 builder asks for the engine because one body drawing serves both signed blocks. The S2000 does the same for the F20C and North American F22C choice.
The 350Z drawing covers the Z33 face, but its live numbers are Jonathan’s later VQ35HR block. An early VQ35DE or Rev-Up owner should not inherit 308 bhp merely because the silhouette matches.
Use the exact-car identification brief before treating a model name as a full specification.
How do their body layouts change the decision?
The MX-5 and S2000 are open two-seat roadsters. The GT86 is a fixed-roof 2+2 coupe with folding rear seats. The 350Z is a fixed-roof two-seat coupe. Check cabin fit, luggage, roof condition, access and visibility in the actual car.
| Car | Roof | Seats | Basic layout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazda MX-5 NA | Folding soft top | 2 | Front engine, rear drive |
| Honda S2000 | Folding soft top | 2 | Front engine, rear drive |
| Toyota GT86 | Fixed coupe | 2+2 | Front engine, rear drive |
| Nissan 350Z | Fixed coupe | 2 | Front engine, rear drive |
A roadster roof adds drains, seals, fabric, frame and water-ingress checks. A coupe removes that mechanism but does not guarantee a dry cabin or rust-free shell.
The GT86 rear seats are real equipment, not a promise that every adult will fit. Test child seats, passengers and luggage rather than relying on the 2+2 label.
How do Jonathan’s signed figures compare?
The default signed blocks rise from the 128 bhp, 990 kg MX-5 NA 1.8 to the 237 bhp, 1,260 kg S2000, 197 bhp, 1,314 kg GT86 and 308 bhp, 1,620 kg 350Z HR. They are house poster figures, not proof that every source uses one weight convention.
| Car | Engine | Power | Torque | Weight | 0 to 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX-5 NA 1.8 | 1.8 L BP-ZE inline-four | 128 bhp | 152 Nm | 990 kg | 8.2 sec |
| Honda S2000 2.0 | 2.0L F20C inline 4 | 237 bhp | 208 Nm | 1260 kg | 6.0 sec |
| Toyota GT86 | 2.0 L 4U-GSE inline 4 boxer | 197 bhp | 205 Nm | 1314 kg | 7.6 sec |
| Nissan 350Z HR | 3.5 L VQ35HR V6 | 308 bhp | 358 Nm | 1620 kg | 5.6 sec |
The lower-output car is not automatically less involving, and the highest number is not automatically faster on a particular road. Tyres, weather, driver, gearing and condition matter.
How different are the four engines?
The NA uses a naturally aspirated Mazda inline-four, the S2000 a high-revving Honda inline-four, the GT86 a naturally aspirated flat-four, and the 350Z HR a 3.5-litre V6. Compare response, sound, gearing, maintenance evidence and exact engine code rather than cylinder count alone.
Mazda offered the NA in 1.6 and 1.8 forms. Honda’s F20C and F22C share the S2000 identity but differ in displacement and signed torque. Toyota and Subaru jointly developed the GT86’s boxer installation. Nissan’s Z33 moved through several VQ35 specifications.
A standard engine name also says nothing about current modifications. Record intake, exhaust, ECU, forced induction, cooling and emissions changes with invoices and insurer acceptance.
Read the turbo and naturally aspirated guide before using aspiration as a quality ranking.
Which works best as a daily car?
The best daily is the example that fits its driver, route, passengers, luggage and weather while remaining mechanically and financially supportable. The GT86 begins with the strongest seating and fixed-roof case, but one neglected GT86 can be a worse daily than a sound roadster.
Measure parking space and garage access. Sit with the roof up, check sight lines and test every control. Bring the luggage, child seat or mobility item that determines whether the car works.
Check motorway gearing, noise and heating on the test route you actually use. A ten-minute drive on smooth local roads cannot answer that question.
Winter use makes tyre choice, corrosion protection, drainage and demisting more important. Rear-wheel drive is not a substitute for suitable tyres.
What should you inspect before buying any of them?
Confirm VIN, engine, model year and factory specification, then build a service, MOT, repair and modification chronology. Inspect cold start, fluids, cooling, diagnostics, clutch and gearbox, brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, shell, underside and every roof or cabin system.
Use manufacturer recall tools with the VIN and verify completion. A recall campaign may apply by date, market or build range rather than badge.
Corrosion deserves a lift inspection on older examples. Fresh coating can protect good metal or conceal poor repairs, so ask what preparation sits beneath it.
Commission a specialist inspection when you cannot establish compression, geometry, accident repair or modification quality yourself. The cost is evidence, not a guarantee.
How should you compare the ownership budget?
Get current insurance, tax and finance figures for the exact registration, then add immediate service, tyres, brakes, fluids, scheduled work, age-related repairs and a contingency. Price model-specific body, roof, drivetrain and trim parts before comparing purchase prices.
A cheaper advert with overdue tyres, brakes and cooling work may demand more cash than a dearer documented car. Convert the inspection into a first-year schedule.
Insurance must include every modification, storage arrangement and intended mileage. Do not assume one model’s reputation predicts your quote.
This guide deliberately avoids current market prices. Live adverts change, asking prices are not completed sales, and condition creates a wider spread than one neat average suggests.
How do you choose the matching personalised print?
Choose the exact generation and visible body first, select the correct engine block where offered, then set paint, background and registration. A shared drawing can support two engines, but it cannot make a roadster into a coupe or an early engine into a later one.
Build the MX-5 NA, build the S2000, build the GT86 or build the 350Z.
For another generation or visible modification, start at custom work. A photograph should show the front square-on without hiding lamps or grille in shadow.
Which manufacturer sources support this comparison?
Mazda’s Roadster history establishes the NA design brief, Honda’s 2004 S2000 release documents its revisions, Toyota’s GT86 launch material explains its layout, and Nissan’s heritage collection records the Z33 Fairlady Z. Jonathan’s signed files control the figures printed here.
Read Mazda’s first-generation Roadster history, Honda Europe’s 2004 S2000 release, Toyota UK’s GT86 launch release and Nissan’s Z33 heritage entry. They were reviewed 9 August 2026.
This comparison cannot diagnose one car or decide a personal driving preference.
Questions people actually ask
- Which is best, MX-5, S2000, GT86 or 350Z?
- There is no universal winner. Choose the MX-5 for a light classic roadster, the S2000 for a high-revving roadster, the GT86 for a newer fixed-roof 2+2, or the 350Z for a two-seat V6 coupe. The individual car’s condition, history and cost can reverse that preference.
- Which of these cars has rear seats?
- The Toyota GT86 has two small rear seats and is sold as a 2+2. The MX-5 NA, Honda S2000 and Nissan 350Z are two-seaters. Sit in the actual car and load the boot because labels do not establish practical fit.
- Which has the most power in Jonathan’s signed prints?
- The Nissan 350Z HR print has 308 bhp. It is followed by the Honda S2000 at 237 bhp, Toyota GT86 at 197 bhp and MX-5 NA at 113 or 128 bhp depending on the selected engine.
- Can one print specification cover every version?
- No. The MX-5 NA has 1.6 and 1.8 choices, the S2000 has 2.0 and 2.2 choices, and the 350Z changed through DE, Rev-Up and HR engines. The live 350Z block specifically represents Jonathan’s 2008 HR car.
Written by Jonathan in Derby. Last updated .