i work for a honda dealer and i've driven several of each. they went to the glass back in 02. i think the word you used, "animalistic" is the perfect way to describe the ap1. the ap2 feels more refined/civiclized, where the ap1 is more raw. i like the extra low-end power and torque, and more comfortable ride of the ap2, but i love railing on the ap1 with that 9-grand redline. there's another thread here where i list all the differences i can remember between the 2 cars, see if you can find it. the short version is: a lot of DRIVERS prefer the ap1 for its more primal feel, yet the ap2 has better performance. drive one of each and draw your own conclusions. either way, i absolutely love the car!!!!