I drove an ex-girlfriend's Miata... was an automatic so I don't think I got the real experience. It was OK, handled fine. Just didn't have the same zip -- 170 HP vs 240 HP (not an ideal metric, but just an easy one to cite).
I think the BMW Z4, Jaguar F-Type, and Porsche Boxster are probably all fine replacements (that's what all the S2000 forum nerds say anyway) -- if you have 2-3x to spend. I drove an F-Type and it felt very busy inside. Like... fundamentally a different audience than the S2000. I drove a used Z4 too, but only an automatic since that was all they had on the lot.
Nissan 370z looks promising, but I haven't tried it. I don't love the look.
It's a bit of a sore spot... I don't feel like there is a true replacement for the S2000 on the market at present and it's getting very hard to find a used one that wasn't modified or doesn't have a ton of miles.
